List: Berkeley/Oakland Restaurants

Don’t we wish it was still the weekend? I think Monday should be “Ick, Work Week – Screw Cooking Day.” In honor of this new weekly holiday, here is my go-to list of places to eat in Berkeley.

• Bateau Ivre – this place reminds me of eating breakfast at my grandparents’ old Berkeley house.
• Round Table Pizza – this is a high class list, if you can’t tell
• Dara Thai – they have the neatest outdoor seating around, it makes me feel like I”m in the jungle.
• Angeline’s Louisiana Kitchen – Southern food. I’ve only been here once, but it seemed worth a second try.
• Brazil Cafe – MEAT! It’s all about the tri tip sandwich.
• Raleigh’s – good pub food, and surprisingly delicious salads. I just discovered their backyard patio this past weekend – pretty!
• Tomatina – much like Round Table, this isn’t specific to Berkeley but it’s one of the places I like to keep on the list of places to go. Piadine, anyone?
• Tuk Tuk Thai – I used to live around the corner from this place and it was the go-to midnight meal place. Open late! Gosh, I haven’t had Thai in a while. Drool…
• Jupiter – mmmm gourmet thin crust pizza. It’s best to go on a warm day and sit in the back patio with a beer.
• The Original – not the best diner food, but the only place that I’ve been able to find in the area with decent cheese fries.
• Long Life Vegi House – A vegetarian Chinese food place that makes me feel better about eating greasy Chinese food because of its name. I’m easily influenced by marketing.
• Herbivore – get the vegan grilled chicken in a salad. Yums.
• King Dong – Good, solid, cheap Chinese food. This is my go-to quick fix place.
• Nanayiro – my favorite sushi restaurant in the area. I can never remember the name of it so it’s just “vertical sushi place” in my list notebook (it looks very straight and narrow.)
• May Flower – another Chinese food place. This one has a dim sum menu.
• Beckett’s – Irish pub with fireplaces. What more could you ask for?
• Triple Rock Brewery – another beery, pub-like place. Amazing juke box.
• College Ave – this is just on my list as a general “go to College Ave. and find someplace new” suggestion. There are so many good places over there.
• CU Sushi – good cheap sushi.
• La Note– ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. Charming French Provencale restaurant, without the typical French prices.
• À Côté – a little pricier but always delish, and also good decor
• Au Coquelet – good cafe food, open super late.
• Venus – pricey but good once in a while
• Cheese Board – Best. Pizza. Evar. Run by a cheese cooperative (amazing, right?) with one yumlicious flavor of pizza per day. And live jazz. Seating is an issue unless you want to act like a true Berkeleyite and picnic on the traffic island in the middle of the street in Gourmet Ghetto.
• Thai Delight – this place made it onto the list despite not having my favorite Thai dish (Pad Sieuw) because the serve :::wait for it::: wine flights!
• Planet Juice – good quick-fix smoothies and bagel sandwiches
• Musical Offering Cafe – a pretty little place with gourmet sandwiches
• Top Dog – hot dogs done right
• Pie in the Sky – passable pizza place for a quick slice
• Bongo Burger – passable burger place for a quick bite. Maybe slightly overpriced.
• Looney’s – this is a sports bar that is really near my place and decent enough to eat at.
• Rockridge – same thing as College Ave. up there, this is a placeholder to remind me to go to the Rockridge area and find some good eats.
• Cafe Rouge – this has been next on my list for a while but I haven’t beeng going because it kind of out of the way in the 4th St. shopping area. Cute area, good food, near the Vivarium. Anyone want to come and be my excuse to make the trek? Yum yum?
• Great China – I know this place is good because it’s always packed full of Chinese people and there’s always a huge wait.
• Taste of the Himalayas – Pretty similar to Indian food. I’m usually not this courageous but I really like this place.
• Smart Alec’s – it’s down the street and it’s healthy
• Cafe Milano – HUGE salads with the best foccacia I’ve ever had.
• Blondies – Greasy quick pizza slices. A Berkeley staple.
• La Val’s – This is right next to where I work and will be my downfall. Athenian pizza = my undoing.
• Noah’s Bagels – yeah man
• Crepe’s a Go Go – sometimes you just need a crepe
• Thai Noodle – can’t have too many Thai options
• Luka’s – this was always the office hangout when I used to work in Oakland. Great fries and mussels and anything you could want to drink.
• Pacific Coast Brewing Co. – another Oakland beer/food place
• 4th Street – another place holder, this time to remind me to try restaurants in the 4th Street area.
• Burgermeister – it is what it sounds like
• Barney’s – Another burger place
• Cioccolata di Vino – a wine bar with small Italian yummster plates. My favorite wine bar in the area

So folks, what’s for dinner tonight?