Berkeley Favs

Even though it's been over 10 years since I left college, Berkeley holds such a special place in my heart. I venture up there whenever I have a chance and just walk around campus picturing myself rushing off to class in Wheeler, trekking up to Haas (freakin' hill!) and skipping class so I could watch/listen to the Octets perform on lower Sproul. Those were some really great times :).

Now my adventures in Berkeley center more around food (no surprise there huh :))? If you've never been, please let me enlighten you on some of the "must-try" places :P. What is it with me and lists these days anyways (hee hee)? Oh btw, this will be a non-picture post because I'm feeling lazy today :D.

1) Berkeley Bowl
This is like a crazy farmer's market but indoors. They have SOoooooooo much stuff here - if you can dream it up, they have it. It's always super crowded but such a culinary experience. You need a couple hours just to slowly peruse all the aisles and really absorb all the tantalizing foodstuffs.

2) I.B. Hoagies
They make one of the best cheesesteaks on the face of this earth! This place definitely was the main culprit for my freshman 15. I went to Philly for a wedding a few years ago, and tried a Philly cheesesteak and was so disappointed. I.B. Hoagies was soooooo much better! I always get the mushroom cheesesteak and sometimes the home-cut fries drenched in nacho cheese if I'm feeling dangerous :).

3) Great China
When Merry graduated, we waited 2 hours in the freezing cold to eat here but OMG it was so worth it. They are famous for their Peking duck, and for a moment, the waitress said that they were down to their last duck for the night, and I had a panic attack that we weren't going to have the chance to try it. But providence was on our side! And yes, it was delish. They have a lot of non-typical Chinese dishes, such as Cucumber and Conch salad and Sauteed Crab Meat which is served with the little chinese buns that typically are paired with Peking duck. So good.....

4) La Med (or Mediterranee)
They have several locations (SF) but the one in Berkeley on College Ave is so cute and quaint. Get a table out on the patio if you can and just people watch as you enjoy their Pomengranate chicken and Chicken Cicilia (wrapped in fillo dough). The Chicken Lemon soup is awesome and so is their Armenian Potato salad.

5) Top Dog
Perfect after a late night! Their sausages are da bomb :). I love the Lemon Chicken sausage as well as Calabrese (spicy!). But really you can't go wrong with anything you choose here. The long-standing joke about this place between my friends and I is that the staff there will handle your money with the same hand they use to pat your sausage bun down on the grill - don't worry, I convince myself that the heat from the grill kills all potential germs :).

6) Ici Ice Cream
This is a fairly new place, so it was not part of my college eating repertoire, but super yummy nonetheless. They have an awesome Meyer lemon ice cream sandwich and some really creative ice cream flavors like Pink Peppercorn and Earl Gray. There's always a long line, so just be prepared to wait!

7) Fat Slice Pizza
If you are a fan of crust (thick and chewy) then you will love Fat Slice. They are always at loggerheads with Blondie's, but in my view, Fat Slice is better overall. Plus, it's dirt cheap. What could be better than cheap, yummy pizza?

8) Cafe Mattina (formerly Cafe Intermezzo)
I didn't even know this place changed it's name! What the heck? Regardless of what its called, the food is still awesome. This place is famous for its GINORMOUS salads and sandwiches. I used to buy a salad and eat it for three consecutive days. Yes, that big.
If you have an aversion to people with dreads and multiple body piercings preparing your food though, you might wanna stay away :). Their poppy seed dressing is so yummy (must be the opiates HA!).

9) Cheeseboard
This is an employee owned and operated mecca of cheese. It's a pretty cool experience walking into this place actually - you grab a poker card which is your "number" and when it's finally your turn, you get an unrushed cheese tasting after which you purchase your favorite cheeses. They also make awesome daily pizza specials and bake some fantastic breads.

10) Zachary's Pizza
Ok, yes another pizza place. But hey, Berkeley is a college town man, whaddya expect :)?
Zachary's is not your typical pizza joint though. They make the bestest Chicago style pizza on the West Coast (someone I met from Chicago who moved to California confirmed this for me). The pies are baked on the spot and take about 30-45 minutes before they are ready for consumption. So grab a table if you can get one, chug a couple beers and your pizza will make its way to your table, and your server will cut and serve you the first slice. The pies are topped with yummy tomatoes and the crust is flaky, buttery and just pure heaven! I always get the spinach and mushroom pie. If you don't wanna wait, you can also get half-baked pies that you can take home and finish baking yourself. Every bit as good as the dine-in experience.

11) Sconehenge
I adore English scones (not that rock hard stuff you find at low-end coffee shops (ahem, Starbucks)) and this place makes the best ones I have found outside of England. They actually carry them at Whole Foods too, but if you can get it straight from the source why not? They serve a mean breakfast too. If you are headed for Berkeley Bowl, they are right across the street, so after hours of looking at food, why not eat some :)?

I really could go on and on but I think I'll save some for my next post. Till then, bon apetit!