Feast Your Way Across
the S.F. Bay
From Truffle Garlic Noodles to
the GOAT of Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Episode Description
Get ready to drool: Dungeness crab rolls, sumac-spiced chicken, coconut bread pudding—and those are just the appetizers. In this episode, Chef Preeti Mistry, host of the James Beard–nominated podcast Loading Dock Talks, dishes on what makes the San Francisco Bay Area the most exciting, flavor-packed, and deliciously diverse food scene in the country.
Together, we dig into the Bay’s secret sauce: unparalleled produce, deep immigrant roots, and chefs who blend it all into unforgettable meals. Never one to mince words, Preeti also slices into so-called “California cuisine” and shares their behind-the-scenes take on Top Chef hosts Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio. Come for the food, stay for the juicy stories—just don’t forget to bring your appetite.
Bay Area bites you’ll crave after this episode:
- Truffle garlic noodles at Gigi’s
- Mac and cheese and fried chicken at Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement
- Falafel and the Pali Cali (sumac-braised chicken) at Reem’s California
- Al pastor tacos at Taqueria Cancun
- Porcini truffle ravioli at Bi-Rite Market
- Dungeness crab rolls, Mission District burritos, and more
Guest
Chef Preeti Mistry is a culinary force who’s not afraid to stir the pot. On their James Beard–nominated podcast Loading Dock Talks, they chat with chefs about the true meaning behind our meals—and, as they say, “do a little [smack]-talking too.” The Top Chef alum first gained acclaim for their beloved Oakland restaurant, Juhu Beach Club. The restaurant’s California-Indian street food—think pork vindaloo sliders and dosa waffles—earned them two James Beard nominations for best chef in the West and led to a cookbook praised by Anthony Bourdain. Influenced by both their Gujarati roots and American upbringing, Preeti once described their cooking as “Oakland, California” cuisine—not fusion, but something wholly personal.
Preeti’s thoughtful voice has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and on Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. These days, they live with their wife, Ann Nadeau, on Apple Cheeks Orchard in Sebastopol, California, where they continue to cook up new projects, including collaborations with heirloom bean purveyor Rancho Gordo and the spice company Burlap & Barrel.
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