OMAR MAMOON

OMAR MAMOON

writer/cookie dough professional

Hello! Thank you for finding this website. My name is Omar Mamoon, and I’m a writer based in San Francisco. I contribute to The San Francisco Chronicle, The San Francisco Standard, Resy, Condé Nast Traveler, and Esquire Magazine, where I also help compile the annual Best Bars, Best New Restaurants, and Best New Hotels in America lists. I’m not a critic, but rather a curator, an enthusiast who highlights what I find interesting, unique, beautiful, and most importantly, delicious. My work includes everything from trends to recipes, profiles and more. A quick read through my FAVORITE PIECES below will give you a good sense of what I’m about.

When I’m not consuming copious quantities of food, I’m running a small cookie dough business based in San Francisco called DOUGH XX. You can find my sweet treats at random spots all around. I also run a non-profit that provides children’s books to California public schools called LIBROS PARA TODOS and volunteer for The James Beard Foundation.

Below are some of my favorite pieces over the last few years. Enjoy!

-om.

spent a long weekend in the mile high city. been a minute since I was last in Denver. Maybe over a decade? Who’s even counting. Have never received so many compliments on my nin jacket in such a small amount of time—thank you Colorado. h

This may look like just another smash burger at first glance, but it’s not. The double cheeseburger at burger littles, a 2-month-old food truck stationed at park social in mission bay, features 2x3.5oz patties made from beef they grind daily&

the birthplace of our nation, sure, but first and foremost: Philly is a sandwich city. The best in the country, probably. mural game on point, too. I love it so much—truly one of my fav places in America. spent the last few days here for the @t

hello friends. turned 39 this week, last year before I hit that dreaded forty. celebrated w roast chicken and chenin at none other than my beloved zuni—pfg per usual.

but choo-choo, that ATC train don’t stop does it. ngl, I’ve nev

hello sf! Consumed all the things for All Things Consumed, my new column for sf standard that drops every Thursday. this week we dive into a hot new dumpling destination on Valencia, a 50-layer (!) lasagnette, a seafood tower like you’ve never

Say hi to your new favorite noodle soup: mohinga aka Burmese breakfast noodle soup at bay of Burma, a small 11-month-old restaurant on Folsom. I’ve often wondered why these noods never caught on like pho or ramen—I grew up eating the stuf

10yrs and 30lbs ago, my first piece published online. I was 28 at the time, relatively late to the writing game—I had just quit my desk job the year prior to start a cookie dough business, and I needed a way to make more money quick otherwise

It’s Thursday and you know what time it is: all things consumed, my new column for the standard as their eater at large. This is the third installment and ngl it just might be my best yet. It features both my new fav restaurant AND bar opening

Here’s the thing about patty melts: I fucking love them, but I’ve always associated them with LA. If you’ve been a long time follower, you might remember a couple pieces I penned about the patty melt proliferation back in 2018 for b

Sup! got some *very* exciting news to announce: I’ve got a new column for the San Francisco standard called All Things Consumed. Each week I’ll share three things to eat that are worth your time, dollars, and calories. It can be anything

wowowow. I can’t remember who in my pizza circle turned me on to truly pizza in SoCal—it’s been on my radar for a minute—but pizzaiolo chris deckers @everythingbutanchovies stuff is truly fucking delicious (tfg?)—it&rsqu

Spent a few days researching in seatown — ate some things, drank some things, the usual, really. not sure if seattleites call their city seatown or if it’s like
when people not from sf call the city ‘San Fran’; I digress. b

quick little phx trip last few days for a jbf thing and some research aka eating and drinking in copious quantities. last time I was here was in ’21, and empirically it feels like the city is transforming—there’s a cool energy

very quick, very delicious whirlwind ny trip last week. Yes I was just here in dec—yes im basically a New Yorker now. dude, where’s my bagel?

