Anna Mindess

I lead a double life as a food writer and an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, so I’m always on the lookout for Deaf-owned restaurants wherever I travel.
I have found them in Paris, Tokyo, and Taipei, but there’s no need to board a plane when there is a terrific Deaf-owned and -run food truck regularly pitching pizza pies all over the Bay Area. It’s called Mozzeria. If that name sounds familiar, it’s probably thanks to the renowned Deaf-owned restaurant of the same name that was on 16th in the Mission....

Like lovers with an abiding attraction to the exotic “other,” Japan and France are two very different cultures that enjoy an enduring mutual attraction in the world of fine cooking.
There are French chefs, like the acclaimed Joël Robuchon, who have restaurants in Japan. And in Paris, a handful of Japanese chocolatiers are taking cherished flavors from their culture and, with love and respect, incorporating them into the perfection of French confections....You can take your taste buds on an impossible journey to both Tokyo and Paris at the same time. Here's where to do it...

How do a smoked duck sandwich and chia seed pudding support the aims of The Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS), a UC Berkeley-affiliated museum dedicated to engaging learners and inspiring them with the power of science, as well as championing equity and social justice?
These traditional Ohlone dishes, now featured at ‘ammatka, a new cafe on its bottom floor, perfectly align with those goals as part of the LHS’s ’ottoy initiative, whose mission is to “foster understanding and respect for Ohlone people and culture.” (‘ottoy means “to repair” in Chochenyo, the language of the Ohlone people.)

An adorable gift shop for cat-crazy customers, two restaurants devoted to slinky soba noodles, a coffee shop whose lattes boast Okinawan black sugar, and a neighborhood store overflowing with cool vintage t-shirts and vinyl. These are the newest businesses sprouting up in Bay Area Japantowns—two of only three remaining historic Japanese communities in the United States—with roots deeply anchored to their culture and history...

Ohlone tater tots, with aioli from locally grown tarragon, oregano, sage, and chives. A smoked duck sandwich with Mt. Tam Triple Cream cheese and housemade rose hip jam. Chia seed flour brownies with black walnuts and elderflower soda.
These are a few of the reasonably priced seasonal dishes featured at 'ammatka, the new café created by Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino in Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science The two have been dedicated to preserving and sharing their Indigenous culture since opening Cafe Ohlone to much acclaim in Berkeley in 2018...

“Tea is in my blood,” says Milindha Morahela. An Emeryville resident, Morahela grew up in Sri Lanka on a huge tea estate managed by his stepfather. Now age 66, he’s looking back at a long career as a tea taster in his homeland while realizing a long-held dream of starting a tea company of his own.

WINNER - SAN FRANCISCO PRESS CLUB AWARDS 2025 - Grandmothers hold outsized places in many people’s food memories. Here are stories of three award-winning East Bay restaurant entrepreneurs who named their spots in honor of their grandmothers, not necessarily for their recipes, but rather for their spirits: feisty, indomitable, and unceasingly supportive of their grandchildren, Juanita & Maude, Burdell and Mama.

I appeared on KQED's Check, Please! Bay Area, and discussed Deaf-friendly restaurants and my favorite dim sum spot, Peony in Oakland Chinatown

Kanlaya Palivan grew up in Wichita, Kansas, which holds the distinction of being the birthplace of Pizza Hut. Palivan, who was born in Laos but emigrated to the U.S. with her family when she was young, admits that as a young girl she frequented Pizza Hut and McDonald’s, and grew accustomed to the bland American food that all her friends loved. But her tastebuds were living a double life, as she also relished the boldly flavored dishes that her mother cooked at home....

Paris Gourmandises is a popular guidebook that describes the best pastry, candy, and ice cream shops throughout Paris. It was written by Irène Lurçat and her sister Hélène. Naturally, they include the tastiest and most creative chocolate makers. On a recent visit, Irène took me to a few of the shops she most admires for their creativity and tradition...

Why is the Loire Valley in central France the world capital of goat cheese? Its unique history, geography, and dedicated artisans combine to produce a range of delicate treasures. Over 600 farms create the five AOP (Protected Designation of origin) chèvres: Crottin de Chavignol, Selles-sur-Cher, Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, Sainte-Maure de Touraine and Valençay, each in their designated area. But how did the Loire become the cradle of goat cheese? ...

When I discovered I had a wheat intolerance 25 years ago, the East Bay gluten-free landscape was decidedly barren; happily, it’s more verdant now, while still a bit quirky...

Most of the hundreds of diners who come to the elegant dining rooms at Oakland Chinatown’s Peony Seafood Restaurant each week sit in groups—large and small—around tables covered with white damask tablecloths. They relax, chat, and share a wide variety of dim sum delights that come piping hot from the Peony kitchen. Here’s a peek into that extraordinary culinary workshop...

“Homemade Cafe is rising from the ashes like a pancake-wielding phoenix,” announces its owner for more than a decade, Collin Doran. This surprising, crowd-pleasing turn of events is made possible by Doran’s longtime neighbor and friend, Rohit Singh, CEO of Breads of India, two doors down on Sacramento Street. When the beloved corner cafe closed suddenly on Jan. 1, 2024, Singh was in India and only learned about it on social media. “I had tears in my eyes. I thought, ‘How can this happen?’”....

It might be Oakland’s most deeply loved bakery, but it’s been tucked away in an underground space on an unlikely street for 25 years. The shop at 285 23rd Street is so small that only one, maybe two people can enter at a time to pick out their portions of cheesecake or cobbler...