Exploring the Bay Area

Gather If you’re looking for a well-liked, full-service, sit-down restaurant in Berkeley that’s near the downtown and close to UC Berkeley’s campus and provides a consistently good product for a reasonable fee, Gather is a pretty safe bet. Because of its popularity, you might find it helpful to make a reservation in advance. Although it is not exactly inexpensive, it also is not particularly expensive; it’s more of a mid-range price in exchange for a top-notch business-casual meal you won’t regret. Gather has plenty of seating split between a large, spacious, and attractive eating area with lots of tables and a bar and a nice patio decorated with plants and colorful glass. It can accommodate large parties and even hosts events from time to time. True to its name, it is an excellent place to gather. It has just enough options on the menu that you can bring a large group and expect there will be something for everyone. The menu takes a unique spin on many classic, popular American dishes...

ID Cafe ID Cafe is a chain with a small, cute, inexpensive, and healthy Indian restaurant near the UC Berkeley Campus. The inside is sunny and clean, and you can order and pay at the counter, using a kiosk or with the help of a cashier. Don’t be fooled by the casual, laid-back demeanor; this cafe takes its recipes and customer experiences seriously. It’s the kind of place that will introduce you to new food without taking you out of your comfort zone. The specialty here is the dosa, which, for lack of a better word, resembles crepes or pancakes stuffed with delightfully savory fillings. Here, they have mastered the art of the healthy, delicious dosa, which it appears they prepare in their kitchen from fresh dough. The dosas have crispy edges but soft interiors, which makes some of the bites a little crunchy and others softer, adding to the interesting texture of the dish. They are served warm, and they have a savory but comfortingly homey feel. Whether you get the handheld cheese dosa,...

The Cheeseboard Pizzeria  The Cheeseboard Pizzeria is perhaps Berkeley’s most coveted pizza shop. With a loyal following and a sterling reputation, the line extends down the sidewalk, sometimes even winding around the corner, at almost every hour this famous pizzeria is open. It’s the kind of place that legend precedes, so you should try it if you’re ever even nearby. Having been a Berkeley staple for decades, it's my experience that it’s not an exaggeration to say it’s pretty much known to everyone who’s ever inhabited Berkeley for any long period of time. The Cheeseboard Pizzeria is not your typical pizza place. It has a large patio with lots of seating, where people of all ages love to gather. Unlike your typical restaurant, it’s a great place to enjoy some live jazz music performed by a selection of talented jazz artists with real instruments in real time; they almost always have a group of musicians performing their hearts out. This creates the fun ambiance that makes it such ...

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...

Korean Superette This Korean sit-down restaurant doubles as a Korean market. The walls are lined with packaged Korean snacks, cooking ingredients essential to Korean cuisine, and lots and lots of noodles, especially ramen. They also have a wall lined with refrigerators stocked with kimchi, frozen dumplings, and other items. Plus, there are some beautiful non-food items made in a Korean style that would make cool gifts or decorations. As you eat, you can admire the selection; it’s hard to leave empty-handed because it’s hard to find such a wide assortment of Korean products elsewhere in Berkeley. The eating area, which doubles as a market, is a cozy place to eat. It’s bright and clean looking, with walls lined with fascinating Korean goods and a glass window separating the indoor eating area from the outdoor one, which is a small patio with some greenery that butts up to a few buildings on the other side. The seating is comfortable, and the tables are carefully spaced apart. It’s as if ...

Piccino Piccino coffee bar sits in the Dogpatch next to a proper restaurant by the same name, which I have not yet tried. It’s merely a small room with a refrigerator holding sandwiches and cookie dough and a counter in front of their espresso equipment and kitchen, displaying some yummy pastries. It has no seating, but it is always well-staffed, so the service is rather prompt. The menu has a variety of coffee, espresso, and tea beverages; they proudly serve caffeinated and non-caffeinated options, and everything is carefully prepared for quality assurance. For example, they have lattes, including vanilla lattes, mochas, chai tea, and hot chocolate, among others, and everything tastes professionally made. Prices are what you’d expect from a San Francisco coffee shop, and the bitterness of the coffee or tea flavor tends to be mild, and the temperature and the consistency of the milk always hit the spot. All these things make it a great spot for a little pick-me-up. In my opinion, thoug...