Chef Aaron London, who once had a Michelin star at his Mission restaurant AL's Place, walked away from the hospitality industry in 2022, and now we know what he's been up to in the years since.

Some of us may still be mourning the loss of AL's Place, which was certainly one of the more consistently interesting and delightful of San Francisco's Michelin-starred pantheon of recent years. But chef Aaron London was burnt out after many years in professional kitchens, and seven years running his own spot, and decided he wanted to actually see his kids grow up, so he moved on.

Now we finally know what he's been up to: a new boxed cookie brand called AL's Real Goods, which launched today in stores including Bi-Rite Market, Faletti's, Gus's Community Market, and Luke's Local — a total of about 90 locations in the Bay Area and Portland. He gave the story to the Chronicle today, on launch day, and there hasn't even been a press release yet — nor have I made it out to grab a box to try.

But the cookies, made with real butter, are retailing for $9.99 a box, and should last six months on the shelf. The initial three flavors in stores are chocolate-chip, double chocolate and "Ginger Smack" — and from the looks of the company's landing page, the fourth flavor that will debut next month is white chocolate-macadamia.

The tagline: The OG crave remade.

London tells the Chronicle that the ginger cookie is based on a ginger-molasses cookie recipe of his grandmother's, with a special spice blend and a ton of molasses.

And the inspiration for this whole endeavor came from his own love of cookies — though he has never been a baker or a pastry chef by trade. He says he found himself "grief eating" some fancy store-bought cookies after the closure of AL's Place three years ago, and he realized there was a hole in the market for something in between an expensive Tartine or artisinal cookie, and something boxed on the grocery store shelf made with seed oils and generally inferior.

He promises that the chocolate chip cookie has a "classic Tollhouse bake-at-home flavor profile" — I will be the judge of that and update this post once I've tried it.

One could easily see the AL's Real Goods brand, if it's successful, expanding into other chef-quality retail goods. But for now, it's going to be cookies, and London has plans to expand into the Seattle and SoCal markets as well.

Check out the cookies at a local store near you, via this store locator map.

Previously: Acclaimed, Michelin-Starred Mission Restaurant AL's Place to Close Next Week After Seven Years

Gott's Roadside has just debuted a new cookie counter at the north end of the Ferry Building's main food hall, featuring multiple cookie flavors and dipping milks.

There's a new sweet treat option at the Ferry Building, debuting a few weeks ahead of the coming Parachute Bakery, and it's Gott's Cookies & Milk.

The new cookie counter opened Wednesday, June 4, next to Gott's Soft Serve, in the main hall of the Ferry Building behind Gott's Roadside, the restaurant. The counter features four cookie flavors to start: chocolate chip, double-chocolate peanut butter, rainbow sprinkle, and ginger snap. And there are three dipping milks: Clover organic whole milk, organic strawberry milk, and organic chocolate milk made with house-made chocolate syrup.

"Our vision for the cookie counter came to life from a conversation with the Ferry Building Management team," says Clay Walker, president of Gott’s Roadside, in a statement. "They were looking for a partner to help activate the north corridor, and we had long envisioned transforming the space into a vibrant sweet treat destination that brings the spirit of Gott’s to life in a bold new way."

I've tasted the rather large-format chocolate-chip cookie and can confirm it's delicious and appropriately chewy — and it reportedly arrives after months of recipe development, using Giusto’s premium gourmet flour and two kinds of Guittard chocolate.

You'll see the new cookie stand, with red signage and white subway tile to match the Gott's interior, at the north end of the main hall, where it will soon be joined by Parachute Bakery, the new all-day bakery-cafe taking over the front portion of the former Slanted Door/Out the Door space.

Later in the summer, the new casual-Californian restaurant Arquet is also set to debut, from the team behind Michelin-starred Sorrel.

In other news, at the other end of the Ferry Building, Le Marais's Grand Creperie is closing June 30 after the Ferry Building's management reportedly didn't renew their lease.

You've heard about muggers who are after your cell phone, your bag, your camera, or even your jewelry. But now even your cookies might be at risk as you walk on San Francisco's streets.

The news of your dessert-related vulnerability comes to us from the San Francisco Police Department, which says that at the prime snack time of 4 p.m. Friday, a 35-year-old man holding a bag of cookies as he walked down Mission Street between Sixth and Seventh Streets was approached by two men described only as "in their 40s."

The cookie-holding man then tried to walk away from one of them, but was stopped by the second. It was the second man, police say, who punched the guy with the treats.

