Exploring the Bay Area

Sara’s Southern Kitchen Coffee Shop Sara’s Southern Kitchen Coffee Shop is the most indulgent breakfast I’ve ever enjoyed. With bold, sweet, and savory flavors, it will make a trip to Los Gatos feel justified. If you’re nearby, I would stop in because it offers the type of blissfully sweet and buttery Southern breakfast that just needs to be devoured, alongside traditional savory options that bring about a certain type of nostalgia and longing for a faraway place. Owned by Sara Williams, this is a high-end take on a classic Southern breakfast/brunch. The food is uniquely decadent, delicious, and satisfying, making it one of the only places in the Bay Area to truly master the art of a classic Southern meal. Pay no attention to calories or health; this restaurant specializes in traditional, authentic Southern food served in massive portions. This is a culinary adventure that takes you to a different part of the country, and it should not be confused for a simple meal. The food here is ve...

Gusto In my opinion, this might be the most exciting new restaurant in Berkeley right now! The stripped down, casual set up allows the real focus to be on the food and company. It’s the first Algerian restaurant I have tried in the area, and it pulls off a menu of Algerian flavors with real gusto (pun intended)! You order and pay at the counter or kiosk up front. The menu is short and to the point, and the kitchen works relatively fast, churning out beautiful, delicious Mediterranean (Algerian) dishes in a jiffy. While you wait, you might want to sip one of their Algerian sodas from the cooler; my favorite is the carbonated lemonade. After you order, you can take a seat at one of the simple tables or the stripped-down bar that overlooks Downtown Berkeley. You may discover that this new restaurant is so popular that it’s hard to find an empty table. When we came, we had to move some tables and chairs to accommodate our small group. There are some nice tiles and a logo on the wall, but t...