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After four years of well-done steak with ketchup in the White House, the time has come to usher in a fresh administration. Inauguration Day is Wednesday, January 20, when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be sworn in as the 46th president and vice president of the United States. The Bay Area’s stay-at-home order prohibits in-person parties or parades, so millions of Americans are planning at-home, single household observations of the peaceful transfer of power. So here’s what to order for takeout, while staying home and celebrating virtually.
Note: The inauguration typically takes place at noon EST, starting with the oaths of office and followed by an address. That’s early for everyone tuning in from the West Coast, who might be just logging in for another distracted workday. One can never go wrong with coffee and doughnuts. But if you want to watch clips or Zoom with friends a little later, here are a few more fun ideas.
Chicken parmigiana from Little Original Joe’s
Jill Biden has shared with various media outlets that Joe’s favorite foods include chicken, pasta, and red sauce. Thankfully, Little Original Joe’s just opened in West Portal to satisfy all parmigiana cravings. Pick up the chicken parm, with ravioli or fettuccine on the side. Ca;; 415-759-1155, menu is here.
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Lemon roasted chicken and fancy tuna melts from Zuni Cafe
Kamala Harris loves roasting chicken, sliding fresh herbs and lemon zest under the skin. Zuni, the roast chicken authority, will be doing a “VP Harris” version of their iconic bird, which still comes with the usual bread salad. And they’ll be offering a “way too fancy tuna melt” with preserved lemon aioli, wild arugula, and marinated celery root and beets, one upping the time that Harris schooled Senator Mark Warner on the best way to make a melt. Call415-552-2522 to order.
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Political hot dogs from Kantine
Kantine, the Scandinavian bakery and cafe, got political leading up to the general election, rallying five different restaurants to throw a hot dog party for democracy. Of course, they are bringing a patriotic dog back for inauguration day. This one is pork, with stewed red cabbage, celery root, fried shallots, and grainy mustard. Order online here.
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Mission-style burrito from La Cumbre
As a Bay Area native, obviously Harris has opinions on Mission-style burritos. She frequents La Cumbre, at least according to a former political advisor who spoke with the Chron. And what better way to party than by eating a super carne asada on the couch? Order online here.
Chicken and collards lasagna from the Home of Chicken and Waffles
Harris’s cousins own the Home of Chicken and Waffles in Jack London Square, and the family is showing support in lasagna mural form. “The Kamala” is a chicken and collards lasagna, which will be running as a special through Oakland Restaurant Week, leading up to the inauguration. Order online here.
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Inauguration Breakfast Box from Local Food Adventures
Early birds waking up to watch the pre-festivities might want to plan for breakfast. Local Food Adventures usually does food tours in Oakland, but the company is pivoting to deliver a breakfast box, which includes corn bread muffin mix, tea, honey, and garam masala, all from local producers. It comes with a mini American flag and a donation to Harris’s elementary school. Order online here.
Sticky peanut butter ice cream from Swensen’s
“My name is Joe Biden and I love ice cream,” our future president said a few years back. He spent more than $10,000 on ice cream during his campaign, and his favorite is apparently the peanut brittle from Jeni’s in Ohio. But if you want to support a locally-founded shop with grandpa vibes, Swensen’s has that sticky peanut butter, and Biden would fit right in at the old-school parlor in Russian Hill. The original shop at 1999 Hyde Street is open from 12-10 p.m. for walk-up customers.
Kamala Blossom ice cream from Koolfi Creamery
Koolfi Creamery is also a small local creamery that makes Indian-inspired flavors, which drew long lines at the La Cocina festival. Wife-and-wife founders Priti Rama Narayanan and Madhuri Anji say they are excited to see “someone who is biracial and of Indian heritage,” in the White House, and they hope “she will carry with her the ideals forged by the multicultural rainbow that is the Bay Area.” Their special “Kamala Blossom” ice cream is flavored with lotus seed and rose. Order online here.