Momo Chang
@momo-chang.bsky.social
Freelance Writer & Editor Former senior editor at Civil Eats, Co-Director of Oakland Voices at Maynard Institute, senior editor at Hyphen magazine photographer and small wave surfer she/her www.momochang.com
DoorDash, in damage control mode, now claims it supports D.C. home rule and denies lobbying against it. Here’s the letter their lobbyist wrote to Rep. Comer supporting his bill to ban D.C. from ever imposing or increasing a tax or fee without congressional approval. hillheat.com/files/492/DD...
Wrote a guide to Oakland for the @latimes.com -- check it out here. Thanks to editor Michelle Woo and LA Times for this opportunity: www.latimes.com/travel/list/...
A local's guide to vibrant, soulful, often-misunderstood Oakland
Those who've explored the diverse neighborhoods from Chinatown to Fruitvale to Temescal will tell you there’s so much more to “The Town” than it gets credit for.
latimes.com
This was a fun one to write, about chef Gizela Ho's upcoming popups, before she opens her debut restaurant, Good Morning 96, in SF! sfstandard.com/2026/04/28/r...
Good morning, SF: A Rich Table alum is opening a restaurant inspired by Hong Kong cafes
Chef Gizela Ho is striking out on her own with Good Morning 96, a love letter to Hong Kong café culture.
sfstandard.com
New article --and first time writing for @sfstandard.com! 🥐 sfstandard.com/2026/04/16/v...
A James Beard-recognized pastry chef makes a quiet comeback in the Dogpatch
Vince Bugtong earned national attention for his Asian American desserts. Now he’s back in action in the basement kitchen at Piccino.
sfstandard.com
Cinnaholic and vegan cinnamon rolls are back in #Berkeley, where it all started. oaklandside.org/2026/04/02/c...
Cinnaholic returns to its roots with new Berkeley location
In an ironic twist, the Bay Area was left with zero locations of the franchise when the original Oxford Street shop shuttered in 2023. Now, the vegan treats are back in the Bay.
oaklandside.org
The new restaurant, opening in Westbrae, is named Mesón and will be modeled after the cherished tapas bar that closed in 2022.
After controversial 2022 closure, culinary and literary stars align for César team's comeback
The new restaurant, opening in Westbrae, is named Mesón and will be modeled after the cherished tapas bar that closed in 2022.
berkeleyside.org
New-but-old beloved restaurant concept coming back to Berkeley -- the team behind César is opening Mesón (including with author Michael Lewis as an investor): oaklandside.org/2026/03/30/c...
The César team is staging a comeback, with help from author Michael Lewis
The new restaurant, opening in Westbrae, is named Mesón and will be modeled after the cherished tapas bar that closed in 2022.
oaklandside.org
Muralist Julie Engelmann began work on the mural last week at Oakland Ice Center to celebrate the East Bay's two Asian American gold medalists.
Another Alysa Liu mural in Oakland — this one with Kristi Yamaguchi
Muralist Julie Engelmann began work on the mural last week at Oakland Ice Center to celebrate the East Bay's two Asian American gold medalists.
oaklandside.org
Another #AlysaLiu mural is going up -- this one outside of the ice skating rink where she learned to skate. Next to her is Kristi Yamaguchi. oaklandside.org/2026/03/27/a... @oaklandside.org
Another Alysa Liu mural in Oakland — this one with Kristi Yamaguchi
Muralist Julie Engelmann began work on the mural last week at Oakland Ice Center to celebrate the East Bay's two Asian American gold medalists.
oaklandside.org
“What’s up, Oakland!” Liu said to cheers from the crowd. “This is for y’all,” she added, holding the gold medals around her neck. Sweet article and photos recapping Oakland's celebration of Alysa Liu this week by @momo-chang.bsky.social ❤️🔥🫶🌳 www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/m...
‘She is our hero’: Oakland celebrates Alysa Liu after Olympics triumph
After earning gold in Milan, local figure-skating icon accepts a key to the city at a celebration of local artists
theguardian.com
Opportunity for early- and mid-career journalists on the food system beat—and those who aspire to be. Applications open for the 2026 Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future Food System Fellowship is now open. Please apply and/or share! clf.jhsph.edu/about-us/new...
Request for Applications: Food Systems and Public Health Fellowship for Journalists 2026-2027 Cohort Recruitment
The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) is pleased to announce its Request for Applications (RFA) for the 2026-2027 cohort of the Food Systems and Public Health Fellowship for Journalists....
clf.jhsph.edu
Everything you need to know about the grand opening for the 44,000 square-foot grocery and restaurant on Saturday, Jan. 31.
Get a first look at the massive Tokyo Central opening in Emeryville
Everything you need to know about the grand opening for the 44,000 square-foot grocery and restaurant on Saturday, Jan. 31.
oaklandside.org
The Bay Area is experiencing an 'Asian Market Boom.' But what does it mean when immigrant cultural spaces become economic solutions? Read @cecilialei.bsky.social's personal essay on Richmond’s Pacific East Mall, the "retail savior" narrative, and why she’s craving a different story.
