Summer corn risotto from Va de Vi in Walnut Creek.
For some reason, we’ve been thinking about corn a lot lately.
OK, we know why: Corn Kid, the boy who loves corn because it’s a big lump of knobs and it has the juice and when you try it with butter, everything changes. And because it’s corn! (If you are totally confused, peep the viral video interview here and then listen to one of the many TikTok songs inspired by this internet delight.)
Corn Kid is right. In the summer in the Bay Area, every day can be a corntastic day.
The knobs from farms in Brentwood are particularly sweet and juicy, inspiring chefs to make pastas, pizzas, fritters and more. Here are nine corn dishes we particularly love, available in the Bay Area right now. — J.B.
Corn lasagna from Octavia in S.F.
Last summer, my Instagram feed was constantly lit up with Octavia’s elegant corn lasagna ($25). It’s back on the menu now, so run, don’t walk. Strips of lasagna are layered with sweet Brentwood corn, blistered shishito peppers, leeks and pecorino romano cheese. It’s a luscious ode to summer in every way. — E.K.
1701 Octavia St., San Francisco. octavia-sf.com
These golden triangles may not deliver quite the same tableside drama as Cotogna’s giant, quivering, yolk-filled raviolo, but I think they’re the superior pasta choice at this North Beach restaurant. The corn-filled pockets ($28) are delicate and silky-soft, swimming in a rich-but-not-too-rich bath of butter, chives and succulent kernels. Order a glass of bright, high-acid white wine to balance it out, like the Bricco Colina Serafina, made from a grape variety called Favorita. — E.M.
490 Pacific Ave., San Francisco. cotognasf.com
Summer corn risotto at Va De Vi
Some of the cooking at Va de Vi, which opened in 2004 in Walnut Creek, feels preserved in amber for its many regular customers. But the risotto ($15) is a bright spot. It’s velvety yet light and full of freshness by way of sweet corn kernels, diced squash and tomatoes. Where a lot of the dishes at the neighborhood restaurant feel boisterous in their presentation and execution, the corn risotto is confident — almost restrained — but fully cogent. — C.H.
1511 Mount Diablo Blvd., Walnut Creek. vadevi.com
Flamin’ fondue chicken at Omogari in San Jose.
Flamin’ fondue chicken at Omogari
At San Jose’s Omogari, you can feast on the flamin’ fondue chicken ($27.95), an over-the-top marriage of Korean spicy chicken and corn cheese, two popular dishes made for soaking up the soju in your belly. With their powers combined, you can get even drunker. The whole dish, a creamy amalgam of gochujang-marinated chicken and sweet corn kernels in a blistering-hot cast iron pan, is topped with shredded cheese and set aflame at the table. It’s gooey, spicy and sweet — the ideal capstone to a rager. — S.H.
154 Jackson St., San Jose. omogarisj.com
Succotash at Holder’s House
One of the chillest pop-ups in Oakland is Holder’s House, where former Miss Ollie’s chef Sarah Kirnon generates an improvisational menu of Californian-Caribbean dishes, like saltfish and ackee ($24) beefed up with farmers’ market produce and jerk-marinated mushrooms ($9). Kirnon’s take on succotash ($9) includes tart cherry tomatoes, black-eyed peas, flash-sauteed okra and nubs of sweet corn. The bite-size vegetables practically sparkle in their bowl, like a precious heap of treasure that you just want to stuff into your pockets. — S.H.
478 25th St., Oakland. www.instagram.com/holdershouse.oakland
Elote sandwich at Turner’s Kitchen
Elote in sandwich form? A thousand times yes! Head to Turner’s Kitchen, a Mission District sandwich shop run by a former Zuni Cafe chef, for this masterpiece ($15). Between bites of roasted turkey and avocado, you get pops of sweet corn kernels, spicy Tajin and creamy cotija cheese and sour cream. Corn often sneaks its way into other sandwich specials, like a recent tuna and crab sandwich with miso mayo, so check Instagram for the latest. — E.K.
3505 17th St., B, San Francisco. turnerskitchensf.com
The Maquahuitl is a corn pizza from Hesher’s Pizza in Oakland.
Maquahuitl at Hesher’s Pizza
There’s a distinct joy in reading the copy describing the pizza at heavy-metal pie shop Hesher’s Pizza. It’s filled with over-the-top and cheeky descriptions of creative concoctions like one made with blueberries, blue cheese and bacon and another with corn, serrano peppers and cotija cheese. The corn pie is dubbed the Maquahuitl ($22), evoking Aztec imagery, and is as if esquites was reconfigured into a pizza (sans mayo). A word of warning: It’s pretty spicy, but the sweet bursts of corn, blistered cherry tomatoes and a squirt of lime certainly help. — C.H.
There are a lot of corn fritters available around the Bay Area, but few are as corn-forward as those from Berkeley izakaya Kiraku. Picture fist-size clusters of corn tied together with airy tempura batter and then fried until crunchy ($6 for two). A sprinkle of green tea salt steers the fritters to an ideal sweet-salty balance. You’ll probably see a plate on every table, and in this case, being a sheep is the right move. — J.B.
2566B Telegraph Ave., Berkeley. kirakuberkeley.com
Corn ice cream is a summer special at Smitten Ice Cream.
Corn ice cream at Smitten Ice Cream
The natural sweetness of fresh corn meets dairy bliss in this churned-to-order treat from Smitten Ice Cream. This pale yellow scoop ($5.75) draws devotees every summer who know corn ice cream season is even more exciting and fleeting than regular corn season. If you want to experience this creamy, subtle flavor, head to one of the Smittens in San Francisco, Oakland or San Jose by Thursday, Sept. 8. — J.B.
Janelle Bitker is the San Francisco Chronicle’s senior editor of Food & Wine. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com
Senior wine critic Esther Mobley joined The Chronicle in 2015 to cover California wine, beer and spirits. Previously she was an assistant editor at Wine Spectator magazine in New York, and has worked harvests at wineries in Napa Valley and Argentina.