Difference between revisions of "Local Eats"
| Line 369: | Line 369: | ||
* Recchuiti Chocolates | * Recchuiti Chocolates | ||
* Speciality Chocolates place in Gourmet Ghetto | * Speciality Chocolates place in Gourmet Ghetto | ||
| + | |||
| + | === UPick / Farmers Markets / Harvests === | ||
| + | * Berry Picking | ||
| + | * Fruit Picking | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Day Trips === | ||
| + | * Santa Cruz/Monterey | ||
| + | * North Bay | ||
| + | * Napa/Yountville | ||
Revision as of 10:40, 17 February 2016
Introduction
A list of regular eating places, places to try, higher end places and places to shop, many nearby our house in South Berkeley and the Ashby and other BART stations. This is a mix of favorites from Jen, Malcolm, and their friends.
Map of Standby Restaurants
Click markers for restaurant names. Maps are based on Google Maps, so normal controls apply. {{#display_map: 37° 51' 10.20" N, 122° 15' 57.17" W~Los Cilantros; 37° 52' 19.50" N, 122° 16' 1.08" W~Tandoori Nite; 37° 47' 15.71" N, 122° 15' 14.27" W~Brotzeit Lokal; 37° 53' 27.39" N, 122° 17' 28.38" W~China Village; 37.8714033,-122.2775917~Townie; 37.8717531,-122.2718951~Platano; 37.8716543,-122.2724259~Cafe Tibet; 37.8782439,-122.3034187~Picante; 37.848794,-122.2743875~Easy Creole; 37.8475959,-122.2745122~Sweet Adeline Bakeshop; 37.858681,-122.2701447~Crixa Cakes; 37.7987953,-122.2740491~Gourmet Delight Seafood; 37.8374452,-122.3169958~Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood Restaurant; 37.8000173,-122.2742962~Tao Yuen Pastry; 37.7982463,-122.2716072~Phnom Penh House; 37.7997177,-122.2742083~Sun Hing Meat Market; 37.799739,-122.2741526~Sun Sing Pastry; 37.8006777,-122.2720436~Shandong Restaurant; 37.8507973,-122.2629109~Cafe Colucci; 37.8754913,-122.2626266~La Val's Pizza; 37.903775,-122.2801098~Inn Kensington; 37.8367374,-122.2663897~Sacred Wheel; 37.7572986,-122.2538819~Trabocco Kitchen and Cocktails; 37.7628022,-122.2465001~Scolari's Good Eats; 37.8717445,-122.2722282~Jayakarta Restaurant; 37.7652622,-122.2490077~La Penca Azul; 37.8087315,-122.2580574~Enssaro Ethiopian; 37.7981278,-122.246863~Champa Garden; 37.8353421,-122.2652895~Bowl'd; 37.8347743,-122.2654737~Burma Superstar; 37.8516619,-122.292037~Spoon; 37.8583484,-122.2555837~Elmwood Cafe; 37.8547083,-122.2684295~Smokey J's; 37.8768214,-122.2713528~Cha-Ya; 37.8021699,-122.2640951~Lake Chalet; 37.8270215,-122.2591712~Monster Pho; 37.8272977,-122.2592897~Ohgane; 37.8209359,-122.262436~Judoku Sushi; 37.8265901,-122.2551732~Geta; 37.8135913,-122.248748~Boot and Shoe Service; 37.8457752,-122.2682646~Brick Pig's House; 37.7950672,-122.2681594~Nido; 37.8653063,-122.2612773~Joshu-Ya; 37.8482619,-122.2550652~Noodle Theory; 37.8175059,-122.2919499~FuseBox; 37.8464084,-122.2538985~Ramen Shop; 37.8361797,-122.265059~Cholita Linda; 37.8366248,-122.2664468~Abesha; 37.8320279,-122.2662465~Kansai; 37.8365037,-122.2644527~Dona Tomas; 37.8365993,-122.2644022~Pizzaiolo; 37.8369424,-122.2654576~Genova; 37.836024,-122.2641765~Curbside Creamery; 37.8277599,-122.2667308~Beauty's Bagels; 37.7609616,-122.4240714~Craftsman and Wolves; 37.7876063,-122.4533851~b. patisserie; 37.8727453,-122.2709974~Bangkok Noodles & Thai BBQ|width=800|height=800|service=googlemaps|layers=traffic}}
Standbys
Places Jen, Malcolm and friends visit regularly and are moderately priced.
BARTable/Walkable assumes no more than 1 mile walk from home or BART station. Many places not BARTable are still accessible by Public Transit, just not without transfers or buses. A Clipper Card can help immensely, since it's a universal payment method for most area transit agencies.