As the victim fell to the ground, he lost his grasp on the cookies. His assailant grabbed them, and the suspects fled on foot.

The now-sweetless man was transported to the hospital to treat a cut he received on his chin in the attack. The suspects, police say, remain at sugary large.

Santa comes but once a year, and when he does arrive at your humble abode, he demands to be fed like Cookie Monster. Saint Nick has also grown dissatisfied with Chips Ahoy and your take on the Toll House recipe, so this year why not step it up with these cookie options, which represent some of San Francisco's best.

Craftsman and Wolves
Santa likes the caramel crispy chocolate chip, but he doesn't mind the chunky peanut butter, either.
746 Valencia Street between 18th and 19th Streets

Soi U. via Yelp

Jane
Gingersnap, lemon, and above the crazy cookie are all sure to please. You can also order online.

925 Larkin St. between Geary and Post Streets; 2123 Fillmore St. between California and Sacramento Streets

Dough & Co.

Dough & Co.
Sweet and salty is the best combination, and this chocolate chip cookie has the perfect balance. Also, it's eggless, which you really won't notice and means that you can eat the dough without being paranoid.
Check here for locations.

Michael U. via Yelp

Hooker's Sweet Treats
Santa wouldn't mind some bread pudding to go with a peanut butter chocolate chip melted caramel cookie.
442 Hyde St. between Ellis and O'Farrell Streets

Michael U. via Yelp

Flour & Co.
Yep, the oatmeal praline cookie is a standout, but that monkey bread at Flour & Co. though...
1030 Hyde St. between California and Pine Streets

Marina L. via Yelp

20th Century Cafe
There's just one cookie to get at this excellent Eastern European café, but its crispy perfection.
198 Gough Street between Oak and Lily Streets

Kashif K. via Yelp

Tout Sweet
Inside this colorful patisserie you'll find equally playful delights, so get a stocking full of macarons and the "WTF cookie" FTW.
170 O’Farrell Street between Stockton and Powell Streets

Loriel L. via Yelp

B. Patisserie
Everything's delectable at this Lower Pacific Heights shop, with the kouign-amann a standout, but the fudge cookie above is basically an amazing brownie. Also, if you head over tomorrow you can snag a buche de noel!
2821 California Street between Divisadero and Broderick Streets

Merigan Sub Shop via Facebook

Merigan Sub Shop
At this East Coast Italian-inspired sub shop, it doesn't matter how full you are after lunch: get one of these signature cookies, to go at least.
636 Second St. between Brannan and Townsend Streets

Tian Q. via Yelp

Marla Bakery
Sweetening up the Outer Richmond and a must-hit for brunch, Marla is also a surefire choice with almond, peanut butter, and chocolate cookie delights.
3619 Balboa St between 38th and 37th Avenues

Ziyan C. via Yelp

Devil's Teeth Baking Company
Perhaps best known for its flaky, savory breakfast sandwich, Devil's Teeth has also got a ginger cookie so good Santa might stick around your house.
3876 Noriega St. between 45th and 46th Avenues

Dale N. via Yelp

Hot Cookie
Don't tell Mrs. Claus, but Santa might fancy some of the more creatively shaped treats at the Castro's Hot Cookie.
407 Castro St. between 17th and Market Streets

Katrina T. via Yelp

Anthony's Cookies
The cookies and cream meta-cookie is, of course, a favorite, but there are more than enough options at Anthony's to fill a box.
1417 Valencia St between 25th and 26th Streets.

A 29-year-old woman became some kind of monster earlier this week when she walked into a Walgreens store at Market and Third Streets, sprayed lighter fluid all over an aisle full of cookies and lit it on fire.

Suspect Tremeka Flemmings did not appear to be intoxicated when she entered the store around 8:40 p.m. on Monday Saturday evening, the Examiner reports. She did, however, appear to be under the influence of a blind anti-cookie rage, perhaps brought on by an unwanted raisin or walnut. Employees say she entered the store and headed straight for the cookies in aisle nine.

When the Walgreens employees responded to the fire, Flemmings reportedly acted like nothing happened. Perhaps she was just looking for some chapstick or a pack of gum or something. She made no demands and didn't try to steal anything. The store's manager says the only merchandise damaged was cookies and, as the Examiner notes, "a shelf of Goldfish crackers immediately to the right of the cookie section emerged from the incident unscathed."

In other news, a new study suggests Oreos are a hell of a drug.

[SFEx]

This week we sat down with one of the city's most iconic cookies, the Hot Cookie penis macaroon, to learn more about macaroon envy, creative aspirations, and what's on the inside.

