To close out my first year covering the food and drink world of San Francisco, I thought I’d serve a little tasting menu of the things that excited, delighted, and sustained me in 2025.
Perpetual stews
In 2025, my attention was caught by a rare, wise form of digital creator: the instewencer. These stewards of perpetual stew use crockpots to tend the edible eternal flame, a stew that never runs dry or goes cold. An exciting level-up from the sourdough starter snoozefest of 2020, and a more practical one, at that. Not only are slow-cooked stews excellent for digestion, but the practice in perpetuum can put bones, scraps, and past-prime produce to good use. I was inspired to learn about the perpetual stew’s long history, and delighted to hear that one existed right here in San Francisco (until health and fire codes rained on the parade). Perpetual stew teaches us important lessons: Waste not; give a little to take a little; and never rest. To quote the California-based instewencer Zaq Makes, whose stew at time of publication is 243 days old: “Man does not eat the same stew twice, for it is not the same stew, and he is not the same man.”
Justine Doiron’s cookbook
I’ve been a follower of Justine Doiron (@justine_snacks) for a few years now. Her vegetarian recipes are sensible and consistent. I was, parasocially, very proud to witness the success of her debut cookbook, Justine Cooks (Penguin Random House 2024), and even more delighted to tap it for some delicious meals and desserts like her Butternut Squash Cake. Technically it came out late last year, but in 2025 we were able to put it to good use. She’s a favorite among my friend group, a New York Times bestseller, and a should-be staple on your shelf.
Jalebi Street
This year, Fù Huì Huá and The Happy Crane (which is already losing aura points due to its techie customer base) dominated best opening lists across the city. However, for those looking to spend less than $400 at dinner, or even less than $50, try Jalebi Street. This Haight Street Indian street food spot, which opened this summer within a few weeks of those chart-toppers, specializes in chaat and worth the chaatter. It’s perfect for sharing, and I recommend going with a group to try tons of different dishes. (My personal favorite was the Dal Makhani).
Fibermaxxing
In 2025, fiber overtook protein as the fixation du jour. Joshua Bote and I covered fibermaxxing and the concerns about it in September. To recount some facts: Most Americans eat a fraction of the daily recommended amount of fiber every day, and colon disease is on the rise in the US, especially among young adults. It’s certainly not for everyone, but with my naturopathic doctor as my witness, I can confidently say that upping my fiber intake has positively impacted my digestion and overall health.
Corn everything
This year, chefs and bakers across the country found delicious homes for corn on their dessert menus. TikTok was littered with videos on corn cream lattes, like one from Bay Area-based creator Soos Foods, and commercial cornmilk companies like Maizy are appealing to that same audience. Maybe it’s my Garden State roots speaking, but I am onboard with the obsession: Corn is cheap, easy to work with, and a good source of natural sweetness. I personally iterated an upside down brown butter cornmeal cake with fresh fruit this year, and it’s now a mainstay in my summer repertoire.