Delivery is also often negotiable. Services like Caviar can deliver from some restaurants that do not otherwise do delivery.
| Name | Type | Specialties | Area | Yelp | Google Maps | BARTable/ Walkable | BART Station | Distance from BART | Price Est. (per person) | Phone | Delivery to Prince St. | Cash Only? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tandoori Nite | Indian, Delivery | Berkeley/University Ave | Yelp | Yes | Downtown Berkeley | 0.2 mi / 0.3 km | $20 | (510) 848-7252 | Yes | No | ||
| Brotzeit Lokal | Biergarten, Sausages | Oakland/Embarcadero | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 645-1905 | No | No | ||||
| China Village | Szechuan, Dim Sum | Spicy Stuff | Albany/Solano | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 525-2285 | No | No | |||
| Townie | Restaurant, Bar | Berkeley/University Ave | Yelp | Yes | Downtown Berkeley | 0.5 mi / 0.8 km | $20 | (510) 356-4903 | No | No | ||
| Platano | Salvadorian | Berkeley/University Ave | Yelp | Yes | Downtown Berkeley | 0.2 mi / 0.3 km | $20 | (510) 704-0325 | ? | No | ||
| Cafe Tibet | Himalayan, Nepalese, Vegetarian | Slow but good! | Berkeley/University Ave | Yelp | Yes | Downtown Berkeley | 0.3 mi / 0.5 km | $20 | (510) 548-5553 | Yes | No | |
| Picante | Mexican, Fast | Berkeley/6th Street | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 525-3121 | No | No | ||||
| Easy Creole | Cajun/Creole | South Berkeley/Adeline | Yelp | Yes | (Prince St.) | 0.5 mi / 0.8 km | $10 | (510) 858-5063 | ? | No | ||
| Sweet Adeline Bakeshop | Bakery, Coffee, Tea, Desserts | Cheddar Scallion Scone | South Berkeley/Adeline | Yelp | Yes | (Prince St.) | 0.5 mi / 0.8 km | $10 | (510) 985-7381 | No | No | |
| Crixa Cakes | Bakery, Coffee, Tea, Desserts (Hungarian, Russian) | The Last Romantic (rich hot chocolate) | South Berkeley/Adeline | Yelp | Yes | (Prince St.) | 0.5 mi / 0.8 km | $20 | (510) 548-0421 | No | No | |
| Gourmet Delight Seafood | Dim Sum | Oakland/Chinatown | Yelp | Yes | 12th Street | 0.4 mi / 0.6 km | $10 | (510) 832-7661 (Chinese) | No | No | ||
| Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood Restaurant | Fancier Dim Sum | Shanghai Dumplings | Emeryville/Powell Street Marina | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 655-3388 (Chinese/English) | No | No | |||
| Tao Yuen Pastry | Dim Sum Bakery (Fancier than Sun Sing Bakery) | Oakland/Chinatown | Yelp | Yes | 12 Street | 0.4 mi / 0.6 km | $10 | (510) 834-9200 (Chinese) | No | No | ||
| Phnom Penh House | Cambodian | Prahok Katis (Seasoned ground meat - SPICY - with vegetable crudite) | Oakland/Chinatown | Yelp | Yes | Lake Merrit | 0.2 mi / 0.3 km | $20 | (510) 893-3825 | ? | No | |
| Sun Hing Meat Market | Chinese Meats and Butchery | Chinese Bacon (steam and saute to cook) | Oakland/Chinatown | Yelp | Yes | 12th Street | 0.4 mi / 0.6 km | $10 | (510) 836-1819 | No | YES | |
| Sun Sing Pastry Dim Sum | Dim Sum | Egg Custard Tarts (short crust) | Oakland/Chinatown | Yelp | Yes | 12th Street | 0.4 mi / 0.6 km | $10 | (510) 763-9228 | No | YES | |
| Shandong Restaurant | Chinese | Handmade Noodles | Oakland/Chinatown | Yelp | Yes | 12th Street | 0.3 mi / 0.5 km | $20 | (510) 839-2299 | ? | No | |
| Cafe Colucci | Ethiopian | South Berkeley/Telegraph | Yelp | Yes | (Prince St.) | 0.6 mi / 1.0 km | $20 | (510) 601-7999 | ? | No | ||
| La Val's Pizza | Pizza, Pasta, Calzone, Delivery | Pizza | UC Campus/Euclid | Yelp | Yes | Downtown Berkeley | 0.7 mi / 1.1 km | $10 | (510) 540-9333 | Yes | No | |
| Inn Kensington | Breakfast, Brunch, California Modern | Kensington/Arlington Blvd | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 527-5919 | No | No | ||||
