Noodle Fest Is Back: Here’s How You Can Sample Some of SF’s Best Noodles for $20

After a decade hiatus, Hoodline reports Noodle Fest is back. City Supervisor Aaron Peskin joined North Beach and Chinatown business owners on April 8 in unveiling a billboard advertising the event next to Caffe Trieste. Billed as a chance to bridge the “far east and the wild west,” the festival is an opportunity for small businesses to show off their food, sell merchandise, and to celebrate the culinary traditions of both neighborhoods. Attendees can purchase tickets for $20, with each ticket allowing them the chance to try five samples of noodles from a list of about 30 vendors. Celebrity judges will include chef Martin Yan, Chronicle food critic Soleil Ho, and media personality Broke-Ass Stuart.

The original Noodle Fest was held in 2010, when the first noodle passports — the punch cards given to attendees to track their samples — made an appearance in the neighborhoods. This year’s event will go down on April 30 from 2-4 p.m. along historic Grant Avenue between Green Street and Pacific Avenue. Tickets are available online and organizers expect them to sell out. In addition to eating, guests can watch “noodle demonstrations” and live music throughout the affair.

Martinez makes parklets permanent

The East Bay city of Martinez has decided to make their parklets permanent, but for a fee. The Mercury News reports restaurant owners will pay $250 a year to keep their outdoor seating.

Fruitvale community members raise concerns

On Wednesday, April 6, Councilmember Noel Gallo coordinated a public forum for residents of the Fruitvale-San Antonio area in Oakland to discuss the state of the neighborhood. According to Berkeleyside, restaurant owners including Keba Konte of Red Bay Coffee and Rikki Hopper, general manager at Wahpepah’s Kitchen, shared stories and strategies on how to make the neighborhood safer. Oakland Police Department data indicates most crimes have not increased significantly in the area.

Mission District pizzeria on the brink of closing

Arinell Pizza on Valencia Street had a simple business plan: after carousing through the many nearby bars, people will eat our pizza. But, as Mission Local reports, the pandemic put a quick end to that. Now owner Ron Demirdjian says he’s been running the business in the red for two years and despite having cut back hours, he isn’t sure of the future ahead.

Here’s how this Bay Area grocery chain manages to stock discount wines

Local Emeryville mom and pop chain Grocery Outlet has made quite the name for itself. Yet the question does remain: how can the wine, sometimes pretty good wine, be sold so cheap? The Chronicle writes Grocery Outlet’s director of wine, beer and spirits Greg Kobayashi uses the same “opportunistic” model the business uses for its food.