The unlikely rise of Saltwater Bakery

How one mom’s search to help her daughter grew into a sweet new gluten-free bakery in Pacifica Coffee on the Coast: Saltwater Bakery owner Tawnya Marsh. (Photo by Charles Russo) What do sweat, tears, the ocean and a gluten-free bakery have in common? Salt and water. Tawnya Marsh, founder of Pacifica’s Saltwater Bakery, says the name is no coincidence— she’s poured a lot of sweat and tears into opening the bakery, which, on clear days, offers ...

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Craft caffeine: The inspiration behind Voyager Coffee’s unusual brews

Mixing it up at Voyager Craft Coffee: @amadeu_cruz We’ve all had “third wave coffee” (trust us, you have) but how do you build on a cappuccino with grass-fed cream-top milk and heart-shaped foam art? The owners of Voyager Craft Coffee in Santa Clara, Sam Shah and Lauren Burns, think they have an answer: unusual flavor pairings and homemade ingredients on a base of top-notch beans. These are not your average cups ...

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Aloe vera and red bean in bubble tea? We tried it all so you don’t have to.

I went on a tasting extravaganza with two of my favorite boba connoisseurs who pretty much introduced me to the drink four years ago at Teaspoon on Castro Street in Mountain View. Teaspoon, the newest addition to the Castro Quintuplets, is known for having pricier but higher quality drinks without using powders or syrup. We purchased 5 different drinks, each with a different combination of toppings to see if some can beat ...

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The (un)official ranking of Castro Street boba tea

Tea Era via Allyna Mellville I am the first to say that I have a boba tea obsession. At one point in high school, I regularly had boba four times a week. Luckily, just down El Camino from my work is the bubble tea mecca: Castro Street. I went to each one and tried their jasmine milk tea 50% sweetness with pearls (my go-to order) to give you all an idea of the best boba ...

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