There may be a handful of German biergartens, restaurants, and food trucks dispersed throughout the entire Bay Area, but what about a pop-up? Black Forest Kitchen is here to change that. Specializing in “German street food with a twist,” the pop-up recently inked a deal with Port Kitchens Marketplace to expand operations with a commercial ghost kitchen space.
Owner and chef Pierre Slack, aka @chefboip on Instagram, started Black Forest Kitchen last fall with the help of East Bay incubator program Oakland Bloom. After moving to the U.S. from his native Frankfurt, Germany, Slack found that he was always craving the street food he grew up on, especially döner kebabs.
Popularized by Turkish immigrants in 1960’s Berlin, döner kebabs became a staple on the streets of Germany. The sandwich version popular there consists of vertically roasted rotisserie-style meat, that is shaved in thin slices and stuffed with veggies into pita or other type of bread.
Slack’s version, called “The Don,” features chicken, red onions, cucumbers, feta, lettuce, tomatoes, red cabbage, jalapenos, plus garlic and spicy sauce. He also specializes in a plant-based version called Super Döner’ish, made with oyster mushrooms and featuring a vegan garlic sauce.
Black Forest Kitchen will get to work in their new digs right away. Slack hopes that the additional space will enable him to expand the menu, experimenting with typical German “imbiss,” which are light, substantial snacks you can enjoy on the go.
Follow @theblackforestkitchen on Instagram to get updates on when you can get a taste of #dönerwithlove and #dönermachtschöner.