What the ‘Asian Market Boom’ is Missing: An Ode to Pacific East Mall
As shiny, new Asian grocery stores are hailed as retail "saviors," the decades-old Pacific East Mall in Richmond shows how immigrant cultural spaces matter beyond their economic benefits.
coyotemedia.org
Deadline extension alert! You now have until Dec. 31 to apply for a National Science-Health-Environment Reporting Fellowship. If you're an early-career, U.S.-based journalist, this program is for you. casw.org/news/applica... @sejorg.bsky.social @healthjournalism.org @sciencewriters.org
Honored to have won a first place at SF Press Club ceremony last night, shared w/co-writer @roselynr.bsky.social & editor @tcraggs22.bsky.social. Thanks to @oaklandside.org @oaklandvoices.bsky.social @maynardinstitute.bsky.social for co-publishing the story.
A walking guide to help you discover hidden gems for foodies and plant-lovers — plus where to stop for dumplings and sweets.
Oakland gift guide: Chinatown on foot
A walking guide to discover hidden gems for foodies and plant-lovers from small businesses — plus where to stop for dumplings and sweets.
oaklandside.org
Oakland Gleaners and Alameda’s Project Pick have had record years, redistributing a combined 11 tons of fruit to those in need.
Giving trees: East Bay backyard orchards are a mutual aid lifeline
Oakland Gleaners and Alameda’s Project Pick have had record years, redistributing a combined 11 tons of fruit to those in need.
oaklandside.org
Oakland Gleaners and Alameda’s Project Pick have had record years, redistributing a combined 11 tons of fruit to those in need.
Giving trees: East Bay backyard orchards are a mutual aid lifeline
Oakland Gleaners and Alameda’s Project Pick have had record years, redistributing a combined 11 tons of fruit to those in need.
oaklandside.org
#SmallBusinessSaturday is coming up. I wrote a guide for Oakland Chinatown for @oaklandside.org , which includes a fortune cookie factory that makes gift sets and swag, a housewares shop, plant shop, and of courses, places to eat dim sum and Asian desserts 🌿🥠🧫🥟🍨 oaklandside.org/2025/11/24/o...
Oakland gift guide: Chinatown on foot
A walking guide to discover hidden gems for foodies and plant-lovers from small businesses — plus where to stop for dumplings and sweets.
oaklandside.org
"Oakland schools have stemmed principal turnover" This is some positive news for Oakland Unified School District (where eons ago, I was a new teacher, before I became a professional journalist)! Reporting by Ashley McBride for @oaklandside.org oaklandside.org/2025/11/24/o...
Oakland schools have stemmed principal turnover
OUSD has made substantial gains in principal retention this year, which means stability for schools and students. But principals worry that looming budget cuts could undermine that progress.
oaklandside.org
teh calendar is up! If you click through to the website you get to see my favorite event of the week, which I FOROGT TO INCLUDE before we sent it to subscribers. Go to the website, there's a pretty picture of a magic eight ball on it.
Oakland Review of Books@oaklandreviewofbooks.org · 9mo agoOakland Review of Books calendar of (not just) literary events, October 28 - November 2: www.oaklandreviewofbooks.org/calendar/
“We need to almost see ourselves as part of nature,” she said, “instead of something that’s far away from it.”
The Oaklandside@oaklandside.org · 11mo agoAbandoned boats, corrosive chemicals, and mountains of trash clog the estuary's waters. And no one’s owning the cleanup.
Carolyn Johnson is CEO of the Black Cultural Zone in East Oakland. She'll be receiving a leadership award from @sanfranciscofdn.bsky.social. I chatted with Carolyn about her family history and her work. sff.org/carolyn-john...
sff.org
My latest for @civileats.com “The hard-won progress over the last 30 years to rebuild most of our fisheries, from in many cases severe depletion, could very quickly be reversed if we’re not going to enforce the rules...” Andrew Rosenberg, former NOAA senior official. civileats.com/2025/05/15/w...
What Deep Cuts to NOAA Mean for U.S. Fisheries
The dismantling of the agency will affect fisheries, oceans, and weather forecasting. U.S. fishers are already feeling the impact.
civileats.com
Protests Mount Against ICE Detentions of Immigrant Farmworkers civileats.com/2025/05/09/p...
Protests Mount Against ICE Detentions of Immigrant Farmworkers
Unions and advocacy groups say worker organizers have been targeted amid federal immigration sweeps.
civileats.com
“The majority of no-till farming in this country is focused on herbicides, not regeneration,” writes first-generation organic farmer Nate Powell-Palm in an op-ed. “These chemicals devastate ... the microbes and bugs that farmers need to regenerate soil.”
Op-ed: Why Most No-Till Agriculture Is Not Actually Regenerative
The majority of no-till farming in the US depends on herbicides, which devastate soil life.
civileats.com
🍁 A nice Q&A from contributor Elena Valeriote with Ella Smoot of the Oregon Maple Project! 🍁
Civil Eats@civileats.com · last yr.Following her fourth sugaring season, Ella Smoot, executive director of the Oregon Maple Project, chatted with Civil Eats about her experience as one of the first maple syrup producers in the Pacific Northwest.
The Trump administration proposed a change to the Endangered Species Act that would give farmers more leeway to use pesticides on critical habitats.
Proposal Could Threaten Endangered Species’ Survival in Farm Country
If approved, the change to the Endangered Species Act would give farmers more leeway to use pesticides on critical habitats.
buff.ly
