Exploring the Bay Area

  The Melt The Melt is a fast-food chain with multiple locations across California and Arizona. It takes a high-quality spin on the classic notion of an American fast food joint. As the name suggests, they take some pride in their melted cheese. It's fast food, but they take care to provide a uniquely tasty product. When I first walked in, I was mesmerized by the salty smell, and then I became baffled by all the possibilities on the menu.   The menu features cheeseburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, cheesy chicken sandwiches, and mac and cheese for all the cheese-lovers out there. They also have a selection of soups, salads, drinks, and desserts (including some delicious hand-spun shakes).  The menu denotes several items that are vegetarian. It has a selection of add-ons, extras ($0.99), and premium extras ($1.99), which, for a small price, can be used to personalize the menu items. You can opt for an impossible burger patty for an additional $3.00 as well. I opted f...

Mel's Express First established in San Francisco in 1947, Mel's Express now is a chain that has 22 locations in northern Nevada and northern California, including one 2014 Kala Bagai Way in Berkeley, California, which I recently visited. (The hours of the Berkeley location are 11:00 am to 9:00 pm daily.) I decided from the music on the radio, the items on the menu, and the decorations on the wall that it was a relatively authentic mid-twentieth-century fast-food diner.  I had fun studying the retro decorations on the walls. What really stood out to me was what a cool collection of classic rock memorabilia they had. They had Elvis, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Chuck Berry, and other early classic rock superstar photos, posters, and even vinyl records. I noticed an old movie poster or two from films I was not familiar with, a nice Muhammed Ali poster, and a black and white photo of Bill Clinton. They had some old soda and ketchup logos, some nice antique vending ...

Endless Summer Sweets A trip to Endless Summer Sweets is like a trip back in time to childhood. This small shop specializes in all of our childhood favorites, with an emphasis on summer fair food. The shop is brightly lit and painted in pastel blue-green and light pink, colors that resemble classic cotton candy. When you walk in, you will be surrounded by these festive colors and will see a counter that displays caramel apples and several flavors of kettle corn; behind that counter, you will see the entire menu in bright colors on television screens.  The main course menu consists of hot dogs, corn dogs, chicken tenders, and chicken sandwiches. The side options include fries and nachos. For dessert, you can have cotton candy, popcorn, ice cream, churros, funnel cakes, milkshakes, and more. You can order and pay at a kiosk or in person with the help of a cashier.  The corn dogs taste like pure nostalgia--exactly what you remember the corn dogs tasting like in childhood. By this...

Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers Barney's is a proper sit-down restaurant with a full menu. You will wait to be seated, study the menu, order from a server, wait on your food, eat at your table, and then pay at your table. It's a quiet and peaceful place to sit and eat. Barney's serves a wide selection of salads, hot dogs, and sandwiches, but their speciality is their assortment of gourmet hamburgers. They use high-quality beef to make thick, juicy patties, and they top off their burgers with a lot of different gourmet additions like cheeses, bacon, and other toppings like sauces, pineapple, or guacamole. Some of their burgers are very intricate, but they also serve "classics."  All the burgers at this establishment are large, packed with flavor, and meant to be eaten with big bites. The burgers come with fresh, crunchy lettuce, and fresh, juicy tomatoes. The burgers are served with salty French fries and a yummy Thousand Island sauce, which all go together very n...