Dine-and-Date: Berkeley’s “Gourmet Ghetto”
Photos by Chelsea Davis
San Francisco’s sunny East Bay neighbor, Berkeley, is home to the one and only “Gourmet Ghetto,” also known as the birthplace of California Cuisine. Don’t let the name fool you—this culinary goldmine is filled with countless specialty shops, casual eateries, upscale restaurants, bakeries, sidewalk cafes and more. Not to mention, it exudes all the eclectic and diverse hippy vibes that colorful “Bizerkely” is known for. If the saying “the key to the heart is through the stomach” has any validity at all, treating your date to a day of exploration through one of NorCal’s most unique cities will have ‘em falling in love in no time.
1. The Cheese Board Collective
So long as neither you nor your date are lactose intolerant, The Cheese Board Collective will solidify the chances of a second date. This collective opened as a small cheese shop in 1967. Today the cheese store offers an espresso bar and more than 400—yep, 400—different types of cheese, along with freshly baked breads and pastries daily. The pizzeria located a few doors down whips up pizza of the day that is absolutely worth the line, which often times is long. That said, live music is played every day, making the line fly by. Using fresh ingredients, unique cheeses and a homemade sourdough crust, this pizzeria offers a new vegetarian pizza daily. Each as enticing as the last.
2. Saul’sPhoto by Chelsea Davis
You don’t have to be in New York City for an authentic Jewish delicatessen experience. With more than 100 seats for you and all your friends, Saul’s deli offers specialties ranging from latkes and blintzes to its famous chopped chicken liver and braised brisket sandwiches. For an unbeatable combo, order the house-smoked pastrami sandwich which features thick cut pastrami brined for days, spice rubbed, long-smoked, steamed and served on warm Acme rye, along with a bowl of chicken matzo ball soup and a house-made celery-tonic soda to wash it all down. Be sure to grab a couple traditional hamantashen or black and white cookies to go.
3. GregoirePhoto by Chelsea Davis
Located right around the corner from the renowned Chez Panisse, Gregoire is known as the first high-end artisan takeout restaurant. Owned by French-trained chef and owner, Grégoire Jacquet, this small, yet charming carryout offers seasonal menus and serves both lunch and dinner. Dinner items include items such as the grilled marinated lamb T-bone while the sandwiches include options such as the fried buttermilk chicken with spicy cole slaw or the roasted leg of lamb with bell pepper stew and goat cheese. Though the sandwiches are impressively stacked, you simply cannot miss out on Gregoire’s crispy potato puffs, which have gained cult-like status in the Bay Area. They are that scrumptious. Crispy on the outside, yet buttery and dense on the inside, these puffs are akin to fried mash potatoes balls on steroids. If you can, grab a seat on one of the outdoor picnic tables as your food is prepared in the cozy kitchen beside you.