Oh Berkeley, how I love thee....

We have moved on to the regional cuisines of Europe in class and these past couple days have been focused on the foods of Italy. Italian food is my 2nd favorite cuisine because it's so carb-centric (pasta! pizza! foccacia! YUM!) so I'm pretty much in heaven right now. We made some really delish stuff yesterday - Pasta shells stuffed with spinach, ricotta and sausage, baked with tomato and bechamel sauce. Linguine with clams and lasagne too.

Anyways, I digress! Back to the best of Berkeley!

12) Gelateria Naia
This place ranks very high on my list for the best gelato in the Bay Area. My favorite flavors are Pistachio and Stracciatella (Hazelnut). One year, Merry brought me a whole pint as a birthday present (thank you Mer :)). That was the bestest present ever!

13) Yogurt Park
I lived at Unit 3 (go Ida Sproul!) during my freshmen (and soph) year and my RA introduced us to this place on the first or second day. It's right across the street. I've been hooked ever since. My college buddies and I lovingly nicknamed this place "Y.P." but I guess now it's known as "YoPo". What's good? Heath Bar crunch fro-yo and the Oreo yogurt shake! Awesome dairy goodness + toppings galore.

14) Cha-am
Thai food at it's best! Sometimes after eating Thai, I feel slightly queasy, greasy and my mouth has a strange aftertaste. Like when you've had bad Chinese food you know? Not so at Cha-am. The food is flavorful yet light and you really can't go wrong with anything you order here. Plus the restaurant is super cute - great place for a date!

15) Cafe Durant
In the last few times I've been here, the portions have become quite a bit smaller than what I remember back in college, but the food is still good nonetheless. Where else can you get yummy breakfast as well as awesome Mexican food? For cheap too! I love sitting out on the patio/balcony and drinking freshly squeezed orange juice and breathing in the scents of maple syrup and refried beans :). Great place for after pulling an all-nighter or after taking a final.

16) Barney's
Seriously, this place has the best burgers I have tried in the Bay Area. They make some awesome curly fries too. I guess it's sort of a "gourmet" burger joint. They use Niman Ranch beef so the burgers are juicy and taste natural :). Possibly even good for you, hee hee. I love the Bacon Cheeseburger, simple and delish.

17) Steve's Korean BBQ
Located in the infamous Asian Ghetto (aka Durant Square), this is one place that every starving Cal collegiate has turned to for ultimate sustenance. For about $8-$9, you get a heaping portion of Korean BBQ (the chicken is my favorite) on top of a mountain of rice, along with some pan chan (kimchi and beansprouts). Squirt some Korean chilli sauce on top and you're in for a but-gusting treat.

18) Jimmy Bean's
This is a little jewel located a ways off campus. They have the best breakfasts and a wonderful Roast Pork loin sandwich (Pear Slices, Caramelized Red Onion, Organic Mix Greens, Mustard & Romesco Sauce). The Jamaican jerk sandwich is pretty amazing as well. Great place to stop by if you're shopping at the nearby North Face outlet.

19) Crepes A Go Go
Of course, they opened a location closer to campus only after I graduated :). They make the crepes in the window facing the street and leave the front door wide open, so that as you walk by, the scents of Nutella and sweet crepe batter can lure you in. Sweet or savory, anything you pick is amazing.

20) Ryowa Ramen House
I frequent their Mountain View location (near Castro) quite often and love their house ramen which is a pork broth flavored with sesame and little bit of heat. They make an awesome kimchi too, which is not a traditional accompaniment to ramen, but who cares - it's so good! My love affair with ramen didn't start until long after college, otherwise I would have been at the Berkeley location all the time. Too bad!

I'm stopping at 20 places, but I really could go on and on and I'm sure there are places I haven't discovered yet. as Berkeley is just that type of city - hidden gems of goodness tucked away everywhere. On my list of places to go is Jupiter, La Note and Gregoire's. I hope I find as many excuses to go to Berkeley as possible. I never want this love affair to end :).