SFist: ...
Penis Macaroon: It's okay to stare.

SFist: You're just sooo ...
Penis Macaroon: Big? Dark? Hard? Are you distracted by my shaved coconuts?

SFist: Yes, yes, yes and yes. Forgive me for asking, but how do you stay so ... erect?
Penis Macaroon: Some cookies are soft and chewy and that's no reflection of their quality or anything. But in my business there's no day off. You can't go flaccid. People expect a certain level of performance and after a long, hard day, you're still expected to be, well, long and hard [chuckles bashfully]. And yes, I am all natural. It's just a question of mental focus.

SFist: Is it the size of the macaroon that counts, or how you use it?
Penis Macaroon: Look, I'm going to be honest. For me, it's 30% the size, 70% the gooey coconut macaroon covered in delicious dark chocolate. Some cookies who are on the smaller side can get really intimidated by me and kind of standoffish, but I try to tell them that, you know, I'm a cookie too! I have feelings! It's not all about what's on the outside. But size does help in certain situations.

SFist: Do you feel like all people see is that you're shaped like a penis?
Penis Macaroon: Yeah, sometimes I feel like people don't care about what's on the inside. I've got ideas, I've got hopes and dreams, and I have things to say. I've been taken advantage of in the past and gotten hurt by people who just wanted to see me as a big chocolate penis. That's partly why I agreed to do this interview. Because there's a lot more to me than that.

SFist: Like what?
Penis Macaroon: Well, I'm an aspiring actor/screenwriter. I'm working on a screenplay right now and I'm trying to get my acting career off the ground. There's a surprising amount of roles that I'm perfect for, it's just a matter of getting my tip in the door.

SFist: Who would play you in a movie about your life?
Penis Macaroon: Idris Elba. I love him in Luther.

SFist: How does it feel to be the representative cookie of the Castro?
Penis Macaroon: It feels great. I'm not the only penis you see walking around here, which is nice. I feel like everyone accepts me for who I am. No one is asking me to "put it back in my pants", for example. No one is covering their kids' eyes when they walk by. I feel totally supported by the community and that's really all I can ask for.

SFist: Keep it up!
Macaroon: Hah! I've only heard that one, like, a thousand times.

$6 at Hot Cookie
407 Castro St, S. F., 94114

There are revelatory food moments that happen at restaurants. There are noted food moments that happen at dinner parties. There are groundbreaking food moments that happen during stoned trips to Anderson Valley. And then there are live-altering food moments that happen one drunken night while rifling through your roommate's cookie drawer. The latter happened to us when we came upon Salty Sweet Cookies the other night. And much to our surprise, they're available right here in San Francisco.

Here's how the the Salty Sweet cookie's creator, Melissa Cohen, describes, them: "Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and topped off with a sprinkling of sea salt ... Our version of this classic treat was developed over two years of dedicated testing to reach the perfect state of chocolate chip cookie nirvana." The cookies use ingredient by local farmers and foodmakers, and uses Guittard Chocolate Company's chocolate.

They really are that good, folks. You can have them delivered (for $10, with $60 minimum purchase), or pick them up at Salty Sweet's Dolores Park headquarters or at Kitchener in Oakland. If you're in San Francisco, order here. If you're somewhere else, order here.

Not only do they make a perfect, non-schlocky Valentine's Day gift, but they also make a great bed partner if you plan on watching Netflix alone well into the morning come Thursday night.

Teenagers can be horrid creatures. You know this already. In addition to being B.O.-laced, hormone-filled beasts, many of them lack clarity and independent thought. Exhibit D-: this 14-year-old girl from California leaping on the hatemongering bandwagon with this depressing video calling for Americans to boycott Girl Scout Cookies. Why does she want you to shun Girl Scout Cookies? Because seven-year-old Bobby Montoya, who identifies as a girl, wanted to join his local Girl Scouts chapter. Even though Montoya didn't join the troupe, "the decision to allow him to do so instantly infuriated some conservative troupes, who called the move 'extremely confusing' and an 'almost dangerous situation.' " Thus, the boycott.

As Gothamist's Jamie Feldmar points out: "She accuses the group of 'not being honest' with her, her family, her Scout sisters, and the American public, makes the case that 'it's not safe to hide boys in Girl Scouts,' and says she won't be funneling any more cash into their transgender-person-acceptance agenda anymore." Watch the video, then check out her backers, HonestGirlScouts.com, and start buying ALL THE GIRL SCOUT COOKIES EVER.

