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Guide to the Gourmet Ghetto
last updated 3/6/98
As near as I can tell, the gourmet ghetto is defined as the
stretch of Shattuck avenue between the streets Rose and Hearst. There's
a lot to choose from, including a bunch of cafés and bakeries (just like
everywhere else) and two art galleries. There are three Thai
restaurants within one block of each other. But putting that aside,
here are some of my favorite places. If you know of a way cool spot
that's not mentioned here, then chances are I haven't heard about it.
I'd love it if you'd tell me where it is! Send mail to
wrdavis@eecs.berkeley.edu
.
The Phoenix Pastaficio
1786 Shattuck (near Delaware)
The brother/sister team that created this place is so friendly and the
food is so good that, I confess, I've become somewhat of a groupie.
They make sheet pasta in flavors like garlic-parsley, saffron, beet,
porcini mushroom, spinach, chestnut, and also a number of specialty
pastas for San Francisco restaurants which they don't sell to the
general public. The pasta is fresh, and cut to the size you want right
before your eyes.
They also make some rather unusual breads like Irish
soda bread (with currants and spiked figs), anise loaves, Challah, and
the best potato-cinnamon buns I've ever had (they always come out of
the oven at 9am, if you can catch them). They also make the best
fudge-biscotti I've ever had, but they're usually sold out.
Lastly, they make a variety of sauces for the pastas. They've got the
standard marinara and pesto along with clam sauce, and usually
something else. Once I saw a pepper-onion sauce.
The Cheeseboard
1504 Shattuck (near Vine)
The Cheeseboard is something of an institution in Berkeley. Not only do
they have the most impressive array of cheese that I've ever seen
(including a pesto-pine nut brie and French goat's cheese called
Crotain, which I've never seen in this country before), but they
also bake fresh bread and make the most popular pizza in the east bay.
Every Friday night, the line for their pizza extends around the block.
They also stock about 10 different varieties of marinated olives.
It can be pretty educational shopping at this place. The first time I
went there, I asked for a half-pound of gouda and was asked, "What age?"
Another really nice thing is that they give you a taste of ever cheese
you mention, whether you ask them to or not!
Peet's Coffee & Tea
Vine & Walnut
Peet's is another institution which started in Berkeley and has since
opened up branches in many other cities. It's not really a café (there
are no tables), but they do offer around 40 different types of coffee
and maybe 20 different types of tea. They've also got special grinders
for large percolators. I get the coffee here for the EEGSA coffee
hours. Their price can be pretty steep, though (about $6/pound).
North Berkeley Wine
1505 Shattuck (near Vine)
This whole building is a wine cellar... cool and damp. They sell
bottles ranging in price from $6 to $600. Amazingly enough, there's
a lot here to interest people with little money. The $6 bottles bear the
name of the shop, and are the result of the owner's journeys to other
countries. He'll buy entire barrels and bottle the wine himself.
The Poulet
Shattuck and Virginia
You will never find another spot so completely covered with Chicken
imagery. They specialize in poultry: baked, barbecued, glazed, minced,
and also in salads and paté. It's also a nice place to eat lunch or
dinner if you go for that kind of decor.
Saul's Deli
1475 Shattuck (near Vine)
Berkeley's resident kosher deli. It's also a nice place to sit down and
eat. They cater, too. I love their breakfasts... corned beef brisket &
eggs... Mmmm.
Chez Panisse
1517 Shattuck (near Cedar)
This is the restaurant which everyone calls ``world-famous'', though I
still haven't verified that. Apparently, the owner made a name for
herself by actually using the best produce she could find (dare to
dream). Now you can buy autographed copies of her book in the lobby for
$40 and dinner in her restaurant for $55. The rather elaborate bill of
fare for each night is posted outside, along with an invitation to visit
the café (upstairs) in case the standard menu is too rich for your
blood. You can usually get dinner there for about $20. The café, by
the way, is also by reservation only.
Having never paid the price to eat there, I can't say what it's like.
But I have walked around inside, and it's not very pretentious. Even
though the wait-staff was all dressed in tuxedos, they made me feel
comfortable in my shorts and tevas.
