Berkeley & The East Bay

Berkeley is where N&N did not meet: Both did their graduate studies here, barely overlapping when NH had arrived and NC had not yet left for Paris. Unless you’re a particular university buff who wants to roam the campus, the main attractions we’ll point you to are of the gastronomic variety!

Berkeley sightseeing

  • Tour the Berkeley campus—both N’s have spent years here!
    • Walk through Sproul Plaza, and look out (actually down) for the Free Speech Monument.
    • Telegraph Ave. is not quite the hippie outpost it was in the 1960s, but still interesting for a wander.
      • Trivia: NC was spat upon by someone while walking down this street in 1995.
    • Not quite on campus, but: International Computer Science Institute, down near Berkeley BART station: NC’s home for years!
  • Indian Rock Park: just north of campus—climb up for a great view of the whole Bay
  • Berkeley Rose Garden
  • Lawrence Hall of Science
  • Botanical Garden
  • See a play at Berkeley Repertory Theatre (http://www.berkeleyrep.org/)

Berkeley for kids

Berkeley food (around the Gourmet Ghetto)

  • The Cheeseboard: Impressive cheese selection (even for those who’ve lived in Paris), delicious bakery goods and a couple doors down get in line for a different (vegetarian) pizza every day! (NC’s favorite pizza!)
    • Favorites: Zampano bread, cornbread-cherry scones, ginger cookies, mmm.
    • Tip: Take a number to try several of their 300-400 cheeses!
  • Gregoire: Scrumptious sandwiches with mostly French inspiration; enjoy the octagonal boxes at this ‘artisan take-out.’
    • Favorites: DO NOT MISS the potato puffs! We repeat, DO NOT MISS the potato puffs!!!!!!! THEY ARE THE BEST THING EVER.
  • Cesar (Spanish tapas). Reasonable approximation of your favorite tapeo finds, including bacalao! Try the mel y mato (cheese, honey and fruit dessert) or the bread pudding too.
  • Masse’s Pastries: Best pastry shop in Bay Area, by NC’s estimation. Come here for a preview of our weekend dessert highlight: fantastic wedding cakes!
  • Chez Panisse. The epicenter of California cuisine and stomping ground of Alice Waters. You need to make dinner reservations for the main seating area a month in advance (prix fixe meals), but they also have a more casual cafe. Delicious!
  • Nearer the Berkeley BART station, one must mention Jupiter. Lovely courtyard for drinks, pizzas (including gluten-free!), salads and more. Also a good place to meet on a first not-quite-date.
  • Not a restaurant, but still a feast for the senses: Berkeley Bowl. If you like groceries and produce, DO NOT MISS IT!! (NC actually likes the smaller Monterey Market in North Berkeley just as much.)

Temescal food

  • La Mediterannee (also 2 locations in SF, in the Castro and Pacific Heights)
    • Favorites: We always get the Mediterranean Plate and ask for more chicken celicia. The mezze is good if you are hungry and want to try everything.
  • Stand in line for ice cream at Ici. Worth the wait!
  • Burma Superstar. Yummy tea leaf salad!
  • Doña Tomas. Fantastic Oaxacan food! Great margaritas.
  • Vik’s Chaat House: If you haven’t tried chaat, PLEASE DO! Indian street food, which started as the back counter in a Berkeley warehouse and has grown into a bustling “not just for Indians” purveyor of dosas, yummy weekend specials and other favorites.
    • NC favorite!
    • Favorites: aloo tikki chole, bhel poori, chicken kathi kabob, lamb kathi kabob, masala dosa, vegetable dosa, uttapam, dahi papdi chaat
  • Zachary’s Pizza (multiple locations). Why go to Uno’s when you can have this deep-dish Berkeley classic? The spinach and chicken favorite is really exactly that.

Rockridge food

  • Millenium – this renowned vegan restaurant just moved from SF to Rockridge. Fantastic food, great outdoor garden patio. You don’t have to be vegan to love it!
  • Zachary’s for deep dish pizza
  • Top Dog for a cheap bite
  • Thai Buddhist temple: Wat Mongkolratanarem: Sundays, communal-style Thai brunch, like pad thai, beef noodle soup, mango with sticky rice and coconut pancakes and pudding, for a donation. 1911 Russell St.

Berkeley cafes

  • The original Peet’s coffee, including a little coffee museum (Vine & Oxford)
  • Caffé Strada, the classic place to sit near campus, read a book about consciousness and—if you’re N&N—meet up for the first time outside of work! 🙂 Also to solve puzzles on a crazy metaproposal hunt.
  • Nearby is Cafe Milano, always pleasant for a hangout.
  • You want Third Wave Coffee? Go to the Highwhere down at San Pablo & University, or Artis Cafe down on 4th Street.
  • We can’t not mention Au Coquelet, where both N&N have spent hours/days/years.

Extra reading

  • Read: David Lodges Changing Places