A better biscuit

By Jan Newberry, Photography by Chugrad McAndrews

Tanya Holland always thought she’d open a bistro—a place that would draw on her experience cooking in France—but then the former Food Network star moved to West Oakland and decided what her neighborhood really needed was a café where people could get Creole shrimp, po’ boy sandwiches, and a North Coast pinot noir. Holland calls it “new style down home”: cooking that reflects her African American heritage, her formal culinary training, and a deep appreciation of the local taste for organic, seasonal ingredients. Her café, with its fresh brown paint and cheery orange floor, stands out from the industrial warehouses on Mandela Parkway. Inside, a playlist of R&B and soul (selected by Holland’s husband, Phil Surkis) spills from the speakers while the early-morning crowd tries to decide between the organic cheddar-cheese grits with eggs and the cornmeal waffle with fried chicken. But there’s one menu item no one thinks twice about—hot biscuits show up on almost every table. Tender and tangy with buttermilk, and not the least bit shy of salt, Holland’s biscuits show off her soulful style to their flaky core. 2534 Mandela Parkway, Oakland, 510-839-7685