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A terrible orchestra & a speed eating contest for dogs? It’s 4th of July on the Peninsula!

Dig into grub in Palo Alto, listen to live tunes in Mountain View and much more!!

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Paly grad taps into the ultimate Silicon Valley beverage: Alcoholic kombucha

Aaron Telch offers a (slightly) healthier imbibing with tasty hard teas.

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An extra helping: Local restaurants unite for two days of fundraising for AAPI group

13 Mountain View eateries will donate between 5% and 100% of proceeds to Stop AAPI Hate

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Flour power: Skillet Bakery’s English muffins are dense, intense and 100% local

Frank Shanahan turned his pandemic project into a Redwood City sourdough bakery churning out high-quality English muffins.

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You are what you read: Our fave stories from the 650’s departing food writer

A fond farewell to Elena Kadvany, who made the case for the Peninsula’s unsung food scene.

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After 75 years of breakfasts, free rent couldn’t save Ann’s Coffee Shop in Menlo Park

The old school diner won’t survive the pandemic, so locals are buying the booths to recreate it at home.

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Low and slow: New Mountain View pop-up to showcase small-batch, regional barbecue

B’s Craft BBQ is fueled by Texas-style know-how, smoked meats from Kansas and “one of barbecue’s best kept secrets”

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Flame torch goddess: This Mountain View metalsmith & jeweler is mixing marketing and magic

Undaunted by lockdown, Kelly Morgen hand-saws silver and crunches numbers to keep her business alive.

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11 essential Silicon Valley podcasts (mostly) not about tech

Looking for some good listening? These local podcasts are proving tech isn’t the only thing to talk about on the SF Peninsula.

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More than matzo: Palo Alto JCC launches kosher food hall with Yemeni breads, sushi & more

New food hall quadruples the number of kosher eateries in Palo Alto.

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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
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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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  • Where to watch the San Francisco 49ers NFC Championship game around the Peninsula January 26, 2023
  • Here’s how you can support the Half Moon Bay community right now (and take care of yourself) January 26, 2023
  • 10 ways to celebrate the Lunar New Year around the Peninsula January 26, 2023
  • From pandemic pods to Pints of Joy: How two Sunnyvale mompreneurs are bringing innovative Indian dessert-inspired ice cream to the Peninsula January 25, 2023
  • Making connections: How a Redwood City woman is fostering community through jigsaw puzzle competitions January 19, 2023

