Sabor del Barrio: An article series exploring the Latino food scene in the East Bay ---  

Late on a Wednesday afternoon, I’m sitting in Cosecha restaurant in Oakland watching a man in a navy blue jacket try to order pozole. The chef, Dominica Rice, comes to the counter and politely tells him that there’s no pozole today. She suggests something else, they chat about the specials next weekend, and he sits down to await his tacos. Later Rice tells me about his work schedule, and laments that he can’t make it in on certain days. There’s no doubt that the food at Cosecha, made with Rice’s sensibility for top quality local and fresh ingredients, has earned a devoted group of regulars. The atmosphere here, inviting and communal much like the food stands at a Mexican market (minus the grit and noise), is part of the attraction. Cosecha is a located in the Housewives Market inside Swan’s Marketplace, a restored space on a quiet corner in Old Oakland. The large counter hosts jugs of colorful agua frescas, the chalkboard menu lists daily specials, patrons sit at communal wood tables that spread out into the center of the market, and a long seating counter looks out into the street through a sunny window.

I asked Rice, who once worked at the famous Chez Panisse restaurant, about growing up in L.A., opening her first restaurant, and what it means to be cooking Mexican food with local ingredients.

Visión Hispana: Where did you grow up?

Rice: I was born in downtown Los Angeles, in Chinatown, just as my mother was before me. My grandparents purchased the house in Chinatown back in the 50’s. They’re both from Mexico. My mother is still with my dad in the house in Chinatown. I used to be envious of all those chefs who grew up in a dairy farm in Jersey or in an apple orchard in New Haven— but I feel lucky that I grew up around Mexican and Chinese urban farmers in our neighborhood. Any patch of dirt would turn into a place to grow chayotes and bok choy and cucumbers. I was also exposed to all the food LA has to offer - for Sunday lunch after church we would have a big brunch of Chinese food, and as a teenager I grew up eating Vietnamese sandwiches and Thai food.

Visión Hispana: Tell me about your background in cooking and how it inspired opening this restaurant.

Rice: My first memory in life is helping my grandmother to sort frijoles in the morning to get ready for the day. In school and most of the restaurants I’ve worked at, cooking was always about French, Italian, and Spanish traditions. The conversation about Mexican food was always very small. I never had a chance to pursue it. After living in New York I went to Mexico City, and even there I was still working at a restaurant that was French inspired. On my days off I would go to the mercados and talk to the vendors and the señoras. In the markets there’s always the produce part, always the meat section, and always the section for señoras who sell hot food. They have a small menu and their daily specials change. It’s home cooking, and it’s the best.

Visión Hispana: For people who haven’t had your food, can you describe a dish that you think reflects what the restaurant is about?

Rice: There are a few. Every Monday, we have a beautiful mole verde made from scratch. We try to do things that you’re not going to find at another restaurant, and most Mexican restaurants are not going to make homemade mole verde on a Monday, or even on a Friday! And of course, our shrimp tacos are very special to me because they’re made with wild shrimp, they’re wild caught and they’re delivered fresh to us every Friday, and it’s farmer’s market that day too.

Visión Hispana: Why the name Cosecha?

Rice: I wanted to find a name that represented the Bay Area sensibility. The word ‘harvest’ represents the heart and soul of the Bay Area, for me it’s more than just harvesting good quality ingredients, it’s about harvesting community.

Visión Hispana: What role do you think your restaurant and restaurants with a similar style of Mexican food are playing in the East Bay?

Rice: There are a few places now that are showing off Mexican cooking in new ways, there’s Copita in Sausalito, Comal in Berkeley, and us here in downtown Oakland. I’m very excited about that. This happened in New York as well a while ago, where there were a lot of Korean-American, Japanese-American, and Chinese-American chefs who all went through similar backgrounds in French training and then decided to open their own projects that were closer to the heart. With Cosecha, similar to them, I wanted to do something independent, straightforward, without a risky budget, and straight from the heart.

Visión Hispana: There’s a notion that tacos, and therefore by extension all Mexican food, should be cheap - what’s your reaction to that?

Rice: Compared to other restaurants, our prices are extremely reasonable. I’m not going to jeopardize the quality of our food; every day we bring clean, fresh food from around the Bay Area. When I opened Cosecha, I wanted it to be inviting to everybody regardless of economics. You can come in and have a cup of coffee and a lime cookie, or just a taco and some water. Or you can order a bottle of prosecco and have a few main courses and a salad. There’s something for everyone here.

Cosecha restaurant is located at 907 Washington St., Oakland, CA 94607.

Ferron Salniker is a food writer who has lived in Mexico and South America, and traveled the globe searching for the best of every local food scene. She was born and raised in the East Bay, and currently lives in Oakland. Follow her at www.ferronlandia.com