Guests on our Jack London Square Meets San Francisco Food Tour eat family-style at Everett & Jones Barbeque

Not only do we love this business as they are a featured stop on our Jack London Square Meets San Francisco Food Tour, but frankly, they just have the most fantastic barbeque in Oakland. Started more than 45 years ago by Dorothy Everett and her eight daughters (yes, you read that right – eight daughters!), Everett & Jones is a staple within the Oakland community. They cook up everything you would find at a proper southern-style barbeque joint – ribs, sausage, chicken and brisket (our personal favorite). All of this is accompanied by a wide variety of sides like cole slaw, cornbread, collard greens, potato salad and macaroni and cheese. Extra of that last one there is always requested by our food tour guests. They currently have take out available at their restaurant in the Laurel neighborhood and you can enjoy their signature BBQ sauce – known as “the goop” in our Local Love Gift Boxes. (4245 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland. eandjbbq.com

The latest business to open in the historic Swan’s Market, Cupcakin’ Bake Shop is an Oakland black-owned business that you don’t want to miss when you are in the Old Oakland neighborhood. I often find myself stopping by for one of their cute mini cupcakes for a quick little snack when I’m around. (I personally love the Chocolate Salted Caramel, also the shop’s most recommended. My husband loves the Chocolate Peanut Butter.) Cupcakin’ Bake Shop was started by Lila Owens in her home making cupcakes for family, friends and private catering clients. After seven years, she opened opened her first shop in Berkeley in 2014 thanks to the financial support of friends and family. Now she’s got two locations where she is open for pick-up and delivery. cupcakinbakeshop.com

Buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches from Brown Sugar Kitchen being passed to Jack London Square Meets San Francisco food tour guests starting at the SF Ferry Building.

Much of Oakland’s notoriety for being a culinary center in California can be credited in large part to Chef Tanya Holland, the mastermind behind Brown Sugar Kitchen. For any of you who watch the television show Top Chef on Bravo , you had the pleasure of getting to know Chef Tanya during the season based in Denver. Chef Tanya brings her personal background and her French culinary training to create some of the most mouthwatering tastes to your tastebuds. She opened the original Brown Sugar Location in West Oakland in 2008. Only those willing to wait in the very deserving line would be able to enjoy her famous chicken and waffles. With a larger location in the Uptown neighborhood, you’ve got a better chance … and it’s worth it! (Honestly, the best fried chicken I’ve ever had.) You can order takeout or delivery Wednesday to Saturday afternoons. Plus, you can donate a meal to local non-profits through their partnership with the Oaklanders Supporting Oaklanders initiative. www.brownsugarkitchen.com

Heading east through the Caldecott Tunnel, you’ll find one of the best French restaurants around. REVE Bistro is owned by executive chef Paul Magu-Lecugy and Laura Magu. This husband-and-wife team has created a truly dream-like dining experience where you feel like you’ve been magically transported to Paris. It’s pretty fitting since “reve” mean “dream” in French. In fact, as it has been Paul’s lifelong dream when he was “plucking feathers and butchering fowl at the famed Gérard Besson restaurant in Paris, that he wished of roasting chicken in his own bistro someday.” REVE has been offering takeout throughout this shelter-in-place time and, honestly, it has been one of the places that has gotten me and my husband through the rut of staying at home. We’ve looked to their menu to create special date nights-in at home. Seriously, just light some candles and get yourself some beef bourguingon (my husband’s favorite) and bay scallops (my favorite) along with their famous gougeres and an amazing 50% off wine offering. Tre magnifique! revebistro.com

Empanadas served at Cana during our Grand Lake Cultural Cuisine Food Tour

A favorite on our Grand Lake Cultural Cuisine Food Tour , Cana offers some of the best Cuban bocadillos (“little mouths” = tapas) around. Especially on a hot summer day, you can easily feel like you are in Havana when you’re enjoying the sun on their sidewalk patio enjoying empanadas (I highly recommend the ones made with Impossible “meat.” Come on, we’re in the Bay Area!), yucca fries, tostones and maduros – two incredibly different dishes that are made of the same fruit, plantains. Cana is definitely the place to go to have fun when the live samba music is playing and mojitos are flowing, we can’t wait until we can enjoy their weekly Sunday Funday celebrations again. canaoakland.com

The following links provide great lists of other businesses that you can support now and all the time:

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