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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Lunar New Year has arrived and Peninsula cities, l Lunar New Year has arrived and Peninsula cities, libraries and local groups are hosting a variety of events marking the advent of Year of the Rabbit. From music and dance performances to hands-on crafts, click the link in bio for 10 ways to celebrate the new year. Photo courtesy city of Redwood City.
The Coastside community and the wider Bay Area are The Coastside community and the wider Bay Area are stepping up to support families of victims of the Jan. 23 shootings that killed seven farmworkers and wounded another in Half Moon Bay, as well as the farmworker community as a whole. At the same time, many are still trying to process the horrific events of that day. We compiled a list of the organizations and businesses raising funds for the victims of the Jan. 23 shootings, as well as memorial events and local mental health resources. Click the link in bio to read the story. Photo by Leah Worthington.
After co-founding @lajawabtreats, a baking busines After co-founding @lajawabtreats, a baking business focused on Asian fusion desserts like ras malai tres leches cake, with his sister Punhal in 2021, Los Altos teen Naiel Chaudry caught the attention of @foodnetwork. He’s now competing on “Kids Baking Championship” as the first Pakistani American contestant in the show’s 11 seasons. The next episode airs tonight (Jan. 23). Click the link in bio to read the story about Naiel and Lá Jawab. Photos courtesy Food Network and Rabiaz Art Photography.
The winner of the 49ers-Cowboys game at Levi’s S The winner of the 49ers-Cowboys game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara Sunday afternoon will play the winner of the New York Giants-Philadelphia Eagles game in the NFC Championship. With most tickets for the marquee matchup reportedly costing around $500 to $600 apiece, it’s safe to say many will be making plans to watch on TV. Bars and restaurants up and down the Peninsula are showing the game, with some offering food and drink specials. Click the link in bio for a running list of establishments where you can watch the 49ers in the playoffs. Photo by @itsmagalig.
Join the community as we celebrate Lunar New Year, Join the community as we celebrate Lunar New Year, the year of the rabbit! The Palo Alto Chinese community presents the 2023 Palo Alto Lunar New Year Fair, a fun community-building event for the whole family Jan. 21 from 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Mitchell Park Library! Featuring Chinese folk music & dances, bubble tea and dumpling treats, cultural activities such as dumpling-making, Chinese tea art, paper-cutting, mahjong and feng shui — plus raffles. Free admission for Palo Alto residents. Proceeds will be donated to PAUSD. Don’t forget to visit the Palo Alto Weekly booth!
For the first time, the San Mateo Community Colleg For the first time, the San Mateo Community College District has waived the tuition and enrollment costs for all of its classes this spring as part of a new pilot program for county residents. By taking just six credits or more – the equivalent of about two classes – county residents are eligible for the district’s student rates at its two top-tier athletic facilities at Cañada College and College of San Mateo. @k8bradsh scoured the course catalogs to find some of the most interesting courses on offer this semester and compiled a top 20 for your consideration. Tap the link in bio to take a look. Photo courtesy @canadacollegerwc.
@devoroberts caught a break in the rain in Pacific @devoroberts caught a break in the rain in Pacifica this week 📸☔️🌈 What are some Peninsula spots that our photographs should check out in 2023? Comment below or send us a DM! Stay dry, 650.
Songs from The Shangri-Las and Brenda Lee rotate t Songs from The Shangri-Las and Brenda Lee rotate through Millbrae Pancake House’s playlist. The upbeat ‘60s-era music greets you soon after you step out of your car and pulls you inside, where you imagine people conversing with words like “jalopy” and “groovy.” Yes, the popular all-day breakfast spot is dated, but places like this offer a respite from a world that can feel like it’s spinning out of control. The interior’s wood-paneled walls have no doubt seen a lot. It’s a retro-lover’s dream with laminate wood tables and matching chairs, vinyl upholstered booths and brass chandeliers. At some point in time over the last 64 years, they updated the wallpaper. The Mulcrevy girls, as they’re still called, currently run the business that originally was Uncle John’s Pancake House. Their father, Robert Mulcrevy, along with his sisters Marie, Frances (Frankie) and Anne (plus her husband Jack Holder) bought the franchise in 1959. In 1962, the first-generation siblings changed the name to Millbrae Pancake House. Sisters Erin, Jane, Laura and Maureen (second-generation siblings) took control of the restaurant in 2009 when their aunt Marie, being the last of the Mulcrevy siblings involved, decided to step away. Erin Burke and her brother-in-law, Thomas Maguire, sat down to talk about how this fourth-generation San Francisco family keeps the legacy of the Millbrae Pancake House alive after two generations of ownership. Click the link in bio to read @sophiamwrites’ story. Photos by @devoroberts.