Below are some highlights of that ny new new for you, as well as a couple classic pizza zones t

FYI friends and fam: PFG is on winter vaca—hold tight, will brb; but in the meantime, let me take you to souffletown at cafe Jacqueline in North Beach. This one’s been on my list forever, and i finally hit it last night. Love. Opened in 1

New year, new PFG. for our first installment of twenty-four, we go to the two-month-old 7 Adams , the new restaurant from the talented chef duo David and Serena chow fisher (These are the same two who helped open Michelin-starred Marlena in the begin

bonjour bonne année mes amis. spent the last few days in paris—real quiet, real nice, real relaxxed relative to times past. it was shutdown week where locals leave for vaca and lotsa businesses close down for holidays. Luckily was stil

HOPR PFG LFG!!! so you know how i wrote the secret menu a few years ago in where we learned about seared prime ribs and off-menu horseradishes and small thin end cut slices for seconds? Well while reporting for this pfg, I realized you could simply r

Other NY deliciousness for your eating inspiration. Love visiting during holiday seasons — truly my fav time to be in the city and work on my strong winterbod. enjoy!

-xx.

1- smoked fish heaven @barneygreengrassnyc
2- the only place that d

the esquire choir that sings the praises of the best new restaurants in america. v lucky to get to write and report alongside these legends— @sintumuang @joshuadavidstein and @thegordinier — it’s an honor to contribute and curate

FAVORITE PIECES

An Ode to Mom’s Breakfast, San Francisco Chronicle*

At Swan Oyster Depot, a secret menu built for regulars, San Francisco Chronicle

Why I’m going to Miss Lucca Ravioli so much, San Francisco Chronicle

5 Things to Consider Before Starting Your Business, Huffington Post

Five Lessons From A Food Symposium, Huffington Post

5 Things To Eat Right Now: Summer 2019, Edible San Francisco

SF now has soft and crushable basket tacos, a Mexico City street food mainstay, SF Chronicle

The L.A. Taco Travel Guide to San Francisco’s Best Taquerías, L.A. TACO

Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America, 2021, Esquire

Why Do We Crave The Best?, ChefsFeed

Is Tijuana Restaurant in Oakland The Best Old Restaurant in America?, SF Chronicle

The Patty Melt is Back, Esquire

Eater's Guide to Eating Burmese in the Bay Area, Eater

A San Francisco cocktail for quarantine that transports you to Spain, San Francisco Chronicle

Pizza 101, SF Chronicle

PFG VIDEO SERIES

The Best Al Pastor in San Francisco Comes Carved Streetside in the Mission, The San Francisco Standard

Why You Should Try This 20-Course, Two-and-a-Half-Hour Tasting Menu in San Francisco, SF Standard

San Francisco has a Hot New Pizza Place, SF Standard

The New Dawn Club Recalls a Vanished Era of Jazz and Cocktails in Downtown San Francisco, SF Standard

Prepare to Sweat at San Francisco’s Halal-Chinese Mom-and-Pop Favorite, SF Standard

Friends Only in Nob Hill is the ‘Dark Knight’ of San Francisco’s Sushi Scene, SF Standard

Well-Loved San Francisco French Comfort Food Restaurant Returns After 2-Year Hiatus, SF Standard

Globe-Trotting Chef Power Couple Brings the Eastern Mediterranean to San Francisco’s Presidio, SF Standard

San Francisco’s Pakwan Serves Up Pakistani Flavor, 365 Days a Year, SF Standard

Zuni Cafe Turns 45 Next Year. Here’s the San Francisco Institution’s Story, SF Standard

Secrets of a San Francisco Institution: How to Order Off-Menu at House of Prime Rib, SF Standard

San Francisco’s 7 Adams is the Perfect Restaurant for Date Night, SF Standard

LATEST PIECES

All Things Consumed, SF Standard

The Best New Hotels and Restaurants in the World: 2024 Hot List, Conde Nast Traveler

The 41 Best New Hotels in North America and Europe for 2024, Esquire

QR Code Menus Are a Bummer. It’s Time for Restaurants to Move On, SF Standard

The Best Martinis in America, 2023, Esquire

Historic S.F. bar with famous views reborn with new drinks, SF Chronicle

Best New Restaurants in America, 2023, Esquire

You’re not drunk. You’re just at the most surreal bar in San Francisco, SF Chronicle

Take a Peek Inside Tracy Goh’s Malaysian Pantry at Damansara, Plate

San Francisco has a Hot New Pizza Place, SF Standard

5 Zero-Zero Natural Wines You Need to Get Wild With, Esquire

This one man makes millions of tacos at S.F.’s most famous taqueria, SF Chronicle

