Nosh readers cast their votes in December, and the results of the 2024 Nosh Awards are in. Here is the complete lineup of 2024 award announcements. Congratulations to all of the winners!
2024 nosh Awards
Chef/owner Dominica Rice-Cisneros is making superb food in a lively, warm atmosphere at her Dimond district restaurant, and, after taking second in the category in 2023, Bombera takes home the 2024 Nosh Award for best restaurant overall.
Voters commended Rice-Cisneros for Bombera’s always freshly made, creative dishes and pitch-perfect service.
“Freshest and most amazing food and creative cocktails,” one voter commented. “Ambiance is so fun and the service is always impeccable.”
Rice-Cisneros opened Cosecha Cafe in Swan’s Market in 2010, and was named James Beard Awards semi-finalist for best chef, California in 2019. After closing Cosecha in 2021, Bombera opened in a refurbished fire station the same year. Through it all Rice-Cisneros has demonstrated a talent for inventive Mexican dishes that incorporate the bounty of California’s robust agricultural production.
“I used to work for Dominica at Cosecha years ago and I’m really proud of the transformation and the loyalty it took from the first iteration to where it is now! She has inspired my cooking and passion for Californian Mexican cuisine, married with indigenous roots,” commented Zena from Oakland.
Several of those who voted for Bombera noted not just the food and drinks but also the “culture” at the restaurant.
“The chef-owner Dominica Rice-Cisneros lifts up the quality of the food and the culture in which the workers are treated with respect and dignity. This raises the standard for how BIPOC/immigrant women workers should be treated in the food industry. Bombera offers a rare synergy of culture, community, and cuisine,” commented John Won of West Berkeley.
The voting in this category was tightly clustered, and the other restaurants nominated were Belotti, Good to Eat, Mama Oakland, Millenium and Popoca.
