| |
Victoria
and Richard's Favorites:
- Bucci's
- Ajanta
- Cugini
- Lalime's
- Downtown
- Bay
Wolf
- Rooz
Cafe
for lunch! -- Steve makes the best homemade soups around.This is a really
great cafe on (upper) Piedmont Ave. And you don't have to be tattooed
to fit in.
It was the Sunrise Cafe, and before that Kaffka. Steve
(Roozbeh) Ranjbin has managed to keep it alive for a year now. This
is a great place to meet friends and get a good lunch too.
- Zax (Telegraph
Ave near Ashby in Berkeley)
SF Chronicle:: Zax: San Francisco's loss is the East Bay's gain,
with Zax hopping from North Beach to Berkeley. Zax Tavern opened
in the space formerly occupied by Mazzini's. It's much like the
original Zax, which was a Chronicle Top 100 restaurant for most of its
eight years until it closed in July. Calling it a tavern is intended
to convey casual good eating. Chef-owners Mark Drazek and Barbara Mulas,
a couple with East Bay roots at Baywolf, Cafe Fanny and Citron,
have softened the decor with a coat of buttery yellow paint, tablecloths
and carpeting to muffle noise in the two dining rooms. They've brought
along their menu of simple, seasonal dishes -- each with its own special
spin. Diners in love with Zax's twice-baked goat cheese souffle or warm
apple galette should fear not. Both made the transbay trek with every
luscious flavor intact. But there are some changes. Prices are lower
-- entrees on the opening menu top out at $17 (for a Niman Ranch steak,
pork chop or Alaskan halibut). And the couple has added other bargain
features -- a burger and three warm pressed sandwiches, all under $9.
Starters, aside from the goat cheese souffle, include three large Gulf
shrimp, grilled and perched on a cool romaine and red onion chop; steamed
mussels; warm duck liver salad; and pork ribs. Entrees range from wild
salmon with dill mashed potatoes to lamb stew with fall vegetables to
risotto with artichokes. The chicken is crisp, with the chile-whiskey
sauce cooked right into the skin. 2826 Telegraph Ave. (near Oregon),
Berkeley; (510) 848-9299. Dinner Tuesday-Saturday. Full bar. Starters,
$5-$8; entrees, $13-$17; desserts, $6. Ample street parking
|