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Costumed canines, clucking chickens and … a roly-poly? Looking back on 75 years of the Los Altos Pet Parade

Kids and their pets — everything from pooches to parrots, turtles to tarantulas — have taken to downtown Los Altos every Saturday following Mother's Day for decades for the annual Los Altos Kiwanis Pet Parade. On Saturday, May 14, the parade will celebrate its 75th anniversary, kicking off at 10 a.m. with its largest-ever number of entrants.

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Zoppe Circus next generation
How the Zoppé family built a Redwood City circus legacy
October 14, 2021
The sweet-scented legacy of Ah Sam: 88 years of fame, family and flowers
September 9, 2021
Live it up this Labor Day: 20 local events for the long holiday weekend on the Peninsula
September 2, 2021
Missing the playa this year? Get your Black Rock fix with “Burning Man: The Musical”
September 2, 2021
Stanford art professors and De Young Museum painters loom large in Palo Alto tapestry exhibition
August 12, 2021

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  • ‘We’re all in this together’: How Peninsula restaurants are adapting to pandemic-related issues September 29, 2022
  • A restaurant tucked away in a downtown Palo Alto nonprofit is reopening for the first time since COVID September 29, 2022
  • ‘We’re not trying to disrupt the industry’: How a Y Combinator-backed food hall startup is bringing a ghost kitchen alternative to the Peninsula   September 28, 2022
  • Off-campus bites: 16 budget-friendly restaurants near Peninsula colleges September 22, 2022
  • Making waves: Silicon Valley Sculpture Fair returns to Menlo College this weekend with a water-themed exhibit September 22, 2022

Popular Posts

Zoppe Circus next generation
How the Zoppé family built a Redwood City circus legacy
October 14, 2021
The sweet-scented legacy of Ah Sam: 88 years of fame, family and flowers
September 9, 2021
Live it up this Labor Day: 20 local events for the long holiday weekend on the Peninsula
September 2, 2021