| Sacred Wheel | Cheese Shop, Sandwiches, Soups | Tomato soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwich | Oakland/Temescal | Yelp | Yes | MacArthur | 0.7 mi / 1.1 km | $10 | (510) 653-1353 | No | No | |
| Trabocco Kitchen and Cocktails | Italian, Bars | Alameda | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 521-1152 | No | No | ||||
| Scolari's Good Eats | Burgers, Sandwiches, Salads | Alameda | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 521-2400 | No | No | ||||
| Jayakarta Restaurant | Indonesian, Singaporean | Berkeley/University Ave. | Yelp | Yes | Downtown Berkeley | 0.2 mi / 0.3 km | $20 | (510) 841-0884 | ? | No | ||
| La Penca Azul | Mexican | Alameda/Park St. | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 769-9110 | No | No | ||||
| Enssaro Ethiopian | Ethiopian | Oakland/Grand Ave | Yelp | Yes | 19th Street | 0.9 mi / 1.4 km | $20 | (510) 238-9050 | ? | No | ||
| Champa Garden | Asian Fusion, Laotian | Oakland/8th Ave | Yelp | No | $10 | (510) 238-8819 | No | No | ||||
| Bowl'd | Korean, Barbecue | Oakland/Temescal | Yelp | Yes | MacArthur | 0.6 mi / 1.0 km | $20 | (510) 654-2000 | No | No | ||
| Burma Superstar | Burmese | Samosa Soup | Oakland/Temescal | Yelp | Yes | MacArthur | 0.5 mi / 0.8 km | $20 | (510) 652-2900 | ? | No | |
| Spoon | Korean | South Berkeley/Ashby Ave | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 704-9555 | ? | No | ||||
| Elmwood Cafe | Coffee, Tea, Breakfast, Lunch | Elmwood/College Ave | Yelp | No, but close! | $20 | (510) 843-1300 | No | No | ||||
| Smokey J's | Barbeque (Southern) | South Berkley/Shattuch Ave | Yelp | Yes | (Prince St.) | 0.2 mi / 0.3 km | $20 | (510) 529-4511 | No | YES | ||
| Cha-Ya | Sushi, Vegetarian | Vegetarian Sushi | Berkeley/Gourmet Ghetto | Yelp | Yes | Downtown Berkeley | 0.5 mi / 0.8 km | $20 | (510) 981-1213 | No | YES | |
| Lake Chalet | Seafood, California Modern | Good view | Oakland/Lake Merritt | Yelp | Yes | Lake Merritt | 0.4 mi / 0.6 km | $20 | (510) 208-5253 | No | No | |
| Monster Pho | Vietnamese, Pho | Oakland/Broadway | Yelp | Yes | MacArthur | 0.6 mi / 1.0 km | $20 | (510) 788-4459 | No | No | ||
| Ohgane Korean Restaurant | Korean, Barbeque | Oakland/Broadway | Yelp | Yes | MacArthur | 0.6 mi / 1.0 km | $20 | (510) 594-8300 | ? | No | ||
| Judoku Sushi | Sushi Bar, Japanese | Oakland/Broadway | Yelp | Yes | MacArthur | 0.8 mi / 1.3 km | $20 | (510) 645-1912 | No | No | ||
| Geta | Sushi Bar, Japanese | Oakland/Piedmont Ave | Yelp | Yes | MacArthur | 0.9 mi / 1.4 km | $10 | (510) 653-4643 | No | No | ||
| Boot and Shoe Service | Italian, Pizza | Oakland/Grand Lake | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 763-2668 | No | No | ||||
| Brick Pig's House | Barbeque (Memphis) | North Oakland/Shattuck Ave. | Yelp | Yes | (Prince St.) | 0.6 mi / 1.0 km | $20 | (510) 923-1789 | No | No | ||
| Nido | Mexican, Farm to Table | Oakland/Laney College | Yelp | Yes | Lake Merritt | 0.2 mi / 0.3 km | $20 | (510) 444-6436 | No | No | ||
| Joshu-Ya Brasserie | Sushi, Seafood, Tapas | UC Campus/Telegraph | Yelp | Yes | Downtown Berkeley | 0.8 mi / 1.3 km | $20 | (510) 848-5260 | No | No | ||
| Noodle Theory | Asian Fusion, Ramen | Oakland/Rockridge | Yelp | Yes | Rockridge | 0.4 mi / 0.6 km | $20 | (510) 595-6988 | No | No | ||
| FuseBox | Korean, Asian Fusion | Korean Fried Chicken | Oakland/Grand Ave. | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 444-3100 | No | No | |||
| Ramen Shop | Asian Fusion, Ramen | Anything with Smoked Eggs | Oakland/Rockridge | Yelp | Yes | Rockridge | 0.1 mi / 0.2 km | $20 | (510) 788-6370 | No | No | |
| Cholita Linda | Latin American, Mexican, Food Stand | Oakland/Temescal | Yelp | No | $10 | (510) 594-7610 | No | No | ||||
| Abesha Ethiopian | Ethiopian | Oakland/Temescal | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 653-8383 | No | No | ||||
