Sweet Somethings #8
Redwoods, sweet limes, sourdough pizza, and more
Hello and happy May, wonderful people!
My mama is a fifth-grade public school teacher, and for the past three years, she’s spent her April vacation week taking a trip with me. These mother-daughter getaways have become a treasured tradition — especially meaningful since we don’t currently live near each other. This year, we met up in the San Francisco Bay Area for a lovely, mellow week of hiking, eating, and lounging. We stayed with our friends Eliza and her mom, MD, along with their respective significant others, in Oakland.
In today’s Dish, I’m sharing a (non-exhaustive) list of sweet somethings from our very sweet week in California. There will be redwoods, sweet limes, sourdough pizza, a Ruth Asawa exhibit, and more. I’m so glad you’re here — thank you for reading!
Sweet Somethings
Custom charm necklaces
If you read my last Sweet Somethings, you’ll know that Eliza and I made each other custom charm necklaces, inspired by fashion writer
One of my favorite charms on the necklace Eliza made for me is a tiny maple seedling — a nod to my birth state and forever happy place, Vermont. On her necklace, I included a Statue of Liberty charm, in the hopes that Lady Liberty might work her magic and convince Eliza to move back to New York City. Highly recommend this project — especially as a way to nurture a long-distance friendship. It’s creative, personal, and fun.
Muir Woods
Early in the week, my mom and I hiked with a family friend through Muir Woods National Monument, known for its awe-inspiring old-growth redwoods. We started on a hilltop and made our way down to the forest floor, where an elegantly designed park winds through the trees. The trails were quiet (it was a weekday) and the forest felt almost mythical, with its regal redwoods, billowy ferns, and weeds that resemble overgrown clovers.
Breakfast at Pizzaiolo
Breakfast at Pizzaiolo in Oakland rocked my world. It combined several of my all-time favorite foods: garlicky, olive oil-y greens, jammy eggs, grilled sourdough bread, and salty pork products (sausage, prosciutto, etc.). The drip coffee was rich and strong, and the company (hi, Duncan ladies!) made the morning even sweeter. If I lived in Oakland, I’d be a regular.
Berkeley Bowl majesty
I’m never more envious of Californians than when I’m wandering through the Berkeley Bowl, which I’m convinced is the best grocery store in the world. The selection of misos, oranges, tofus, mushrooms, and vitamins (ha!) is swoon-worthy, and the meat and fish counters are equally dreamy.
In the citrus section, my mom spotted a woman buying sweet limes, which we’d never heard of, so she walked up to her and asked what she planned to do with them. The woman said she likes to juice and mix them with regular orange juice, and that they’re high in vitamin C. Intrigued, we bought a few to try at home.
The Berkeley Bowl is a place where you can ask almost anyone a question about what they’re buying and end up having an interesting conversation about food. It’s a reflection of the East Bay’s culture of home cooking, which feels refreshingly different from New York’s food culture.
June’s Pizza
I love a business that does one thing and does it well, and June’s Pizza does exactly that. In a high-ceilinged, warehouse-like space in West Oakland, June’s only sells two types of pizza a night — and that’s it. The wood-fired pizza style reminded me of Pepe’s in New Haven, Connecticut, but with a Californian flare. The dough was, for example, sourdough, and the Margherita pie was served with big bunches of fresh basil — both of which struck me as more California than Connecticut.
Standard Fare inspiration
Standard Fare is a Berkeley business that Eliza told me about long ago, and that I’ve followed on Instagram for years. It’s a woman-led café/restaurant with counter service and a rotating menu of soups, sandwiches, salads, pastries, and so on. The food is lovely — simple, seasonal, fresh — but what I admire most is how warm and inclusive the space feels, and how successfully it fosters community. If I ever open a food business, I’m going to study Standard Fare in advance.
Ruth Asawa exhibit
I didn’t know Ruth Asawa’s work until visiting this retrospective exhibit at SFMOMA, but now: consider me a fan. She’s known for her hanging looped-wire sculptures, inspired by organic forms like snails and spider webs. Her drawings are also gorgeous — intricate representations of plants and flower bouquets. I love any exhibit that inspires me to make art when I leave, which this one did.
Thank you for being here!
More from me soon.
x Phoebe
I love the mornings, like today, when your email pops into my inbox just fresh out of the oven. I love the memories of CA and relate to the walking in the woods. The ground is so soft and it’s so quiet. Everything sounds and looks like it was perfect!
We were so thrilled you and Gretchen came out west. We had the best week with you and wish it hadn't gone by so quickly. I love this post and and want to send it to the powers that be at Berkeley Bowl, Standard Fare and Junes!!