If you ever peruse my comments section you might find this "christie" character who comments on a lot of my posts. I call her "boo" and we make jokes about salmon roe sushi costumes because that's what she was for halloween a few years ago. I love her, and she's my best friend. Gelato and Strangers with Candy was the glue of our budding friendship in high school, and now, years later, food and bizarre humor are still two of our favorite shared interests. Anytime I visit her (Berkeley for College, DC after, and now Berkeley again) we eat, catch up, eat again, and catch up some more with our mouths full. Over my past two trips to Berkeley I cobbled together Christie's and my list of favorite spots for a weekend in eating in our favorite town, enjoy!
Guerilla Cafe
The waffles here change daily (cardamom banana, yam and cinnamon?) and with a pot of blue bottle coffee, you can't really ask for a better way to start the day. The food is delicious, the people are cool, there's enough art to keep you distracted from paper writing, and Christie was so smitten she even day dreamed about working there when she was an undergrad.
Poached eggs over polenta...
To quote my brother, "Wa-wa-wa-waffles!"
Christie and I eat like hobbits, so this would fall somewhere between second breakfast and elevensies. This place is so popular, they had to start closing on Sundays just to keep the crowds at bay. It doesn't make any sense to me either, but if you are a lover of almond apricot scones or fried chicken sandwiches, you're willing to forgive the owners for taking a day off. The scones are light and sweet, and perfect if you like forward almond flavor. I expected a fried chicken sandwich to be a bready, dry, carb fest, but Bake Sale Betty's is a medley of textures, with a creamy slaw keeping the bread moist. They also have adorable ironing boards as tables outside, love that idea!
The Cheeseboard
By the afternoon we're ready for a snack, so we head to Cheeseboard for some baguette, basque goat cheese and olives. "Nom, nom, nom" is the appropriate emotion behind our little picnic.
Christie trying to decide on what to choose...
Their numbering system.
The real reason why we pop into the store? The pizzeria isn't open yet. I start ordering my cheese, and then feel the buzz of my cell. It's Christie, who's supposed to be standing next to me. "I'm in line!" I look out the window, and there she is waving, 15 deep in a line for the pizzeria that isn't supposed to open for another 20 minutes. When I join her we look at the menu, trying to decide if we want the fresh corn, onion, mozzarella, feta, or pesto pizza, it never occurring to us that these would be toppings for one pizza. The Pizza Collective only serves one pizza a day (always vegetarian) and it changes every morning. We get our toppings laden pizza, dubious of the combo, but dig in anyway. It's wonderful. Sweet, briny, sharp, spicy, with nutty caramelized flavors from the onions. Oh yeah, I plan on making this soon, maybe as a pasta too? The wait was worth it, but no tables are left so we dine al fresco in the center divider on Shattuck. The perfect slice to end a perfect day.
Thai Temple
On Sundays the local Thai Temple opens up its parking lot and everyone comes down to enjoy a very delicious spin on the church potluck. You purchase tokens and then tool around the different stands buying whatever looks good. My favorite dish, with the mango and black sticky rice just a whisper behind, is what Christie and I refer to as "dinosuar eggs." Not certain of their Thai name, we went with what they looked like, and those jiggly, speckled, half spheres just called out "dinosaur eggs." Weeks later I found out they're actually called khanum krog, and are a Thai speciality served on street stands. The combination of sweet coconut cream with chives is unexpected, but the chives cut through the creamy sweetness without being too peppery.
Dinosaur eggs! (aka Khanum Krog)
Mango with sticky rice
Beef Panang with drunken noodles, a totally balanced breakfast.
Somehow they mastered the perfect Thai Iced Tea, smokey and not too sweet.
The Elmwood Cafe
Once we've digested a bit, we walk up to college avenue to Elmwood Cafe for some homemade sodas. I go for the raspberry apple and Christie chose the lemon verbana; both were fresh and light, not too sweet but big on flavor. Open and airy, it's the perfect place to catch up on some reading.
Could not get over this woman's hat! Too perfect with the yellow and white stripes.
Sweet Adeline's Bake Shop
Tea time! Christie and I load up on strawberry cake and pluot crostatas, thinking we'll save them for dinner. We start pecking at the edges, but before you know it everything's gone and we're wiping crumbs off of our shirts.
Tita's Mexican/Salvadorian Restaurant
Tita's pupusas have become a ritual for Christie and her sister Julie, who stop by it every time they journey up the 5. On our drive we stop by and split the daily special burrito and the squash pupusa. Pupusas, for the uninitiated, is like an El Salvadorian quesidilla. Inside a little pocket of dough, the pupusa is filled with cheese, meat, veg, and whatever else you like. It's fried on the griddle until crisp and golden, and served with curtido, a fermented cabbage slaw, and salsa. If you haven't tried one, slam your computer shut and hunt some down now, you won't be disappointed.
Cheese pull!
This brings me to the end of our favorite spots on our Berkeley journey. I'm sure a round two amendment post will have to get made in the coming months, as Christie introduces me to more of the amazing eats in Berkeley. Until then, I hope this little list helps!
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