| Kansai | Japanese, Sushi | Late night sushi | Oakland/Temescal | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 658-7273 | No | No | |||
| Dona Tomas | Mexican | Oakland/Temescal | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 450-0522 | No | No | ||||
| Pizzaiolo | Italian, Pizza | Oakland/Temescal | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 652-4888 | No | No | ||||
| Genova Delicatessen | Italian, Deli, Sandiwches | Any Specialty Sandwich! | Oakland/Temescal | Yelp | No | $20 | (510) 652-7401 | No | No | |||
| Curbside Creamery | Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt | Oakland/Temescal | Yelp | No | $10 | (510) 250-9804 | No | No | ||||
| Beauty's Bagel Shop | Wood-fired Bagels | Oakland/Temescal | Yelp | Yes | MacArthur | 0.2 mi / 0.3 km | $10 | (510) 788-6098 | No | No | ||
| Craftsman and Wolves | Bakery, Cafe, Breakfast | San Francisco/Delores Parrk | Yelp | Yes | 16th Street | 0.4 mi / 0.6 km | $20 | (415) 913-7713 | No | No | ||
| b. patisserie | Fine Pastries, Bakery, Cafe | San Francisco/Lower Pacific Heights | Yelp | No | $20 | (415) 440-1700 | No | No | ||||
| Bangkok Noodles & Thai BBQ | Thai | Sliced Roast Duck Noodle Soup | Berkeley/University Ave | Yelp | Yes | Downtown Berkeley | 0.2 mi / 0.3 km | $10 | (510) 549-1958 | ? | No |
Map of Mid Price/Higher Quality Locations
Click markers for restaurant names. Maps are based on Google Maps, so normal controls apply. {{#display_map: 37.8528322,-122.2681144~Los Cilantros; 37.8795896,-122.2711532~Chez Panisse Cafe; 37.8203279,-122.2909855~Brown Sugar Kitchen; 37.870227,-122.3034387~Cafe Rouge; 37.8482877,-122.2679371~Nick's Pizza; 37.870291,-122.2692997~Ippuku; 37.8662056,-122.2694372~La Note; 37.8670873,-122.2695889~Venus; 37.8715661,-122.2708092~Comal; 37.8392378,-122.291825~Honor Bar; 37.8081575,-122.2717704~Flora; 37.8593364,-122.2688624~Kirala; 37.7750925,-122.4451813~Nopalito; 37.7616119,-122.4281464~Namu Gaji; 37.7640924,-122.4347813~Starbelly|width=800|height=800|service=googlemaps|layers=traffic}}
Mid Price/Higher Quality
This section showcases restaurants that might be a little more expensive, but showcase higher quality ingredients and, sometimes, the California Farm to Table foodways movement.
| Name | Type | Specialties | Area | Yelp | Google Maps | BARTable/ Walkable | BART Station | Distance from BART | Price Est. (per person) | Phone | Delivery to Prince St? | Cash Only? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Cilantros | Mexican, Farm-to-Table | Tortilla Soup | South Berkeley/Shattuck Ave | Yelp | Yes | Prince St. | 0.1 mi / 0.15 km | $30 | (510) 230-7350 | No | No | |
| Chez Panisse Cafe | California Modern, French, Farm-to-Table | Berkeley/Gourmet Ghetto | Yelp | Yes | Downtown Berkeley | 0.7 mi / 1.1 km | $45 | (510) 548-5525 | No | No | ||
| Brown Sugar Kitchen | Soul Food, Breakfast, Brunch | Chicken and Waffles | West Oakland | Yelp | No | $30 | (510) 839-7685 | No | No | |||
| Cafe Rouge | California Modern, Meat Shop | Hot Dog, Hamburger, Farm-to-Table | Berkeley/4th Street | Yelp | No | $30 | (510) 525-1440 | No | No | |||
| Nick's Oakland Style Pizza | Pizza, Breakfast, Brunch, Coffee, Tea, Farm-to-Table | Pizza | North Oakland/Shattuck Ave. | Yelp | Yes | (Prince St.) | 0.4 mi / 0.6 km | $30 | (510) 658-3903 | No | No | |
| Ippuku | Japanese, Robata, Bar, Farm-to-Table | Chicken Ramen (Last Plate) | Berkeley/Downtown | Yelp | Yes | Downtown Berkeley | 0.1 mi / 0.2 km | $30 | (510) 665-1969 | No | No | |
| La Note Restaurant Provencal | French, Breakfast, Brunch | Berkeley/Downtown | Yelp | Yes | Downtown Berkeley | 0.3 mi / 0.5 km | $30 | (510) 843-1535 | No | No | ||