Video:

Speaking of buying Girl Scout Cookies, you should do as Feldmar asks. Buy them. All of them. Not only because a calling for a boycott over a seven-year-old lacks character, but because Girl Scout Cookies are so damned tasty. SFist asked several local food notables to (begrudgingly) reveal their favorite picks.

Elizabeth Falkner (The Next Iron Chef / Top Chef Masters): "Thin Mints"
Carolyn Alburger (Eater): "Just thinking about a Samoa—chewy caramel, coconut, chocolate—makes my mouth water. I don't get it when people pick Thin Mints or Tagalongs. Go eat a Reese's or a York Peppermint Pattie! Samoas are totally unique and they taste the best too."
Paolo Lucchesi (Inside Scoop): "The correct order is: Samoas, Tagalongs, Thin Mints, Dulce de Leche, Peanut Butter, the lemon one that tastes like soap."
Marcia Gagliardi (Tablehopper): "Thin Mints (out of my freezer)"
Jonathan Kauffman (SF Weekly): "Lemon Chalet Cremes. Since, like, birth. What gets me is that artificial lemon flavor, mixed with a hint of citric acid for a lemon-like tang."
Michael Bauer (SF Chronicle / Inside Scoop): "I like the mint wafers...whatever they're called."

SFist conducted a poll in 2009 to see which Girl Scout Cookies readers preferred. Most of you (accurately) chose Samoas as the champion. You can buy chewy, chocolatey, crumbly Samoas or any other number of satisfying cookies when Girl Scout Cookie season starts in just 31 days!

The UC Berkeley Republicans plan to host a provocative "Increase Diversity Bake Sale" this Thursday, one that many have decried as racist. Why? Well, because the bake sale's organizers plan to charge different students different amounts for the cupcakes. The price structure is as follows:

• White/Caucasian students, $2 for each baked good
• Asians/Asian-Americans, $1.50
• Latinos/Hispanics, $1
• Blacks/African-Americans, 75 cents
• Native Americans, 25 cents
• Women get 25 cents off the price

According to the group putting on the sale, the price structuring is to prove a point about SB 185 and how race plays a part in college admission.

Gov. Jerry Brown has SB 185 on his desk which would authorize California public universities to consider race, gender, ethnicity, and national/geographic origin in the admissions process. The Berkeley College Republicans firmly believe measuring any admit's merit based on race is intrinsically racist. Our bake sale will be at the same time and location of a phone bank which will be making calls to urge Gov. Brown to sign the bill. The purpose of the event is to offer another view to this policy of considering race in university admissions. The pricing structure of the baked goods is meant to be satirical, while urging students to think more critically about the implications of this policy.

Republicans, unabashed champions of fairness, yes?

In response to the bake sale, which garnered a lot of heat last week from both students and faculty, the ASUC Senate passed a bill at an emergency meeting last night to promote “respectful ASUC student organization conduct." The Daily Californian reports that "campus Republicans did not intend to offend any group and were simply using the bake sale as a political protest against SB 185, affirmative action-like legislation currently awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature."

The Daily Cal also posted a video feature students' responses to the controversial bake sale.

We should point out, as SF Weekly does, that the Berkeley College Republicans held the exact same racially-charged bake sale eight years ago.

Welcome to Corner Store Food Critic, where we select an item typically found at any number of corner stores in San Francisco, bring said item home in a carefully wrapped bag, and then taste it in private. Seeing as how that, in a pinch, many of us eat entire meals bought solely at barely-lit corner markets and liquor stores, we now see it as our duty to examine the crud you shove down your throat during moments of drunken weakness or sheer hunger/laziness. That tin of deviled ham? Hellacious-looking Rockstar derivative? Bizarre Skittles flavor concoction? New Hot Pocket flavor? Those bottles of viscous water with chunks of aloe plant floating inside? We'll cover that and more.

What makes our palate so damn special when it comes to sodium- and high fructose corn syrup-laced corner store food products? Simple, we eat that stuff. And so do you. Only we're not afraid to admit it. Obviously.

Why review this garbage? Because it's the one aspect of the local food scene, if you will, that ethically-questionable PR cretins have yet to corner. So far. So, ha!

