Crabs, 'Bangers, and Tobacky: This Week in Food Bloggery

Jonathan Kauffman

Destination Bakery's Challah, $4.

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1. John Birdsall has been tracking the opening day of commercial Dungeness crab season, and reports that it will be Monday or Tuesday. It astonishes me that opening day isn't a bigger deal here. Perhaps the problem, as Birdsall suggests, is that the California season starts early, so huge fishing boats sweep in and grab up all the catch in a matter of weeks. But part of the problem is that we take this amazing local food for granted. Plan on taking a long lunch on Tuesday and get in line at Swan's.

2. Bite o' the week: A few months back I drove around town collecting loaves of challah. A commenter on the post recommended the challah at Glen Park's Destination Baking Company (598 Chenery, 469-0730). Pictured above, it has since become my favorite toast ― eggy, tender, glossy, faintly sweet. And, at $4, a bargain.

3. The last time (1993 or '94) I ordered a Harvey Wallbanger I thought it was the most disgusting thing ever, but these days hipster bartenders are wearing me down by putting it on their menu. Even our Lou Bustamante now endorses the Wallbanger.

4. John Birdsall also reports that another hurdle has been cleared in the push to ease overly burdensome restrictions on food trucks and carts. Congratulations to everyone attempting to eliminate that $10K Police Department fee that keeps so many people from starting up a mobile-food business.

5. Darya Pino's post about finding fresh tobacco leaves at the Happy Quail Farms stand ― they're the early adopters of the farmers' markets, eager to embrace fashion-forward produce and convince San Francisco foodistas to cook with them ― has me curious. Anyone else try them? Are they disgustingly bitter or peppery? Do they give you a buzz?