Curlz

You might also want to look at the Berkeley and Oakland thread I just posted this week for ideas across the Bay...if you are willing to BART/drive, that is.

Nope! Where/what is Rattos???

Just returned from a week in Oakland, where I spent two afternoons exploring areas of Berkeley that I hadn't been to on prior visits. I thought I'd start a new thread b/c when I did a search for things (other than Chez Panisse) to see/do, I had to read through a bunch of threads. Thanks to some of what I picked up, I had a great time exploring the area. Feel free to add other thoughts/recommendations for future trips! The Spanish Table--A lovely store with lots of pottery from Portugal and Spain, along with food and wines, and the largest paella pans I've ever seen (if the pics come out, I'll post them). I bought a beautiful ceramic mortar with a wooden pestle for $12--can't beat that!! Good Vibrations--Not food related (unless you count edible lotions ), but certainly worth the trip! Lunch at Chez Panisse--I took a chance and called that morning and got a 1:45 reservation for a table for moi, myself and I. I can now say that I've been there. It was a lovely space, the service was nice, and the food certainly delicious, but I spent $47 for a glass of Prosecco, a wonderful salad with baked goat cheese, and the day's pasta, which had summer beans and ricotta salata. Finished with the berry sorbet, which was exquisite. But $47?!? A bit much. Still, an experience I was happy to check off my list of places I wanted to try. When I left, I stuck my head in to the main dining room (downstairs) and really enjoyed watching the dozen+ chefs prepping for the evening's service. The smell down there was incredible; they were roasting vegetables, including a tray of mushrooms that I couldn't i.d., but they were gorgeous. The Cheeseboard--Located across the street from Chez Panisse, I almost didn't bother going in there b/c I was full from lunch and thought "Why look at more food?" But I'm glad I did; it's a cheese collective (only in CA! ) and the cheeses and breads were amazing. The only thing I bought were a couple of warm Zampanos--think roll-sized focaccia with cheese on top and a KICK of hot pepper. They were delicious even the next day! 4th Street shops--Nothing mind-blowing here, but a nice selection of national and local shops, including a Crate & Barrel outlet store and Sur La Table. I made a surprising find for lunch--a place called The Pasta Shop. Gorgeous store, and although I had gone in just to get a bottle of water, their prepared food called to me; I ended up with a chicken turnover and a small container of polenta, which was served with olive oil and cheese. Delicious meal for a whopping $7 (balancing out my lunch the day before), and I got to eat it outside on their patio while people-watching. Berkeley Bowl--Quite possibly my favorite supermarket anywhere. Every time I visit my brother, at least one visit to 'the Bowl' is required. This time, we went on our way back from the airport! My brother thinks I'm the only nut on the planet who gets off a 6 hour flight and says "Sure! Let's go to the supermarket!" But it's far more than that. The produce area is the reason to go. I've never seen so many varieties of each item in one place anywhere else. The bulk items are pretty amazing too, and the rest of the store is great. I'm a big fan of a few of the BB-brand salad dressings and sauces--to the point where my bro actually shipped half a dozen bottles to me when I missed getting to the Bowl on one trip. Breads of India--This was my second time at this restaurant, which is a bit off the beaten path in Berkeley. I have an ex-bf who is Indian, so I've eaten lots of good food in his mother's kitchen as well as in a few local restaurants. This place is terrific!! The small menu changes pretty frequently, maybe even daily. On this night, they offered a special called a Coorgi Roast...a rack of pork ribs that are marinated 24 hours prior to cooking in the tandoor. Never had anything like them in an Indian restaurant before, and they were fabulous. We also had a wonderful dish of lamb in tamarind sauce, along with a tandoori eggplant puree; the last two had serious spice/heat, and were polished off along with the ribs. If you go, be warned--BoI only takes cash. Grand Avenue Farmer's Market (Saturdays)--There are farmer's markets and great produce stores all over California, but I was truly wowed by this one. I went down there expressly because I had read some of ranchogordo's posts; he was raving about it as a vendor. The GAFM is about 1/4 mile from where my brother lives, so it was easy for me to go, but if you're in the Berk/Oakland area, take a ride over to Oakland for this one. The location is easy to get to (across from the Grand Lake theater), it's laid out beautifully, and even on a cold, misty, sunless Saturday morning, there were lots of people shopping. If I had a cart and/or if we were going to be home to cook, I could have gotten in to a LOT of trouble there. Steve (Rancho Gordo's proprietor) has gorgeous heirloom beans, fresh tortillas, dried chiles, and more--stop by and introduce yourself if you get there!

Fwiw, Scalini Fedeli is upscale in decor and attitude; if you're looking for a 'fun' spot, this wouldn't be my first choice--though the food is terrific. Just depends on your crowd/attitude! Do let us know where you end up.