| Venus Restaurant | California Modern, Breakfast, Brunch, Farm-to-Table | Cloud 9 (espresso/chocolate) | Berkeley/Downtown | Yelp | Yes | Downtown Berkeley | 0.2 mi / 0.3 km | $30 | (510) 540-5950 | No | No | |
| Comal | Mexican, Farm-to-Table | Meat plates for two, Tequila cocktails | Berkeley/Downtown | Yelp | Yes | Downtown Berkeley | 0.1 mi / 0.2 km | $30 | (510) 926-6300 | No | No | |
| Honor Kitchen and Cocktails | California Modern, Cocktails | Emeryville/Powell St. | Yelp | No | $30 | (510) 653-8667 | No | No | ||||
| Flora Restaurant and Bar | California Modern, Bar | Oakland/Broadway | Yelp | Yes | 19th Street | 0.0 mi / 0.0 km | $45 | (510) 286-0100 | No | No | ||
| Kirala | Sushi, Robata, Japanese | Hokkaido Squid Robata | South Berkeley/Shattuck Ave. | Yelp | Yes | (Prince St.) | 0.5 mi / 0.8 km | $30 | (510) 549-3486 | No | No | |
| Nopalito | Farm-to-Table, Mexican | San Francisco/North of Panhandle | Yelp | No | $30 | (415) 437-0303 | No | No | ||||
| Namu Gaji | Farm-to-Table, Korean, California Modern | San Francisco/Delores Park | Yelp | Yes | 16th Street | 0.6 mi / 1.0 km | $30 | (415) 431-6268 | No | No | ||
| Starbelly | Farm-to-Table, California Modern | Plate: spaghetti, bacon, jalapeno, tomato sauce | San Francisco/The Castro | Yelp | No | $30 | (415) 252-7500 | No | No |
Map of Expensive/High End Locations
Click markers for restaurant names. Maps are based on Google Maps, so normal controls apply.
{{#display_map: 37.7938419,-122.2764925~Haven; 37.7981085,-122.4055895~Coi; 37.8247399,-122.2571159~Commis; 37.8911331,-122.2885047~Rivoli; 37.8795896,-122.2711532~Chez Panisse; 37.7735531,-122.4244562~Zuni Cafe; 37.7772155,-122.4229765~Nojo; 37.7748936,-122.4396831~Nopa; 38.404427,-122.3671685~French Laundry|width=800|height=800|service=googlemaps|layers=traffic}}
Expensive/High End
These are worth a special trip, but are very expensive!
| Name | Type | Area | Restaurant Group | Yelp | Google Maps | BARTable | BART Station | Distance from BART | Price Est. (per person) | Phone | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haven | Farm-to-Table | Oakland/Jack London Square | Daniel Patterson Group | Yelp | Yes | 12th Street | 0.9 mi / 1.4 km | $60 | (510) 663-4440 | One of our favorites. Prix Fixe, good service, good pairings. | |
| Coi | Farm-to-Table, High End | San Franciso/North Beach | Daniel Patterson Group | Yelp | Yes | Embarcadero | 0.7 mi / 1.1 km | $270 | (415) 393-9000 | Expensive but worth it. Prix Fixe, Excellent service. Pairings additional charge. Reservations via OpenTable.com (may have to pre-pay). | |
| Commis | Farm-to-Table, High End | Oakland/Piedmont Ave. | James Syhabout | Yelp | Yes | MacArthur | 0.8 mi / 1.3 km | $125 | (510) 653-3902 | Prix Fixe - 8 course. Excellent service. Pairings $75. Reservations via OpenTable (reserve with credit card). | |
| Rivoli | Farm-to-Table | Albany/Solano Ave. | Wendy Brucker | Yelp | No | $45 | (510) 526-2542 | No Prix Fixe. Attentive service. | |||
| Chez Panisse Restaurant | Farm-to-Table, California Modern | Berkeley/Gourmet Ghetto | Alice Waters | Yelp | Yes | Downtown Berkeley | 0.7 mi / 1.1 km | $75 - $125 | (510) 548-5525 | The restaurant widely credited with starting the California Modern Farm-to-Table cuisine. Alice Waters revolutionized farm-to-table business practices by encouraging local farmers to grow food particularly for her and for Chez Panisse. Also popularized garlic's place in the cuisine. There's a documentary about it (Garlic is as Good as Ten Mothers). | |
| Zuni Cafe | Farm-to-Table, California Modern, Raw Oysters | San Francisco/Duboce Triangle | Judy Rodgers | Yelp | Yes | Civic Center/U.N. Plaza | 0.6 mi / 1.0 km | $45 | (415) 552-2522 | Try using MUNI to shorten the walk. Aside from Chez Panisse, Zuni Cafe is very well known and popular example of early California popular cuisine. Aside from oysters, high end service, and fine wines, also known for increasingly popular Roast Chicken menu item. | |
