There’s a lot of chatter in the tech world lately about the idea of AI agents - where corporations are building AI’s to assist employees and customers with their various tasks and needs. But as a person who uses the internet - I actually think it would be way better if we, as consumers, each had a singular AI agent for ourselves that could explore the internet world on our behalf, and spare us all the time of interacting with corporate clippys. But more importantly — a consumer-owned agent could help us refine our artistic tastes, find better restaurants for dinner, search for new wallpaper or lighting for the home, and help find the most suitable makeup and clothes or even a new car.
As someone who has no patience for online shopping and hasn’t updated my musical tastes since 2008, I hope someone can build me a Tamagotchi-version of myself that I can gently maintain, who can do my bidding for me and save me a few hours of scrolling. A sort of online advance team to pre-vet and pre-clear everything on the internet before it makes its way to me. Like a super developed version of the Netflix Recommendation Engine and Apple/Spotify’s discovery stations - where I can share what I need and then simply thumbs up and thumbs down until it knows exactly what I’m looking for, in all aspects of my life.
And while I’m sure there will soon be an AI that can help us all sift through restaurant reviews, I think it will take some time until we can truly outsource our food preferences. An AI can pattern match with sight, sound and data, but it can’t quite taste yet (though I wouldn’t put it past this guy to figure it out soon). Unless we all become Ozempic zombies in the near future, my sense is that we’re still going to care about food and want to taste and indulge in new flavors for decades to come, so I plan to continue to refine my tastes and gain proficiency in the best restaurants and cafes.
As you’ve likely figured out by my cadence of writing - this whole substack endeavor is just an occasional hobby for me, but even if I’m not writing — curating restaurants, cafes and hotels for myself and for people in my life is something I do on the regular and it always brings me so much joy. I love playing matchmaker when friends and family reach out on their travels and ask me where they should stay and eat. And with the holidays coming up, more folks have been asking me where they should book reservations for visitors here in the East Bay. And since we don’t yet have an AI to recommend places to you, let me be your agent and offer some dinner spots to take out-of-towners this holiday season:
For your Brooklyn or Silverlake friends who have impeccable taste in art and are definitely cooler than you:
Daytrip. I’ve been very into this spot since it opened for it’s self described “little bit of chaos in everything”. The crew here is fun, you’ll discover new natural wines, you’ll find seasonal dishes where the flavors in the food really pop and you’ll definitely gain some cred with your friends.
For your friends who used to be cool, but then had kids and now will be bringing said kids to dinner
Pizzaiolo. It’s walk-ins only, which works great for the early bird kid special, they have a huge back patio, excellent cocktails, Bill Murray art on the wall, airy California-style pizza and seasonal pasta and salads to suit all tastes. While they have excellent desserts, you might want to hit up of the Creamery in Temescal alley for vegan (and non-vegan) ice cream after dinner.
For your cultured in-laws who want to feel hip, but like, in a safe way
Jo’s Modern Thai. It was no surprise that this Laurel district spot nabbed a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its approachable and (relatively) affordable take on Thai food. Chef Intu-On Kornnawong (formerly of Khin Khao & LA Night Market) brings the flavors and finesse and up-levels the classics. Once you try the unforgettable Massaman curry you’ll find yourself longing at every bay area Thai restaurant thereafter.
For your adventurous brother-in-law with an iron stomach
Do a taco crawl through Fruitvale (definitely hit taqueria el paisa for refined flavors and tacos sinaloa one of the best trucks in town).
For your parents who just want you to play the hits
Chez Panisse - never fails. Book the upstairs cafe for a less formal and more jovial atmosphere, with the freshest possible produce from this world-class East Bay institution. A seat towards the back of the restaurant will get you a nice view of the wood-fired oven, but no matter where you sit, this is one of the few east bay restaurants with truly top-notch service.
For your sports-loving friends who want to maybe catch a game in the process
The Athletic Club Oakland - this two-story sports bar has everything you might need for a good night out - including Tuesday trivia, Friday karaoke and a pool league. With TVs everywhere, the bar food’s not anything to turn your nose up at either.
For your sorority sisters to pick up where you left off
Bombera - you can get after it with your gal pals in a vibrant and colorful atmosphere that offers dialed up Mexican food and margaritas. All tortillas are hand-made in house and the menu leans into seasonal ingredients like the grown-on-premise fall harvest passion-fruit margaritas. Start with the gem salad, share the trout tostadas and finish off with a shareable-sized plate of rich carnitas. This restaurant has been drawing fans and accolades since they opened the doors of the former Dimond district fire station in 2021.
For your niece who has something to talk to you about
Snail Bar - this cozy natural wine bar is an intimate and non-judgmental spot where you’ll feel comfortable spilling your guts over their gourmet ham and cheese toasted sandwiches and Colombian hot dogs. While the weekdays are casual food-wise, you can expect a more sophisticated and experimental menu on the weekends with dishes like a Harissa Miso Marinated Eggplant Katsu or a seasonal Strawberry and lemon verbana gazpacho. And bonus - they just teamed up with Rose (the hip CBD & THC brand) to do a collab of Passion Fruit Toasted Fig Leaf edibles, so you can enjoy the flavors of Snail Bar at home on the couch too.
For a work-related sales pitch meeting you just want to get over with
LITA If Oakland is the artsy side of the east bay and Berkeley is the academic - then Walnut Creek sort of feels like the “business” side of the east bay. What business do these people do? I have no idea. Sales? Real Estate? Social media influencer? Multi-level marketing schemes? Beats me. But somehow a ton of people live here and seem to have jobs doing things where they are dressed up a bit. LITA is a good spot to go if you want to have a quick, dependable sit-down meal in a bustling atmosphere.
For teenagers who want to feel like they’re somewhere
Cheese Board this worker-owned cheese shop and pizzeria always offers a pleasant portrait of the east bay. Bring a group for lunch and stand outside in a Berkeley parklet over a steaming hot pizza straight out of the box. They make one seasonal variety of pizza a day, so leave your pickiest eaters at home. And there’s live music if you’re lucky.
For your long-distance lover who is in town for 36 hours
Get delivery.
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More reading:
Conde Nast Traveler’s readers said Oakland is the #1 food city in America. Which should be a surprise to no one — except the suburbanites east of the tunnel who refuse to see what’s on the other side. Go west, my friends!**
The Curse of the Michelin Star - the Economist reports on research that Michelin-rated restaurants are more likely to close. Did you know we have a 2-star Michelin restaurant right here in the east bay? Commis is a super special spot for an ultra-fine dining meal.
** an earlier version of this post mixed up east and west 🥸