Or New Jersey?!?

What a beautiful tribute to your grandmother and to your culture, Monica! I'll echo the kudos that others have offered you; it was a great article. An ex-bf of mine is Indian, and although he always touted the wonders of both garlic and ginger, I never heard about basil being a cure-all! Can you explain a bit about the difference between the basil that we know in the US vs tulsi? Curlz

What he said!! And this is just one more reason I love eG...I'm in northern CA right now (had lunch today at Chez Panisse, in fact--more on that later), but I logged on, and didn't miss the article 'cause y'all are minding the store at home today! Maybe Jason or Rachel will scan the photos in? I'd love to see the pups!!

Ah...Thaiphoon...I'm a big fan of their (fresh) mango margaritas!!

Thanks!! YOU TOO!

Almost ditto for me! I'm back on 8/2, so as long as it's after that, I'm in!

if i have anything to do with it. Just name the date!!

Yes, I believe there's a sign painted on the roof so they can divert flights to Newark...

I'd probably recommend Iberia Peninsula before I'd send someone to Forno's or the ST--I went to ST exactly once--and just remember that I thought it was terrible. It's been years, though--and now that I've found the real-deal spots Down Neck, I can't imagine going anywhere else!

Now I'm gonna flip my answer a little...yes, Rachel is right that CV can be smoky. But Adega Grill is a smoke-free restaurant. Their parking lot is less than 1/2 block away, and parking is free if they validate. There's a full thread that I started on AG if you're interested. I still concur that Forno's and the ST are far too touristy. If you really want to have the Ironbound experience, you should consider one of the many other places mentioned on Ironbound/Spanish rest threads on the NJ board. Curlz PS If you really need to give your friend a reason, tell her that folks from NJ who know good food are steering you elsewhere! That's all I'd need to hear...

What he said!! Jason knows of what he speaks. Casa Vasca, DEFINITELY. And although I'm a big fan of Adega Grill, imho, CV is a more 'authentic' Ironbound experience. And it has its own parking lot! Regardless of where you end up, you might want to make a reservation if you're going with a big group; many of these places are really busy 7 days a week. Do let us know where you end up!!

From all of us in northern NJ, thanks for the invite!!! Y'all just get on here and torture us late in the day...is that nice? It is not.

It's not enough that I'm the wine scribe...you expect me to remember which one of 16 bottles was corked too? Heehee Honestly, Ant, I don't remember--but I'm guessing it was either one that I didn't taste that night (yes, there were a few), or one that I didn't care for! My dad taught me to drink what I LIKE. As for the question on the table, I have to say that I only know a few legit wine geeks, but I've never seen one insist on opening his/her own bottle at a BYO establishment. At someone else's house, DEFINITELY (hello, Dad!) but interestingly enough, not in a restaurant. I do find the question fascinating--hopefully more of the 'geeks' will weigh in. Curlz

DUH. With many thanks to Rachel for the assist, here's a spot on southern Bergen that always had very fresh fish, and a great sushi chef behind the counter...and it's BYO! Taipei Noodle House 483 Cedar Ln Teaneck 201-836-8230

Daruma is BYO? Oh, wait...it's in Rutherford--I suppose that's a given! I only went there once, and it was shortly after they opened. I thought the food was decent, but expensive for what it was...do you go there often? Do you think the prices are reasonable?

And how about the Chevy Nova--Communications professors loved to tell us aobut how it didn't sell well in Spanish speaking countries because no va translates to "it doesn't go!!"

Closest one I know that's worth going to is Nori in Caldwell--but that's not Hudson or Bergen. Sorry!!

The first mojito I ever had was at Cafe Atlantico, and I haven't had a better one yet...but I do keep trying.

I noticed in the new issue of NJ Monthly that there's something coming up in August called guitarbeque...blues and 'Q...anyone know anything about it?

You should have seen my face when I went back to look at those pics, Fat Guy! The place is FAR nicer than I expected based on what I've read. I'll be very curious to see how they progress, esp once some other eG folks go a few times and post their reviews! Thanks for the preview. Curlz

Fwiw, Bensi is a chain, although it may be a small one. I haven't eaten there b/c the one time I went in, I ordered their chicken soup (last winter, I was getting a cold, and didn't have any of MY chicken soup in the freezer) and got a container of chicken broth and (no joke) 1/2 a container of celery. No chicken. No great flavor. Just wasn't impressed, so it never occurs to me to go there. Aside from the "comes with," what else do you like there? I know for certain that there's one up on Rt. 10 on the Denville/Randolph border. If you're headed there, though, keep driving and go to An American Grill!