Milano Melts

Like other normal human beings, we have trouble with Pepperidge Farm's Milano Cookies. For starters, they're cake-like and hit the tongue with an oft-putting soft/crisp feel, two things one doesn't want in corner store sweets. (Brussels, both thin and crisp, are considered the superior Pepperidge Farm cookie. They even come with the best tagline in prepackaged food history: "Voyage to the edge of crisp." Brilliant.) The new Milano Melts line brings the troublesome cookie to a higher level with a lava cake-like taste, but the same problems persist. While the chocolate taste is dark and punctuating -- it reminded us of a deeper-tasting spoonful of Quick mix, which we mean in the best way possible -- the cookie itself is still too chalky and crumbly.

Further, the "melt" part of Milano Melts isn't nearly as full as we'd like -- or as the bag lets on. The cookie-to-filling ratio is lopsided. Which is fury-inducing to say the least.

After finishing more than half the bag (hush you), we felt a resounding meh about the new line of allegedly melty cookies. While the stuffed-center genre of corner store food usually proves tantalizing to the eye and mouth, it makes more sense with regard to savory items rather than sweet -- e..g, Pizza Rolls, Hot Pockets, Combos. To satiate your sweet tooth, we recommend candy bars (which are usually eaten from the time of purchase up until you unlock your front door) or ice cream pints rather than these clever, albeit one-note, cookies.

Have a corner store food item you're too afraid to try? Let us do the dirty work for you. Email us brock@sfist.com.

While society often disagrees as to whether the title of Best Overall Cookie belongs to Samoas or Thin Mints (hint: the correct answer is Samoas), we can all agree that Girl Scout Cookie time is something to mark on your calendar. This year's season just got a little fancier with the implemention of a new app. An excited press release sent out today reveals that with the free Girl Scout Cookie Locater, "Smartphone and iPhone customers can find their favorite cookies by simply calling **GSCOOKIES and downloading the “FindCookies” app sent to your smartphone via text reply."

The baked goods app will allow Girl Scout treat fans to search for local sale spots via zip code.

Girl Scout cookie season runs from Feb. 11 through March 27.

Although Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery hawks crap sandwiches and other bread- and meat-related items, their cookies are delightful and thick -- especially when served warm. Luckily, the downtown lunchtime staple, according to Broke-Ass Stuart, has "created an app that shows you what kinds of cookies have just come out of the oven at each of their store locations." It;'s called the Specialty’s Warm CookieRadar, and it should provide you with seconds of fun.

We recommend the black and white cookie. Unless you don't like white chocolate, in which case you must be a raging weirdo.

[Broke-Ass, via Eater]

"I can't believe no one thought of this before," exclaims Tabitha Russell who snapped this shot at Civic Center Plaza. And it's a great marketing scheme because any (crackpot) theory goes down better with cookies.

It's that time of year again where we here at SFist squee in delightful over a pantry stocked with Girl Scout cookies... and shed blood over which cookie reigns supreme.

First, let's get down to business. Girl Scout masters and mommies/daddies, listen up: If you'd like to let the public know where we could buy some cookies, let us know which corner or sidewalk your kids \will be hawking her sugary goods this weekend. (Please include address, cross street, and hours) Send your pertinent info to editor[at]sfist.com with "Girl Scout Cookie location" in the subject field.) We'll then post a map on Thursday or Friday showing where readers can find your location. (Conversely, you can enter your zip code here and a local Girl Scout rep will contact you with further details.)

And now, the battle begins: Did you know that Americans buy approximately 200 million boxes of Girl Scout cookies each year? Samoas (known in Communist countries as "Caramel deLites") make up 25% of their sales. Because they are, inarguably, the best of the best. Period.

Last year, however, when SFist conducted this poll, many of you accidentally voted for Thin Mints. To make up for your egregiousness, we have yet another poll after the jump. Please choose wisely.

Grab some milk, a sleeve of Oreos, and start observing kids, because today is National Cookie Day. (Eee!) Its name, according to Wikipedia, comes the Dutch word koekje or koekie meaning "little cake." From snickerdoodles and peanut butter cookies to Chips Ahoys and fortune cookies, they're all pretty much a delightful treat, perfecting for a light dessert of manic binge eating.

The world's best cookie? Glad you asked: It's the Samoa. Don't believe us? Just look at it. No, LOOK AT IT. Girl Scout heroin in cookie form, those Samoas. Too bad they come but once a year.

A respectful second place would have to be the chocolate chip cookie. And here is one of the best recipes for the classic chocolate studded cookie, care of America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated. Trust us, these are huge winners. The extra egg yolk does wonders. Try them and see for yourself:

Ingredients

- 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons)
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (1 1/2 sticks)
- 1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-2 cup chocolate chips (semi or bittersweet; peanut butter chips are good too)

Directions