InBerkeley

Derrick Schneider provides a vade mecum for Berkeley wine lovers. Six good recommendations, and plenty of excellent advice: 

A lot of people are intimidated by wine stores, because speaking about wine still has a veneer of snobbishness. Here’s how to ask for help in a good wine store: Go up to one of the employees and say, “I need some help finding some wine. I typically like <fill in wines you like here>, and I want to learn more about other wines that are out there.” That kind of question makes a wine person’s day, and any good merchant will take your tastes into account. They won’t hand you a barnyardy, earthy Burgundy if you say you like Napa Cabernet. Buy a few of the bottles they suggest, try them, decide what you like, and then go back and say (ideally to the same person), “I bought X, Y, and Z from you last time, and I really liked X but I wasn’t very keen on Y. I normally drink <fill in wines you like here>, but I’m curious what else you have that’s like X.” Do this a few times, and you’ll be a regular.

I’d only add one thing to Derrick’s analysis. When you go to Kermit Lynch, make sure you fill in the form to receive their monthly newsletter. Even if you’re not that interested in wine, you’ll love the passion and fun of the language in this minor literary masterpiece.

Food

So the gauntlet has been thrown. I don’t want In Berkeley to descend into a north versus south battle. I love all the Berkeleys, whatever point of the compass. But north Berkeley claims the lion’s share of food attention, and my end of town needs its recognition. If I dared stray a little bit further into north Oakland, I could really go on and on. But I’ll leave that for another time. 

So here are my choices: 

1. Shen Hua. There’s an eerie equivalence between College Avenue and north Berkeley’s Solano Avenue. Since you can arrive at Solano through a small tunnel, my family often sees it as entering the Twilight Zone. Shen Hua’s Solano doppelganger is Kirin. I wonder if they share an owner, they are so similar. Good, sometimes exceptional north Chinese food. I particularly recommend the Steamed Hunan Fish. 
    
2. Wood Tavern. OK, it’s 50 feet into Oakland. Sue me. I’d love Wood Tavern more if I could get near the place. It’s always packed to the rafters for dinner, and it even gets crowded for mid-week lunch. Relatively simple food, lovingly prepared. The pork chop is a particular favorite of mine, and I also highly recommend the sauteed halibut. 
    
3. Flavors of India. Across the street from Wood Tavern. In my years in London, I learned a lot about Indian food. Flavors of India meets a high standard for north Indian food. Flavors are vivid, not drowned as is so often the case. Vik’s Chaat House is mentioned in one of the comments to Dave’s post and it is definitely more the authentic tang of India.  But Flavors of India is a great local Indian restaurant. 
    
4. Mitama. Almost next door to Flavors of India, Mitama is one of the better Japanese restaurants in the East Bay. Very good sushi and sashimi. Some friends rate their rolls very highly, but I’m not a fan of elaborate rolls.
    
5. Trattoria La Siciliana.  There are certainly better Italian restaurants, but La Siciliana does a good job of serving an elevated version of Italian standards. I include, however, because of the amazing experience my family had there several years ago on Father’s Day. When I asked for the check at the end of the meal, the owner came by and said there was no need to pay. One regular patron pays for a family’s meal every Father’s Day because he used to eat there with his father for years. I was never able to meet or identify our benefactor. 
    
6. The Paragon. Again, the Paragon is technically in Oakland, although it has a Berkeley address. And I know that some people don’t really like the slightly corporate vibe of the Claremont. But there are two main reasons to go to the Paragon. First, it has the best view of any restaurant or bar in the East Bay, as far as I’ve been able to ascertain. Second, it has the best hamburgers in Berkeley. 
    
7.  Ici. It’s just an ice cream place, but the lines stretching up the block suggest Ici is something far more. Oakland North reported that one patron had driven five hours from Laguna Beach (fast driver) to have some Ici ice cream. Perhaps. I think it’s very good, but I wouldn’t wait for 30 minutes for an Ici ice cream cone. You can settle for something almost as good by walking south on College Avenue to Tara’s Organic Ice Cream. Tara’s has eccentric flavors that sometimes work very well. 

Food

Already Mark Haas is asking me if I’ve been to Tokyo Fish, presumably because it’s good. The answer is no. That gave me an idea for a post that I could do right now, a list of 10 my regular eating places in Berkeley. If you haven’t been to these, you can’t get a bad meal at any of them. I bet I’ll get a bunch of tips on other places I’d like!!

1. Vanessa’s — This is my current favorite. A family restaurant, Vietnamese and French tapas. All fresh, very reasonable price. Imho comparable to the Slanted Door, but much smaller and much more intimate. Must make a reservation. Full bar. Try the mojito.

2. Kirin — reliable good Chinese. Favorite dishes — Garlic Cashew Chicken and Chinese Chicken Salad.

3. China Village — from the outside the kind of Chinese restaurant that there are a million of in SF, but the food is great, very flavorful and lots of interesting dishes. (Okay it’s in Albany, sorry.)

4. Barney’s — great burgers.

5. India Palace — they deliver, excellent Indian food.

6. Taste of the Himalayas — Northern Indian food.

7. Cha Ya — Japanese vegan, not quite as busy as it used to be.

8. Fellini’s — pasta and pizza.

9. Arninell — excellent NY pizza.

10. Saul’s — Get the pastrami Reuben and a bowl of matzoh ball soup. On the weekends people come from all over the Bay Area. The only NY deli in the area. Not Katz’s but not bad either. And they’re like family.

Bonus — Sophia Cafe, 1247 Solano Ave, Albany. Israeli food. Delicious!

Bonus — T-Rex BBQ. I actually went there once with Rex Hammock from Tennessee. You’d think he’d get to eat for free, but you’d be wrong. But the meal was excellent, as always.

Bonus — Kirala sushi. Favorite meal — spicy tuna roll.

Food

Just learned from Lance that there’s a second Berkeley Bowl. This is why I personally need this site to exist. I wonder how long it would have taken for me to find out about this. Ideally, I want to know about developments like this years in advance.

Here’s a SF Chron piece on the new BB. This is where the original Bowl is. And this is where the new one is, near the Interstate and Ashby, near Emeryville. Of course, since it’s Berkeley, there was a protest.

I’ve started a Twitter feed for this site, but we haven’t posted anything to it yet. If you’re on Twitter you might want to follow it now in preparation for the very first post.

I’ve received a dozen inquiries from people who want to write for the site. The answer is yes, we need contributors. We aren’t paying for pieces, at this time at least. It’s conceivable at some point in the future we may. Right now we need love to get this thing going.

Think of it as it begins as Lifehacker for Berkeley. To begin there’s no attempt to be comprehensive. We just want to catch a teeny bit of the flavor of what it’s like to be here. Lifehacker gives you clues about things you can do that are fun, healthy, interesting, growth-oriented. That’s how we see InBerkeley.

Pictures are good too. If you see something interesting, get out your camera, take a pic, and post a link here.

General