Jojo

[marie-louise]

Anyone eaten there? I love this restaurant. I just discovered it about a year ago, and what a find it is. Everything I have ever eaten here in a dozen or so visits has been perfect. The restaurant is small, beautifully decorated, and has an open kitchen where you can watch what appear to be the happiest three people in the universe cooking their heart out. The service is also excellent. Sorry, I'm terrible at describing meals, so I'll simply post a link to their website. Click on News to read the reviews.

Edited to say that should be French COUNTRY Cooking...

Edited August 15, 2003 by marie-louise (log)

[essvee]

I've wanted to go for forever. And always end up somewhere else. for instance, went to Downtown in Berkeley on Tuesday. Had a very good meal,

(seafood platter for two, a very good seafood fritto and fried stuffed olives, and then I had a grand steak with crushed butterball potatoes, and the ms had a lovely roasted lobster tail with a real old-fashioned sauce Nantua that you just don't see anymore andwas fantastic, and then dessert was huge, with a vanilla pot du creme with mulberries, which I had never had and which were awe-inspiring and ever so slightly meaty and weird, and a bitchen choco-caramel trifle with coconut cake and candied pecans and a wonderful caramel sauce.)

and the great guitarist Mimi Fox played for our dining pleasure, too! How good!

Um, sorry for the hijack.

[marie-louise]

I ate at Downtown once. Some of the worse service ever.

Your post reminded me that I forgot to mention one of the things I like best about Jojo. While I am still stuffed at the end of a meal, their servings are normal, served on 10-inch dinner plates, not the typical huge restaurant portions served on a platter. Much like Chez Panisse.

They always have a trio of salads as an appetizer. Always different, always wonderful. A recent offering included a three-bean salad, a custard of Point Reyes blue cheese, and another that escapes me. The other night I had a bread pudding that tasted like a creamy souffle, served on lots of wonderful veggies.

[tanabutler]

I can't believe you'd post your treasure. It's a LOVELY website, though I wish they had more photographs.

[tanabutler]

Dreaded double-post went unnoticed until this morning.

Doh!

Edited August 15, 2003 by tanabutler (log)

[Hest88]

We went to JoJo's once, but we were rather unimpressed. Solid food, but there was so much hype about it at the time I guess there was no way they could live up to it. I suppose I'll have to swing by there again.

We had a great meal at Downtown when they first opened, and then a god-awful one earlier this year. Anything that needed actual cooking by the kitchen was uninspired and one was downright tasteless, and the cheese plate was the smallest thing I'd ever seen. Perhaps it was just an off-night, but I think I'll have to drag my husband kicking and screaming to give them another chance.

[essvee]

marie-louise, i meant huge in the manner of awe-inspiring, not large. sorry forthe mixup.

[badthings]

Looks great! I had forgotten about this place (I don't go to Piedmont Ave much these days). I had a mediocre, not horrible, experience at Downtown -- saw no need to return.

It seems like we have an abundance of good "French Country" restaurants in the 510 -- Rouge, Liason, La Note, Nizza La Bella... probably forgetting something here. There also this place called La Theatre (?) that just opened in "downtown" Berkeley -- haven't tried it yet. Personally, Rouge is my favorite.

[Hest88]

Cafe Rouge is my favorite too. Though, granted, I would still consider it my favorite if they served nothing but their incredible fries. Mmmmm, pommes frites.