Fida Milki had for years been a health-conscious h Fida Milki had for years been a health-conscious home chef and enjoyed cooking for friends and family at her Palo Alto house. But until recently, the most she’d showcased her culinary skills had been to donate meals to school fundraisers at the former International School of the Peninsula, now the Silicon Valley International School, where her children attended. Her daughter encouraged her to start an Instagram page at the onset of the pandemic to showcase her cooking, but Milki was resistant at first. Eventually, with encouragement from both her daughter and a niece who lives overseas and helps women build businesses, she agreed to try it out and came up with her Instagram handle, @fertayket_fida. Her recipes and beautifully presented food photos were a hit on the social media platform, and she’s since released two cookbooks, the newest themed around detoxing from the holidays. Click the link in bio for the story. Photos courtesy @fertayket_fida.
This year was marked by a plethora of new eateries This year was marked by a plethora of new eateries opening around the Peninsula and a spate of restaurant closures. We saw many restaurants face delays as they readied to open their doors for business, while others decide to close their doors after long battles against forces like a difficult labor market, rising costs and the ever-present threat of redevelopment. Between the newcomers and longtime establishments (as well as some that are now out of business), our staff and contributors @julia.k.brown, @k8bradsh, @devoroberts, @sophiamwrites, @gracedli, @sahaydensays and @generalshus reflected on the past 12 months and compiled our favorite drinks and dishes of 2022. Click the link in bio to read the story. Photos by @devoroberts, @sophiamwrites, @julia.k.brown and @generalshus.
Still pinning down your New Year’s weekend plans Still pinning down your New Year’s weekend plans? The Six Fifty has you covered with our running list of performances, parties, multicourse meals and other ways to celebrate the end of 2022 and kick off 2023. Click the link in bio for our guide to New Year’s weekend. Photo courtesy Willemwouterse.nl/ Stanford Live.
The Pioneer, a 76-foot-long seafaring trawler, has The Pioneer, a 76-foot-long seafaring trawler, has left its dock in Redwood City and relocated to Richmond after its permit was terminated by the Port of Redwood City. The boat was where Pioneer Seafoods’ owner, Giuseppe Pennisi, sold his fresh-caught fish directly to customers, an enterprise that is now in jeopardy. “My whole life I’ve been pushed from one harbor to the next,” he says. He started his fishing career in Monterey as a third-generation fisherman. Overcoming one obstacle after another, he took his business to Moss Landing, then San Francisco, where he says it took him five years to get the permits to be able to fish there. “The sad thing is, there’s nobody else,” he says. “It’s not like I can pass this knowledge on to anyone.” Click the link in bio to read the story. Photo courtesy @pioneerseafoods.
While many cafes and restaurants tend to treat hot While many cafes and restaurants tend to treat hot chocolate as a kids-menu afterthought, we wanted you to know what your best options are around the Peninsula. We’ve got both boozy and alcohol-free options, some for drinking out and others for making at home, and even a best-served-cold option or two. Check out the roundup by @k8bradsh at the link in our bio. Reel by @itsmagalig.
The family behind one of Los Altos’ newest resta The family behind one of Los Altos’ newest restaurants wants you to feel like you’re in their home – a very stylish home at that – when you walk through the door. They’ve even gone so far as to bring elements from their home inside @tal_palo, their Mexican restaurant and shop that opened last week on Main Street. Co-owners Adriana Domínguez-Porter and her husband Aaron Porter set up their own kitchen table inside the restaurant, subtle crayon markings intact, and erected their family’s Christmas tree inside the shop instead of inside their home. “Our house is half-empty right now,” Domínguez-Porter says with a laugh. “The whole feeling when you come to Tal Palo is that you’re coming into our home, but we’re there to serve you and make you feel welcome.” Click the link in bio to read @k8bradsh’s story. Photos by @itsmagalig.
In San Carlos, Eucalyptus Avenue residents draw re In San Carlos, Eucalyptus Avenue residents draw revelers from around the Peninsula and beyond to see the street aglow with lights, ornaments, figurines and other holiday decorations. Many Eucalyptus Avenue residents go all-out in adorning their homes with themed decor, while others go for a more understated approach. Motorists and pedestrians line the street every December to ogle oversized ornaments hanging from front yard trees and search for their favorite lighted cartoon character figurines ranging from Hello Kitty to Olaf, the snowman from “Frozen.” Some Eucalyptus Avenue residents sit in their front yards with friends and family on the busiest nights, watching passersby while huddling around a fire pit. Photographer @devoroberts captured the scene from San Carlos’ Christmas Tree Lane earlier this month. Catch the display through Dec. 26 this year and check out his photo essay at the link in bio.