How this one-of-a-kind S.F. restaurant keeps prices remarkably low, SF Chronicle

Natural wine will flow by the keg at this new S.F. bar, SF Chronicle

How an artist and a chef created the coolest, craziest Mexican restaurant in S.F., SF Chronicle

Best Bars in America, 2023, Esquire

Fresh, bouncy noodles star at this new S.F. restaurant, SF Chronicle

New S.F. restaurant is shooting straight for Michelin Stars, SF Chronicle

How a pizza co-op created the ultimate Berkeley vibe, one free baby slice at a time, SF Chronicle

The Best New Hotels in North America and Europe, 2023, Esquire

The Anatomy of Taqueria Cancun’s Super-size, Pollo asada stuffed Mission Burrito, Eater

Chicago Tavern-Style Pizza is Sweeping America, Esquire

The oven. The piano. The bar. How Zuni Cafe built its timeless S.F. vibe, SF Chronicle

This Tequila Enthusiast Just Found Out His New Favorite, Esquire

She won a world pizza competition in Italy. Now she’s opening her first Bay Area restaurant, SF Chronicle

How this treasured coastal enclave became a culinary hot spot, SF Chronicle

The Best New Restaurants in America, 2022, Esquire

Closed since the pandemic, wildly popular S.F. restaurant re-emerges with new look, SF Chronicle

Three Bay Area Restaurants Showcase The Power of Cumin, The ‘Lingua Franca’ of Spices, SF Chronicle

David Yoshimura Expresses the Harmony of Washoku Cuisine at Nisei, Plate

What to order at this buzzy S.F. pizza restaurant form a former Mister Jiu’s chef, SF Chronicle

This Michelin-starred Thai restaurant has been closed since 2020. Now, it’s coming back, SF Chronicle

Best Restaurants for Yucatan-style food in San Francisco, San Francisco Chronicle

The Best Bars in America, 2022, Esquire

This fine-dining chef wants to give Black American food the spotlight with new Oakland Restaurant, SF Chronicle

Chaat: The Best Indian restaurants to find the popular street Food, SF Chronicle

Snail Bar owner will bring natural wine and late-night vibes to a second bar in downtown Oakland, SF Chronicle

The Best New Hotels in North America and the Caribbean, 2022, Esquire

Pyro’s, one of the East Bay’s buzziest pop-ups, is bringing pastrami and pizza to Berkeley, SF Chronicle

Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America, 2021, Esquire

9 Destinations for cooling, inventive shaved ice desserts in the Bay Area, SF Chronicle

The L.A. Taco Travel Guide to San Francisco’s Best Taquerías, L.A. TACO

Shawn Camacho and Shawn Naputi of Prubechu Talk Chamorro Community — and Food, Resy

Five Things to Know About Jo’s Modern Thai, Now Open in Oakland, Resy

Meet S.F.’s newest torta pop-up, where Tartine alum play with the great Mexican sandwich, SF Chronicle

Oakland’s hotly anticipated Snail Bar opens with natural wine and avant-garde small plates, SF Chronicle

Best Bars in America, 2021, Esquire

Bay Area’s next wave of pizza pop-ups has arrived. Here’s where to go, SF Chronicle

Bay Area chefs still having fun with new fried chicken sandwiches. Here are 6 to try, SF Chronicle

Everything You Need To Know About Ernest, Now Open In The Mission, Resy

Yoshika Hedberg of Fish & Bird on Tom Waits, Sousaku, and The Future, Resy

An S.F. pastry chef with Michelin cred is making a solo pastry box, SF Chronicle

A Slate of Bay Area Chefs is getting inventive with a classic: bubbly, crispy focaccia, SF Chronicle

A former Mister Jiu’s chef is now selling his own creamy, crunchy, spicy sweet water noodle kits, SF Chronicle

100 Restaurants America Can’t Afford To Lose, Esquire

Four ways to eat a samosa in the Bay Area, SF Chronicle

How Quick Dog in S.F. keeps its fries Shatteringly crisp — even for delivery, SF Chronicle

Fluffy new S.F. cinnamon roll gets its flair from a lava flow of coffee-laced frosting, SF Chronicle

An ode to the chef’s salad of Cafe Mezzo, a Berkeley symbol of healthy eating, SF Chronicle

