Your Weekly Taste of Local Flavor
Fri, Jul 18

FIRST UP: JUST OPENED

Forest Tea Bar specializes in small-batch matcha, like in the Black Sesame Matcha Latte. (Photo courtesy of Forest Tea Bar)

• Forest Tea Bar opens in Berkeley
  After gaining a following through pop-ups as Three Tea Bowls, Forest Tea Bar has officially opened a permanent location in Berkeley. The café specializes in small-batch matcha, stone-milled and sourced from a family-run farm in Uji, Kyoto. The menu features thoughtfully prepared drinks like taro matcha lattes, hojicha and iced ceremonial matcha. You can visit Friday through Sunday, from 11am to 6pm.
  
  

  Location: 2628 Shattuck Ave. (at Carleton St.), Berkeley

SPOTLIGHT:

Chef Laura Meyer describes her approach to making several different kinds of pizza as a ‘multiplicity.’ (Photo by Tim Marsolais)

Berkeley’s Pizzeria da Laura named one of the world’s best

Pizzeria da Laura, a woman-owned pizza shop in Berkeley, has landed on the 2025 Best Pizza Awards list, ranking 96th among top pizzerias worldwide.

Owner Laura Meyer is no stranger to the spotlight—she was the first American woman to win the World Pizza Championship in 2013 and has since built a loyal following for her New York and pan-style pies. Her Shattuck Avenue spot serves a range of pizza styles, including Detroit, Sicilian, and Grandma, along with house-made pasta, calzones, and appetizers like arancini. Read our story in East Bay Magazine here.

The award, announced in Milan on June 25, was judged by over 500 experts from 60 countries. Meyer is one of just 10 women recognized in this year’s global ranking.

MORE LOCAL FOOD NEWS

Chef Aeama Guiro poses with the trophy for the 2025 Jollof Festival in Oakland, Calif. (Photo by Panashe Matemba-Mutasa)

• Senegalese chef wins Bay Area Jollof Festival

  Senegalese chef Aeama Guiro was crowned champion at this year’s Jollof Festival, taking first place in the popular vote after a heated cook-off with chefs from Ghana, Nigeria and Liberia. The annual event, held Saturday, drew food lovers eager to weigh in on the long-standing West African debate: who makes the best jollof rice?
  
  For Guiro, the win is personal. A Senegalese immigrant with 30 years of experience making the dish, he sees it as a tribute to jollof’s roots. “Now, people know it’s in our DNA,” he said.

• Richmond’s Hotpot Nation back open
  Hotpot Nation, a modest hot pot spot located in the Pacific East Mall and established in 2021, is back open for business after a month-long pause due to power-related issues.

   

THIS WEEK’S VISITS

Banners hang down from Jaji’s high ceiling, inspired by the colors and petals of poppies. The banners correspond with images of medieval banquet halls, encouraging conviviality. (Photo by Henry Rubin)

• Jaji brings bold Afghan flavors to Uptown Oakland

  Our freelancer Jeffrey Edalatpour visited Jaji, the new Afghan restaurant from the team behind Parche, and found it to be a vibrant, comforting spot for shared plates and communal dining.
  
  Set in the former Occitania space, Jaji retains the dramatic high ceilings and green banquettes but now features poppy-inspired banners and a warm, banquet-style atmosphere. Menu highlights include bolani (stuffed flatbread with peas, fava, and purple potatoes), chapli wagyu beef patties, and lamb lollipops—plus a surprise chicken kabob from the kitchen.
  
  Catch all this culinary goodness from 5pm to 9:15pm daily. Read Jeffrey’s full review here.
  
  Location: 422 24th St., Oakland

CLOSINGS

• Seawolf Public House to close after nearly a decade

  After nearly nine years in Oakland’s Jack London Square, Seawolf Public House is closing its doors. The neighborhood pub will serve its last pints on Saturday, July 19.
  
  

  Since opening on Valentine’s Day in 2017, Seawolf has been known for its laid-back atmosphere, 16 rotating taps, full bar and comfort-food menu from chef Wilson Mendez including burgers, tacos, wings and more.
  
  

  The pub will host a farewell comedy show on closing night.
  
  

  Location: 350 Fourth St., Oakland

   

That’s it for now, folks—but I’ll be back soon with more bites, buzz and behind-the-scenes looks at the East Bay’s dynamic dining landscape. Stay curious, stay hungry and don’t be shy—hit reply and let me know what spots you’re loving lately.

Til next time,

—Panashe Matemba-Mutasa 🍴

About me: I currently report for Tri-City Voice, where my work ranges from enterprise stories on public school underfunding to feel-good profiles of local restaurants. I also contribute the occasional feature story to East Bay Express and Metro Silicon Valley.

Please send any questions, comments, criticisms, tips, cool photos or great recipes to me by replying to this newsletter.