Huge, Crispy Fried Chicken Chunks Head to Berkeley

Huge chunks of fried chicken are headed to Berkeley

An international chain called Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks is opening in downtown Berkeley this weekend, with a menu of Taiwanese street treats, including the XXL Crispy chicken (da ji pai), a pounded and fried chicken breast. Noodle soup with oysters, sweet potato fries with plum powder, and more will join the ginormous chicken snack on the menu. This is only the chain’s second location in the US — the first is in Milpitas — and will open this weekend with free drinks for new customers.

More açaí is flooding SoMa today

Vitality Bowls, the açaí-slinging cafe based in San Ramon, is opening its first SF cafe in SoMa today at 270 5th Street. The restaurant is giving away free bowls to the first 50 customers, and doing a BOGO promo on all açaí bowls from September 21 through September 24. They’ve also got paninis, soups, and smoothies in addition to the bowls.

Charlie Palmer’s restaurant in St. Helena has a new chef and menu

Harvest Table, Palmer’s restaurant in the Harvest Inn, has a new executive chef, and subsequently new menu. Chef Spencer Wolff, who was most recently a chef at the CIA at Greystone next door, is launching a menu of fall-ish fall dishes like butternut squash ravioli with kale, wild mushroom risotto, and stuffed quail with foie gras.

Ellen Fort

Oakland’s Cole Coffee is finally reopening September 25

Rockridge’s favorite coffee shop is finally reopening after what feels like forever. It’s set to debut its much sleeker and airy interiors on September 29, with live music and lots of caffeination for all. The new look takes the coffee shop of out of the 90s and into the realm of third wave coffee, complete with marble countertops and a pour-over bar — a necessary upgrade since Philz, Peet’s, and Starbucks (inside Safeway across the street) are all within a block of each other.

Notes from all over: Rene Redzepi is cooking gold-plated Noma food in Napa

The intense chef is on the move since his pop-up in Mexico, and delayed reopening of his vaunted restaurant in Copenhagen. Now he’s in Napa Valley, cooking up a seriously luxe feast with chef Christopher Kostow of Restaurant at Meadowood; The Restaurant is providing the service for Redzepi’s team, who’ve been prepping in Kostow’s kitchen. The sold-out, invite-only event cost $15,000 per couple with all proceeds benefitting MAD, the non-profit foundation that helps chefs “make the world a better place through food.” It also hosts the yearly symposium where Daniel Patterson and Roy Choi conceived the idea for Locol.