Odyssia Caffé Bistro
Shattuck & Hearst
This place is rather new, having opened in 1996. It's run by two Greek
guys named Naso & Pascal who also own the Café Nefelli on Euclid near the
UC Berkeley engineering sector. They'll be quick to tell you that Odyssia
is not a café, however. It is a ``caffé bistro''. I've had some
amazingly new foods there, like a lamb-sausage and apple sandwich and a
rice-fig-apricot dish stuffed in grape leaves. They also sell some
delicious tapas (appetizers) for $3. The tapas I've
sampled include marinated feta wrapped in eggplant, seafood pastries,
cous-cous covered artichoke hearts, and little tins of assorted
olives. They also serve the best cheesecake and tira misu
around (made by local chefs).
Odyssia has alot of character. I eat here as often as I can.
Cafe de la Paz
Shattuck and Cedar
This is another fantastic restaurant which touts itself as "South American
Cuisine". They specialize in tapas dishes, and dinner will usually
consist of 2 or 3 such dishes per person. Dishes include veal with mango
salsa, mussels in red caper sauce, onion-potato cakes and even chicken in
chocolate sauce (which is surprisingly good). I highly recommend this place
to vegetarians, since about half the menu is meat-free. Also, be sure to get
a caraf of their sangria, which is red wine mixed with fruit. It
very slightly sweet and quite refreshing. Though it can be a bit pricy.
I usually spend about $20 every time I go there.
Cha-Am
1543 Shattuck (near Cedar)
I'm not a huge fan of Thai food, but this place gets high marks from my
friends who are, like my brother who says it's the ONLY Thai restaurant.
I've eaten there several times, and it is very tasty.
They have excellent coconut-prawn soups, peanut sauces, phad-thai, etc.
The decor is also quite nice, being in a small nicely decorated house raised
up from the road.
Lo Coco's Sicilian Restaurant & Pizzaria
1400 Shattuck (between Rose & Vine)
One of my favorite places to get pizza when I'm tired of Zachary's... Lo
Coco's pizza tends to be alot lighter with much fresher ingredients. Some
of my favorites are Giovanni's Special which is eggplant and garlic,
and L'Indecisa which is prosciutto covered with fresh arugula leaves.
Also, their salads are fantastic. They have walnuts and currants with feta
cheeze and a light viniagrette.
It wouldn't be entirely fair to talk solely about the gourmet
ghetto. There are other spots of interest. For instance, the area
around Hopkins and Monterey streets has a number of cool spots, a few of
which I've mentioned here.
Coffee Market
1578 Hopkins (near Monterey)
My first reaction to this place was that it was a cheap knock-off of
Peet's Coffee and the Cheeseboard. But after I got over the rough
packaging, I realized that they really do have an excellent selection of
coffees, teas, and cheeses. They're also A LOT cheaper than the other
two places. I bought my coffee press here because it was only $20
(though I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else, unless you want mine).
Made to Order
1576 Hopkins (near Monterey)
In this deli/convenience store you can get unique salads and homemade
sausages. They also have an attractive wine selection and a large
variety of hard pastas.
Monterey Market
Hopkins & Monterey
This is another institution in Berkeley. It's a big supermarket sized
store with hordes of fresh vegetables in boxes all over the place. It's
not too pleasant to walk around in but is a great place to get produce.
Monterey Fish Market
1582 Hopkins (near Monterey)
The only fish market in town (and the best, I'm told). Actually, that's
not true... there's another on San Pablo called the Tokyo Fish
Market. But I've never played stare-eyes with the lobsters there.
Lastly, I include this place because many people have told me that this
whole page is not worth reading unless I do.
Berkeley Bowl
2777 Shattuck (near Adeline)
The institution to end all institutions. Everyone and his brother talks
about this place. And why? It's a supermarket with a wider selection
than any other. I've never been there myself (because it's more than a
30 minute walk from my place), but I've seen people come back with bags
of fresh Brazil nuts, cranberries, and even fern fiddle-heads.
Invariably, if I ever eat something unusual in Berkeley and ask where it
came from, the answer is ``Berkeley Bowl''.
But be warned, the place is packed, all day, everyday.
William Rhett Davis
wrdavis@eecs.berkeley.edu
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