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When COVID-19 hit and restaurants began closing do When COVID-19 hit and restaurants began closing down left and right, Mountain View resident Divyang Arora and his startup co-founders saw it as a call to action. Two years and a trip through the famous Y-Combinator startup accelerator later, he’s now CEO of Byte Kitchen, a startup helping independent restaurants scale up and get their dishes offered in other communities. It wasn’t long ago that Arora and his team were working out of his Mountain View apartment as part of Y Combinator’s spring 2021 cohort. Things accelerated when they opened up a test kitchen in July 2021, followed by their first brick-and-mortar location in downtown San Mateo last November. (They also moved their offices to San Mateo.) Last month, the team opened their second food hall in downtown San Carlos, which has more extensive seating options for dining in. Driving Arora’s mission was a question, he explained in a recent interview: Why haven’t food tech companies been able to earn restaurants’ trust? Click the link in bio to read @k8bradsh’s story. Photos courtesy @ordernoshery.
To help ease the transition into a new school year To help ease the transition into a new school year, @k8bradsh put together a selection of off-campus and budget-friendly bites for students at nearby colleges. Click the link in bio for the list of places you can get affordable meals near @canadacollegerwc, @collegeofsanmateo, @deanzacollege, @foothillcollege, @menlocollege, @santaclarauniversity, @stanford and @skyline_college.
James Beard Award winning chef Traci Des Jardins’ California-Mexican restaurant @elaltolosaltos has abruptly closed its doors nearly six months to the day since opening at @statestreetmarket in downtown Los Altos. Click the link in bio for @peninsulafoodist’s initial story and check back for updates. Photos by @itsmagalig and Aubrie Pick.
When Lars Smith and his family opened the first St When Lars Smith and his family opened the first State of Mind Public House and Pizzeria in Los Altos in 2018, the restaurant quickly became busier than the Peninsula family that founded it had expected. So when they realized they didn’t have enough room in their fryers to keep up with demand, one of the menu items they’d carefully developed was written off the menu. The “Almost Famous” fried chicken sandwich became just that – a cult favorite now served only during less busy hours at lunchtime and on Mondays. Now in preparation for a third location, they’re adding extra fryers to better keep up with demand and keep the fried chicken sandwiches as a permanent menu staple. Click the link in bio for the story by @k8bradsh. Photo courtesy @stateofmindslicehouse.
Despite the devastation caused by California’s w Despite the devastation caused by California’s wildfires, the annual fire season has arguably brought communities closer. When the CZU Fire forced evacuations in August 2020, Peninsulans banded together to evacuate animals, provide food for weary firefighters and help impacted residents, farmers and business owners. What’s missing from these support systems, however, is a method of processing the monumental loss caused by climate disasters. Artists across California and the West Coast could not just mourn what had been lost: They felt compelled to create something out of it and share their work with others. “Fire Transforms,” an exhibit at the Palo Alto Art Center Sept. 17-Dec. 10, goes further than showcasing the destructive nature of fire. The exhibited works link to three central, interconnected themes — living with fire, learning with fire and creating with fire — to show that a fire’s impact is life-altering and long-lasting. Click the link in bio to read more about the exhibit. Images by artists Jeff Frost, Norma I. Quintana and Linda Gass, courtesy @paloaltoartcenter.
From giant gourds to glass pumpkins and glasses of From giant gourds to glass pumpkins and glasses of cold Oktoberfest beer, longtime locals know fall is one of the best times of year on the Peninsula, filled with clear, warm days and the intermingling of end-of-summer traditions with autumn ones. Click the link in bio to read about 15 autumn events we’re looking forward to in 2022, from the return of the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival to the bevy of fall food events around the 650. Photos by Charles Russo, Veronica Weber and Joel Wade Photography.
Please welcome our new Peninsula Foodist @k8bradsh Please welcome our new Peninsula Foodist @k8bradsh! You may recognize Kate from her years as a government reporter at The Six Fifty's sister publication @almanacnews and as a contributor to The Six Fifty. Kate has lived in Menlo Park for seven years. We’re thrilled that she’s taking on this new role reporting on the Peninsula's food scene and writing feature stories. Help her get started by sharing your all-time favorite restaurant dish on the Peninsula.
For the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 For the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oktoberfest, the fabled beer festival held in Munich, Germany, has returned. If you haven’t booked your flights to Munich for the real thing, you can always indulge in some of the local Oktoberfest festivities taking place right here on the Peninsula. @zachareats has your guide to Oktoberfest 2022 at the link in bio. Photo by Michelle Le.
