Cookbook Author Hetal Vasavada's Bay Area Essentials

Hello! I have to admit that while I am usually an optimist, especially when it comes to the future, this week has been particularly challenging for me. I have spent the past decade working at publications (both digital and print), and while we knew the industry desperately needed a restructure and layoffs were a relatively regular occurrence, things never felt this dire. The week is not even over and the LA Times laid off over 100 journalists, while Time magazine and National Geographic made cuts, too. This comes shortly after Pitchfork was completely gutted, same with Sports Illustrated — and Conde Nast is threatening an even larger and deeper set of additional lay offs.

I read that in 2024 (which we are less than one month into!), 2,300 journalists have already lost their jobs. It just seems so wild to me that the billionaires and giant boards that own these publications keep cutting the people who actually make the work/stories/content they sell advertising dollars against and often these are the people that make maybe $50k-$100k a year if we’re lucky. I don’t purport to have the solution to any of this, but not investing in and only further cutting the people on staff that understand how the internet works remains baffling. I just hope we are not doomed to getting all of our news and cultural analysis as 30 second Tik Tok clips.

Anyways, this is all to say, it’s worth supporting your favorite publications, local papers, and independent journalists and writers as much as you can.

On a more positive note, I did stumble across yet another very good pancake in Los Angeles. This one, from Cafe Telegrama, a chic new coffee shop just off of Melrose, as those perfectly crispy edges that can only come from the pancake being cooked in a copious amount of butter. I split the pancakes with a very dear friend of mine, and we ate them in the Sunday sunshine while catching up. It was easy to get lost for two hours in the puddles of syrup and puddles of laughter — and it’s a moment I am highly grateful for. (I will drop a guide to my favorite pancakes soon, though Cracker Barrel’s will always remain the GOAT.)

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This week’s guide is from Hetal Vasavada, a very talented recipe developer, baker, and cookbook author who you might know as Milk & Cardamom on Instagram. She makes the most beautiful cakes, cookies, and pastries and is incredible at fusing South Asian flavors with American techniques. I love her recipes and make her gulab jamun cake regularly! She also has a second cookbook coming out later this year that I cannot wait for.

Hetal Vasavada’s Essential Bay Area Restaurants

Besharam (San Francisco)
Indian restaurant that highlights Gujarati cuisine, in a modern way but not too modern. It has a California flair. The chef is highlighting the uniqueness of cuisines from within the same state of India. Go there for their khichu, cozy food, and when I want my mom’s cooking — I’ll go there. Khichu and chai is my homesick order. Cocktails there are hella good. 

Luce (San Francisco)
They have a new chef from Greece and the wine pairings are insanity. It’s one of those things where the wine truly makes the food taste so much better. Their menu changes quite often — because it is a tasting menu. It’s also fairly priced for a tasting menu. The desserts are incredible and I really enjoyed this summer corn veloute. 

Surya Darshini (Milpitas) 
They specialize in Bangalorean dosas. They are thicker dosas that are crispy on the bottom and fluffy on top. The texture is so unreal. You have to pre-order the dosas, you cannot dine in. 

Chandni Chowk (Santa Clara) 
Used to be a food truck, but they just opened a brick and mortar. Their Pani puri is very good because it reminds me of eating in India. They were will serve you Pani puri a la cart. There are fire pits and oil drums as tables and fairy lights and Bollywood music going. The food is good, the vibes are more fun. 

Kiroro (Belmont) 
They have an amazing list of vegetarian and vegan sushi. Everything is very unique. Love their veggie tacos which are seaweed and rice paper crisps that are filled with marinated tomatoes and a spicy crumbled walnut. 

Falafelle (Belmont) 
Another hole in the wall spot. There is no where to sit. You order and leave. You have to hunch over the sidewalk to eat. The pita is insane— super fluffy and soft. The falafel is crispy, and they fill the crap out the pita. You get a lot of food for what you are paying. 

Coco’s Ramen (San Francisco) 
Their vegetarian broth is really good and really rich without being too mushroomy or too much of a single note flavor. Portions are huge. We usually order one bowl of ramen for the three of us. I like to get the ramen with corn, and a soft boiled egg, and make it extra spicy. You never have to wait in line to get a seat. 

Pasta Prego (Napa) 
Not quite the Bay Area, but it’s a tiny little place that reminds me of the Italian restaurants in New Jersey. White tablecloths, old wooden chairs, and giant bowls of pasta. I normally get their angel hair pasta with tomatoes and garlic and basil, or the ravioli. The highlight is their marinara sauce.

Copenhagen Bakery (Burlingame) 
Old school bakery that has been around for a while. They do Danish-style pastries. I love marzipan and they have quite a few marzipan desserts. They also have a walnut slice that is very caramel and nutty and salty and buttery and one of my favorite things. 

Luna Mexican Kitchen (Couple of locations in South Bay)
They do California-style Mexican food and it is very vegetarian and vegan friendly. Insanely good table-side guacamole. They have this fried cauliflower that is also delicious. They bring a grilll to your table and you can build your own mini tacos and it’s a fun little experience at a decent price. 

Philz (Bay Area)
I am a Philz girl. I will get a mint mojito. Any temperature, any time of day. 

That’s it for today! Hope you eat something delicious this week. Would love to know your Bay Area favorites in the comments below.