When it gets truly cold outside (by California sta When it gets truly cold outside (by California standards anyway), there’s a reason that the hot drink many people of all ages reach for remains the tried-and-true humble mug of hot cocoa. It’s the quintessence of cozy: warm, creamy and revitalizing. And while many cafes and restaurants tend to treat hot chocolate as a kids-menu afterthought, we think our readers deserve better this holiday season. So we scoured the Peninsula to find the best hot chocolate – and European drinking chocolate – offerings around. We’ve got both boozy and alcohol-free options, some for drinking out and others for making at home, and even a best-served-cold option or two. Find the classy cocoa guide from @k8bradsh featuring @timothyadamschocolates, @birddogpaloalto, @lulaschocolates and more at the link in bio. Photo by @itsmagalig.
Almira and Kalbi Tursungjan grew up in a foodie fa Almira and Kalbi Tursungjan grew up in a foodie family. In their home region of east Turkistan, also called the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, the two sisters’ parents ran a restaurant for decades, and the four of them would all go on epic six-hour road trips to seek out specific dishes, Almira said in a recent interview. The sisters identify as ethnic Uyghurs and have just opened what they say is one of the only ethnic Uyghur restaurants in the Bay Area: Mrs. Khan in downtown Menlo Park. It took some convincing to encourage the landlord to take a chance on two first-time restaurateurs, but eventually they landed the lease. The sisters moved to Foster City and began their venture. “The sad part is that my family doesn’t know I’m opening a restaurant,” Almira says. Today, the sisters say they and others from the region put their families at risk by getting in contact with relatives back home and may themselves face demands for their personal information by the Chinese government as a result, Kalbi says. Their parents’ passports have been taken and the sisters aren’t currently in touch with them. Since COVID, the Chinese repression in her home area has become even more intense, Kalbi says, with sensors and locks installed on residents’ doors as part of a “no COVID” policy. The Uyghur population in the United States is estimated to be between 10,000 and 15,000 people, according to the East Turkistan Government in Exile. “All of us are living here like orphans, to be honest,” Kalbi says. Click the link in bio to read @k8bradsh’s story. Photos by @itsmagalig.
The holidays are often packed full of people and e The holidays are often packed full of people and events, leaving limited time to unwind and spend quality time with a date. To help you make room for romance, we’ve consulted with matchmakers @ms.linxdating @cinqe_ and polled our readers to pull together a list of holiday-themed date ideas. Whether you and your significant other are looking for a party atmosphere or a tranquil spot away from the holiday hubbub, click the link in bio for 10 options to try this December. Photos by @devoroberts, @itsmagalig and @ritzcarltonhmb.
Perilous switchbacks and a little bit of mud and f Perilous switchbacks and a little bit of mud and frost can’t keep families and groups of friends from venturing to the Santa Cruz Mountains and cutting down a Christmas tree this time of year. “We have generations of families that come every year; it’s part of their holiday tradition,” says Donna Ducca, owner of both Skyline Ranch and Lone Star tree farms. Her own legacy, as a second-generation Christmas tree farmer, is as important to her as the tradition is for the families that make the yearly trek. Read the story from @sophiamwrites at the link in bio. Photos from Skyline Ranch by @devoroberts.
Once a lumber mill, then a post office, a dinner c Once a lumber mill, then a post office, a dinner club and a general store, the site that is now home to the Loma Mar Store & Kitchen has served as a gathering place for Coastside residents since the 1930s. Nestled among a redwood grove off the side of the winding Pescadero Creek Road lies a cozy cabin-like structure with wood shingles. On any given day at the Loma Mar Store & Kitchen, you might hear a local musician performing outside or witness a gathering of car fanatics bonding over coffee. Each new owner of the Loma Mar Store has been tasked with carrying on the existing legacy of previous owners while also changing the store’s purpose to accommodate local needs. Implementing these changes is often a sizable, yearslong undertaking involving major renovations and menu changes in order to make the store a relevant culinary destination on the coast. Click the link in bio to read the story from @stephanie.gerson. Photos by @devoroberts.
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