"Remember when cupcake shops were on every corner? Bacon everything? The "cronut"? In the food-obsessed era of Instagram, trends come and go quickly. Here's what's on the rise—and what's trending downward—on the East Bay's food scene."

"Berkeley Rep is a new venue for Tony Award–winning director Pam MacKinnon, who helms this month's world-premiere musical adaptation of the 2001 film Amélie. But the theater company's reputation preceded it."

"Strips of crispy bacon on the side of a pancake platter is sooo 2011. Go hog wild, and get the 'candy of meat' in a scone, as a jam, or blended with artisanal ice cream. Your doc may not approve, but this food trend is still smoking hot."

"I could smell the 50,000-pound pile of tomatoes before I saw it. Spoiled produce funk carried on the breeze as I walked to a field at Pleasanton's Alameda County Fairgrounds. I knew that the tomatoes used in Tomato Battle were unsellable—staff was quick to point out that food wasn't being wasted, but rather food going to waste was being used—I just didn't fully comprehend that the tomatoes would be rotten. Eew."

"While we could say a lot about the riding and racing events at the Livermore Rodeo, let's get right down to what you really want to know: How to get up close and personal with those rugged real-life cowboys."