| Nojo | Ramen, Small Bites, Izakaya, Farm-to-Table | San Francisco/Civic Center | AP Company (Japan) | Yelp | Yes | Civic Center/U.N. Plaza | 0.5 mi / 1.1 km | ? | (415) 896-4587 | Newly reopened. Ramen is apparently very good, but no data on prices. | |
| Nopa | Farm-to-Table, Modern European | San Francisco/North of Panhandle | Laurence Jossel | Yelp | No | $60 | (415) 864-8643 | Delicious food, good menu. High touch, friendly but not premium service. Excellent cocktails. A family favorite. May be able to get there by public transit beyond BART (MUNI buses and streetcars). | |||
| The French Laundry | Farm-to-Table, California Modern | Yountville, CA | Thomas Keller | Yelp | No | $310 | (707) 944-2380 | The gold standard for the California Bay Area in terms of experience, service, and pairings (which may be as expensive as the price of the menu). Reservations are made by purchasing tickets. |
There are many more options north of the Bay Area, in Sausalito, Marin, and Napa. Please ask if you're interested in exploring.
To Try
Places Jen and Malcolm plan to/want to try.
- Aria Grill & Cuisine (and Hookah Bar?) (Afghan) - Oakland/14th Street - Yelp - $20 - $60 for 2 people
- Chez Panisse Cafe
- Chez Panisse Restaurant
- Enssaro Ethiopian (Oakland/Grand)
- Champa Garden (Oakland/8th Ave)
- Contigo (SF/Noe Valley)
- Nido (Oakland)
Map of Markets and Farmer's Markets
Click markers for restaurant names. Maps are based on Google Maps, so normal controls apply.
{{#display_map: 37.871483,-122.271631~Berkeley Farmers' Market~Saturday: 10a-3p; 37.847483,-122.2741307~Adeline Farmers' Market~Tuesday: 2p-6:30p; 37.843811,-122.251821~Market Hall~Every day: 9a-8p; 37.7955277,-122.3956398~Ferry Building Marketplace~Every day: 10a-7p; 37.7953792,-122.3958813~Ferry Plaza Farmers Market~Tues/Thurs: 10a-2p, Sat: 8a-2p; 37.8570413,-122.2694045~Berkeley Bowl (Oregon St.)~Every day: 9a-8p; 37.8554296,-122.2624675~Whole Foods~Every day: 8a-10p; 37.8680552,-122.2937192~Country Cheese Coffee Market~Mon-Sat: 9a-7p; 37.8544059,-122.2734525~Ashby Supermarket~Mon-Sat: 8a-10p, Sun: 8a-9p; 37.837734,-122.2647677~Temescal Produce Market~Every day: 9a-9p; 37.881453,-122.2984937~Tokyo Fish Market~Mon-Sat: 9a-6p; 37.8135272,-122.2699715~Koreana Plaza Market~Every day: 7a-10p; 37.8718639,-122.2742367~Bonita Fish Market~Mon-Sat: 10a-7p, Sun: 10a-6p|width=800|height=800|service=googlemaps|layers=traffic}}
Markets and Farmer's Markets
- Berkeley Farmers' Market - Center Street and MLK Jr. Way - Saturdays, 10a - 3p
- The region's farmers' bounties, both certified organic and conventional. Regulars also include pasta, cheese, fish, ice cream, sometimes oysters, juices, and olive oils. Some prepared food vending as well.
- Adeline Farmers' Market - Adeline and 63rd Street - Tuesdays, 2p - 6
- 30p : Similar stuff to Berkeley Farmers' Market.
- Market Hall - Rockridge BART - Every day, 9a - 8p
- Upscale, high end market with produce, fish, butcher, bakery, cheese and prepared foods.
- Ferry Building Marketplace - Market and Embarcadero - Indoor market
- Every day, 10a - 7p : Food specialties and restaurants. Our favorites are Recchuiti Chocolates, Boccalone Meats, Imperial Tea Court, Mijita, and Cowgirl Creamer. Shout outs also to Humphry Slocombe ice cream and Blue Bottle coffee.
- Ferry Plaza Farmers Market - Market and Embarcadero - Outdoor market
- Tuesday & Thursday, 10a - 2p, Saturday, 8a - 2p : The Saturday market is particularly luxuriant and wraps around the east side of the building to the parking lot int he back. Tuesday and Thursday focuses primarily on the front of the Ferry building and has far fewer stalls and sellers.