SF now has soft and crushable basket tacos, a Mexico City street food mainstay, SF Chronicle

What’s Next for House of Prime Rib, the City’s Ultimate Celebratory Restaurant?, Resy

Hoagie heaven at San Francisco wine shop, SF Chronicle

This rotisserie stands out amid San Francisco’s intoxicating restaurant aromas, SF Chronicle

Tomalley Butter Lobster Roll is like a summer vacation in Maine, SF Chronicle

The Best Bars in America, 2020, Esquire

Bay Area pizzeria makes New Haven-style pies that are worth the journey, SF Chronicle

A San Francisco cocktail for quarantine that transports you to Spain, SF Chronicle

How Bay Area Restauranteurs find meaning by giving back during the pandemic, SF Chronicle

The 7 Best Chip Flavors You’ve Never Tried, Esquire

The case for frying chicken at home amid shelter in place, SF Chronicle

5 Things To Eat Right Now: Winter 2020, Edible San Francisco

Is Tijuana Restaurant in Oakland The Best Old Restaurant in America?, SF Chronicle

Q&A with master sushi chef Jiro Lin of Hamano in San Francisco, SF Chronicle

Yeasayer and Sinkane Prefer Shake Shack Over In-N-Out Burger, SF Weekly

Family of beloved Mission taco truck loses home to blaze, but finds solace in work and community, SF Chronicle

Why I’m going to miss Lucca Ravioli so much, San Francisco Chronicle

Hip to Be Square: Detroit-Style Pizza Is Conquering America, Esquire

Eater's Guide to Eating Burmese in the Bay Area, Eater

The Power of feeding others, no matter the scale, San Francisco Chronicle

A Relic on Rye, San Francisco Magazine

How adversity helped launch Native Sons BBQ in San Francisco, San Francisco Chronicle

RESY HIT LISTS

Lists, guides, and other Bay Area restaurant insider info.

FIVE THINGS TO EAT RIGHT NOW

5 Things To Eat Right Now: Winter 2020, Edible San Francisco

5 Things To Eat Right Now: Fall 2019, Edible San Francisco

5 Things To Eat Right Now: Summer 2019, Edible San Francisco

5 Things to Eat Right Now: Spring 2019, Edible San Francisco

5 Things to Eat Right Now, Edible San Francisco

10 Things to Eat Now Winter 2018, Edible San Francisco

SECRET MENUS

La Taqueria’s Secret Menu, SF Weekly

La Taqueria’s Secret Menu: Part Two, SF Weekly

House of Prime Rib Has a Secret Menu… and It’s Delicious!, 7x7

At Swan Oyster Depot, a secret menu built for regulars, San Francisco Chronicle

BUSINESS-Y, MOTIVATIONAL-ISH WRITING

5 Things to Consider Before Starting Your Business, Huffington Post

Successfully Unsuccessfully Funded: How A Failed Kickstarter Helped My Business, Huffington Post

The Only Advice That Helped My Business Become Sustainable, Huffington Post

Five Lessons From A Food Symposium, Huffington Post

The Hardest Part to Starting a Business, Huffington Post

RECIPES

An ode to mom’s breakfast, San Francisco Chronicle

Tasty Breakfast Potatoes From Plow, 7x7

How to Make Vietnamese Chicken Pho, Esquire

How to Make the Salsa Verde from America’s Best Taco Joint, Esquire

Learn to Make Locanda’s Classic Cacio e Pepe, 7x7

INTERVIEWS/PROFILES

Meet the Oakland Potter on the Speed Dials of the Bay Area's Buzziest Restaurants, 7x7

Meet the SF Consultant Behind America's Best New Restaurant, 7x7

Pastry Chef/Artist Leah Rosenberg Brings Color to Local Restaurants, 7x7

We Wanna Be Friends With Jim Denevan, Found of Outstanding in the Field, 7x7

We Wanna Be Friends With Chris Ying, One Lucky Peach, 7x7

Dan Giusti Wants to Change the Way Our Kids Eat, Esquire

MISCELLANEOUS

Pizza 101: A crash course in regional pizza styles, San Francisco Chronicle

Living for the lunch break, San Francisco Chronicle

Chef Gabriela Camara's Guide to Mexico City, 7x7

Tender Is The Night, San Francisco Magazine