The restaurant shuffle is at it again along Burlin The restaurant shuffle is at it again along Burlingame’s downtown corridor between California Drive and El Camino Real. @sophiamwrites has the scoop on the latest openings like @maisonalyzee, @wahlburgers and @palmettosuperfoods and other eateries set to open in the coming months. Tap the link in bio to read the story. Photos by @itsmagalig, Veronica Weber and @palmettosuperfoods.
Today is Stephanie Gerson's last day as The Six Fi Today is Stephanie Gerson's last day as The Six Fifty and Peninsula Foodist's digital content associate, as she's heading back to UCSB for her junior year. Stephanie has been an integral addition to our small staff this summer, contributing awesome writing and food photography, handling our social media platforms and much more. Keep an eye out for two features from her in the coming weeks. Please help us thank her for all her great work this summer!
Frances Moore Lappé, an early advocate of plant-b Frances Moore Lappé, an early advocate of plant-based eating, recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of her first book, “Diet for a Small Planet,” that was first published in 1971. Kate Bradshaw spoke with Lappé ahead of her September 7 talk for @smclibraries about the challenges of promoting plant-based eating in the 70s, the meat industry and the impacts of our personal choices. Visit the link in our bio for the full story. Photo courtesy Manahl Marielle.
This Labor Day weekend is welcoming the return of This Labor Day weekend is welcoming the return of several in-person festivals for the first time since 2019. From Stanford football’s season opener to bird-watching and the return of the Kings Mountain Art Fair, there’s no shortage of activities on the Peninsula this weekend. Visit our bio for more ways to spend the holiday. Photos courtesy @gostanford, @siliconvalleyshakespeare and @kings_mountain_art_fair.
There’s still time to register and get a discoun There’s still time to register and get a discount! Prices increase on September 1st, for the 38th annual @paloaltoonline Moonlight Run and Walk. Join your neighbors and sign up for a half marathon, 10k or 5k run/walk today! Link in bio to register.
Although the Peninsula has plenty of places to sat Although the Peninsula has plenty of places to satisfy your sweet tooth, writer Kate Bradshaw wondered whether it might be dotted with “doughnut deserts” – pockets of neighborhoods without an eatery to pick up a fritter or maple bar with a cup of coffee. Upon closer analysis, true doughnut deserts are few and far between on the Peninsula. Here’s your handy guide to satisfy your cravings for churro donuts, cronuts, bomboloni and every other type of donut you can think of. Photos by @k8bradsh.
Last month, the 2022 recipients of the @publicartp Last month, the 2022 recipients of the @publicartpa ArtLift grants were announced. The ArtLift projects, featuring both visual and performing arts, emphasize bringing joy to the public in open spaces during the pandemic. The projects are often interactive and enlist the help of local participants. Read more about ArtLift at the link in bio. Photo by Victoria Mara Heilweil.
The closing of @pacegallery in Palo Alto is a majo The closing of @pacegallery in Palo Alto is a major loss for the cultural community on the Peninsula. For the last six years, Pace has presented blue-chip, museum-quality exhibitions that would ordinarily require a trip to a major art center like New York City. Read more about Pace’s past exhibits and its final Palo Alto show at the link in bio. Photo courtesy Pace Gallery.
@morningwoodsf began dishing up traditional Hawaii @morningwoodsf began dishing up traditional Hawaiian and Japanese breakfast dishes out of its San Bruno restaurant in 2017. The popular restaurant outgrew the San Bruno space after a few years, prompting a transition to open @diamondheadgeneralstore and move Morning Wood to a larger location in San Mateo. The brunch-focused restaurant is set to open soon with a new creative menu that still features favorites including the loco moco and matcha mochi pancakes. Read the full story at the link in bio. Photos courtesy of Morning Wood.
In 2018, five Bay Area Sansei artists made a pilgr In 2018, five Bay Area Sansei artists made a pilgrimage to the Manzanar relocation camp. The pilgrimage and the filming of their yet-be-released 2020 documentary, “Sansei Granddaughters’ Journey,” was the impetus for the exhibit “Sansei Granddaughters’ Journey,” on view through Sept. 3 at AZ Gallery in San Bruno’s Tanforan Mall, which was the site of a Japanese American temporary detention center during World War II. Works displayed in the exhibit come from the artists’ personal collections and from art made during the pilgrimage or inspired by the trip. Read the full story from @sophiamwrites at the link in bio. Photo by Bob Hsiang.
Today is our associate digital editor Anthony Shu’s last day at The Six Fifty and @peninsulafoodist before he heads off to grad school at UCLA. Read Anthony’s goodbye from his final Foodist newsletter this week at the link in bio. Photo by @itsmagalig.
For many Coastside farmworkers, days end in tightl For many Coastside farmworkers, days end in tightly packed bunk beds where roommates plan trips to the closest supermarket, a Safeway 20 miles away. They depend on local community organizations, such as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, to supply clothing and groceries. These individuals cultivate the houseplants that have kept Peninsula residents company during the pandemic and pick strawberries destined for the dessert plates that commemorate anniversaries, yet they live in rural, isolated communities. Read the full story about Pescadero’s farmworkers at the link in bio. Photos by @adampardeephoto
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