- Berkeley Bowl - Oregon and Shattuck - Every day, 9a - 8p
- The original Berkeley Bowl, smaller than the one in West Berkeley, but produce is plentiful, some of it organic. Bulk foods are good. It's a good, eco-friendly supermarket and grocery with good offerings in cheese and dairy, butcher, fish, prepared food, and, of course, produce. Alice Waters of Chez Panisse used to shop here, among other culinary luminaries.
- Whole Foods - Telegraph and Ashby - Every day, 8a - 10p
- Whole Foods is a controversial grocery and supermarket (the founder has non-progressive ideas on labor and benefits). Many have chosen to boycott it, but if that doesn't concern you, they stock similar stuff to Berkeley Bowl. A little higher end/more expensive. But quality is also high and it appeals to many customers. Their hours are slightly longer on either end than Berkeley Bowl's.
- Country Cheese Coffee Market - San Pablo near University - Monday - Saturday, 9a - 7p
- Many fine foods, teas, cheeses, crackers, preserves, meat, etc. Some difficult to find items. A charming shop and a local chain, with locations also in Kensington and North Berkeley.
- Ashby Supermarket - Ashby and MLK Jr. Way - Monday - Saturday, 8a - 10p, Sunday, 8a - 9p
- One of our local corner stores, a short walk. There's a soda geek who stocks various hard to find sodas in the back. Tony, our neighbor across the street prefers their sandwiches. They have a light and essential stock of household, pantry and snack items, including some ice creams.
- Temescal Produce Market - 51st and Telegraph - Every day, 9a - 9p
- Another local market, small but reasonably walkable. A good variety of stock.
- Tokyo Fish Market - San Pablo and Gilman - Monday - Saturday, 9a - 6p
- Not really walkable, but stocks Japanese essentials like Furikake, various fresh noodles, sashimi cuts of fish, various specialty snacks and frozen foods, and sake and sochu.
- Koreana Plaza Market - Telegraph and 24th - Every day, 7a - 10p
- For Korean specialties, also nearby The Good Hop, one of our Worth a Special Visit entries.
- Bonita Fish Market - University and Bonita - Monday - Saturday, 10a - 7p, Sunday, 10a - 6p
- Fresh, yummy seafoods. We've gotten crab and clams there, both quite worth it.
Map of Special Trips
Click markers for restaurant names. Maps are based on Google Maps, so normal controls apply.
Map pending.
Worth A Special Trip
Bakery
- Tartine (Bakery)
- Known for extremely well researched artisinal sourdough bread as well as other baked goods. A real crowd-pleaser. You will always encounter a queue. Get there at 4:30 for FRESH bread. Everything is delicious!
Butcher
- Belcampo (Butcher)
- A specialty butcher. They raise their own animals from heritage breeds on organic feed, using very skilled, high-touch agricultural methods. Meat is ridiculously expensive and ridiculously good. Some locations are just butchers. Others are also restaurants. Sometimes there are service issues - the focus for the whole company is on the meat.
- Local Butcher (Butcher)
- Similar ethics to Belcampo, but they don't raise their own slaughter animals. Can source all kinds of unpopular cuts, organs and other kinds of butchery not popular with mainstream markets. They also sell pet food, bone broths, expensive, local, organic eggs, cured meats, pickles, have a light deli counter, and also sell delicious prepared sandwiches.
Specialties
- Gregoire (French Carryout)
- One location is in Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto neighborhood. High end French carryout food. The kitchen is small and the lines can be long, so be prepared to queue. The Gourmet Ghetto location also has limited seating available, but it's unmanaged, so be prepared to be assertive or to sit somewhere else.
- Cheese Board
- Bakesale Betty (Fried Chicken Sandwich and spicy cole slaw)
- Juhu Beach Club (SPICY Indian Street Food)
Ice Cream
- Bi-Rite Creamery (Ice Creams and Desserts)
- Associated with the high-end San Francisco grocery store chain, Bi-Rite, the creamery focuses on ice creams, baked goods, sundaes and ice cream novelties (like ice cream sandwiches, which are ice cream sandwiched by cookies). Flavors use high quality ingredients and are seasonally sourced, so expect to get something delicious!
- Mitchell's Ice Cream (Ice Creams and Desserts)
- Less high end but still tasty, Mitchell's focuses on tropical flavors like Avocado, Buko, and Lucuma, as well as serving some Filipino desserts like Halo Halo.
- Humphry Slocombe (Ice Creams and Dessert)
- High end, tasty, innovative flavors. Known for Sundaes served with shrub/vinegar sauces, the Secret Breakfast flavor, and other good recipes. Located both in The Mission (Harrison and 24th) and in the Ferry Building.
- Fenton's Creamery and Restaurant (Ice Creams, Breakfast, Lunch, and Cakes)
- Fenton's has been featured in some Pixar movies, as well as other films about or involving the Bay Area. It's known for its huge sundaes, late hours, and long lines. Visiting is an experience, but Fenton's is not known for high fashion ice cream.
- Ici Ice Cream (Ice Creams)
- Close by, and known for high quality, tasty, and uncommon flavors.
- Lush Gelato (Ice Cream, Gelato)
- Located in San Francisco (Polk), Oakland's Piedmont Ave, and in Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto, known for a variety of gelato flavors, many of them using local ingredients.
- Smitten (Ice Cream)
- Known for using liquid nitrogen to superfreeze the cream or the sorbet mixture. The texture of the ice cream is silky and the texture of the sorbet is fluffy. If you have never had liquid nitrogen ice cream, you might be in for a treat.
- Cream (Ice cream sandwiches)
Tea & Coffee
- Sightglass Coffee
- Imperial Tea Court
Beer, Wine and Liquor
- The Good Hop - Beer lovers!
- St George's Distillery Tour
- Other booze touring
Chocolate
- Recchuiti Chocolates
- Speciality Chocolates place in Gourmet Ghetto
UPick / Farmers Markets / Harvests
- Berry Picking
- Fruit Picking
Day Trips
- Santa Cruz/Monterey
- North Bay
- Napa/Yountville
Feel free to ask if you are interested in special foodie trips!
Quirky, Interesting, Americana, California-Style
Things that normal folks do but that are kind of unique.
- Bowling
Hurling balls down lanes at pins- Albany Bowl (Albany/San Pablo) - Has American bowling lanes, billiards (American tables), arcade games, darts, air hockey, a cafe that serves bar food, pizza and burgers, and a bar.
- [http://plankoakland.com/ Plank (Jack London Square) - Has a few American bowling lanes, carnival and arcade games, televisions with sports games, and outdoor bowling games (like Bocce).
- Westing - Bar and indoor Bocce.
- Oakland Lawn Bowling Club - Bocce.
- Minigolf
Playing golf on very small courses, with putter clubs only- Urban Putt (SF)
- SubPar (Alameda)
- Scandia Family Center (Rockville)
- Deluxe Movie Theaters
With food and booze allowed in the theaters.- New Parkway Theater (Oakland)
- Kabuki Theater (SF)
- Landmark Shattuck Cinemas (Berkeley)
- Food Destinations
- In-n-Out Burgers (Alameda/Oakland Airport)
Not great, but it's an institution, and you could go see what all the fuss is about. They are VERY efficient. In some ways, the drive-thru is a more interesting and authentic experience.
- In-n-Out Burgers (Alameda/Oakland Airport)
- Transportation Tourism
Cable cars, ferries, streetcars, bridges, all for the special kind of geek!- San Francisco Street Cars
Street cars run on the SF MUNI's F line - San Francisco Cable Cars (Don't get on at Powell)
- Angel Island (Ferry from Ferry Terminal - SF)
- Alcatraz (Ferry from Ferry Terminal - SF)
- Golden Gate Bridge (Walk)
- Bay Bridge (East side - Walk)
- San Francisco Street Cars
- Parks
Federal, state, and regional, there's interesting stuff all over!- Tilden Regional Park - MANY activities.
- Gate Park - Encompasses many museums and attractions, including the DeYoung Museum, The California Academy of Sciences, and the Japanese Tea Garden, to name a few. Also many regular and special events, and a very nice park to walk through, spanning many SF neighborhoods.
- Stern Grove - A park in San Francisco, particularly noted, June - August, for a music festival
- An East Bay hiking guide.
- High Tea
An American version of Tea, where we pretend we know what we're doing. Usually involves premium teas, various edibles of different qualities, and well-dressed company. - Specific parts of town
A breakdown of interesting parts of town in the SF Bay Area- San Francisco:
- Chinatown
- Japantown
- North Beach
- Richmond District
- The Mission
- Noe Valley
- Hayes Valley
- The Presidio
- Oakland:
- Piedmont Ave
- The Grand Lake
- Lake Merritt
- Chinatown
- Temescal
- Jack London Square
- Rockridge
- Berkeley:
- UC Campus
- Gourmet Ghetto
- San Pablo
- Solano (Kensington and Albany)
- Adeline
- Telegraph
- College & Claremont
- The Bay:
- Alcatraz
- Angel Island
- North Bay:
- Cavallo Point
- Sausalito
- Marin
- Napa
- Yountville
- Other:
- San Francisco:
To Do
For page restyling and to dos.
- Complete sections by converting them to sortable tabular format and filling all data in