starrsville

I found out tonight that I can stay on points in Berkeley. My main goal for coming to the Bay area is to hook up with LoveItaly and other Fodorites. If Hotel Monaco's rates drop, I'll be there!

But, if I do stay in Berkeley, I'm looking for options. The list I've found so far (source = this board) is below.

I know I'm headed to the wine country later for at least one day and then down the coast to meet up with a couple of friends. I've "done" SF several times, so don't mind checking out places I've not seen yet.

And, SF is only a BART ride away!

starrsville

Oops, here's the list -

Berkeley
Amoeba records & Cody’s books
http://www.amoebamusic.com/
www.codysbooks.com

Shopping on telegraph ave?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/...&entry_id=5348
Interesting views of telegraph ave and 4th street changes


Chez panisse
http://www.chezpanisse.com/
(café option for me this trip)

Scharffen berger chocolate factory tour
http://www.scharffenberger.com/factory.asp
914 heinz avenue

Lunch at café cacao
http://www.cafecacao.biz/

Sake factory tasting? – reviews aren’t good

Top dog
http://www.topdoghotdogs.com/

Berkeley bowl outdoor market –
When I google, I get an organic supermarket

Farmer’s market – 4th street – same?
http://www.4thstreetshop.com/categories.html - looks like a shopping center

Shopping on telegraph ave?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/...&entry_id=5348
Interesting views of telegraph ave and 4th street changes

Good Vibrations
www.goodvibes.com

Berkeley Art museum
http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/

Bart –
http://www.bart.gov/stations/map/systemmap.asp

PamSF

Starrsville~Here's what I can tell you about your list:

Berkeley Bowl is a market albeit unlike any market you will ever tour/shop at.

The Berkeley Farmers' Market is on Tuesday,Thursday and Saturday. The Saturday Market is the biggest (and the one I shop). It is a true Berkeley experience. You can buy any number of things to take back home including great preserves and olive oil.


Amoeba and Telegraph might be worth a stop. Cody's on Telegraph has been sold. Amoeba is amazing. Telegraph is grungy in the least attractive sense of the word and I had an office South of campus for 9 years! Fourth Street is rather upscale in shopping but Cody's is there and wonderful all the same. Hear Music is there and quite a good place to browse but in a whole other league from Amoeba.(it's owned by Starbucks). Places to eat there include Tubacay(good Mexican),Eccolo(Chez Panisse affiliates)Sketch(screamin' ice cream)...

I am a BIG fan of the Cafe at Chez Panisse and still go there even after having started eating there in the 70's. Make a lunch reservation or a dinner reservation when you know you want to go. While in that area you might also check out The Cheeseboard Pizza(closed Monday) but great lunch and dinner. This is unlike any pizza you have ever had. Pastries can (and should be) taken at Masse's just up Shattuck from The Cheeseboard.(Also closed Tuesday).Black Oak Books is also a stop in this neighborhood and a great bookstore.(Look in the Shattuck/Vine area of Berkeley).

OChaya is a very good vegan Japanese place on Shattuck a few blocks south of Chez Panisse.

Good Vibrations is on San Pablo Avenue is a relatively recently "done" shopping area. Oh my said the little red hen... there is a Cafe Trieste on the corner there (great espressor) as well as Vanni (around the corner on Dwight) which is one of the best Thai restaurants in the E. Bay IMHO.

The Berkeley Art Museum is indeed great. Anything you see there should be pretty good.

There are great art movie houses in Berkeley. There is also very good theatre. You might check out either Berkeley Rep Theatre or Aurora Theatre to see what they are playing.

Where is your hotel?
I can probably come up with some more suggestions if I know where you will be.

Do you plan on having a car?

CaliNurse

All good and interesting places Starrsville. (I live "next door" in Oakland).
Good vibes store, eh? oh you naughty fun-lovin' lady!
Faina loves the Scharf. Choc place and Cafe. I haven't been there yet.
Pam--Is that a branch of the Cafe Trieste in SF?

starrsville

Cali, that's the list I would find on this board. You know, research and all that.

Doing a Fodor's search and an edit search, that is everything I could find that anyone on this board has recommended for Berkeley.

In others words, everyone else's list - not mine. But.... GV must be pretty good, because my company laptop won't let me go to that site. I need to boot up my PC.

Now, I'm trying to narrow down thst list - and/or add more!

starrsville

Alice Walker of Chez Panisse was just mentioned on the Today Show. That's it. I'm definitely making reservations!

bill_boy

You'll have to wait 1 month ot the date of your dinner in order to make a reservation at Chez Panisse.

Here's a few more Berkeley restaurants - depending on how you want your ambiance, but these are places where locals like going to.

Brunch/breakfast at Bette's Diner on 4th Street is a great way to spend a morning at Bekeley. Actually, the shops and restaurants at 4th street are a nice way to while away a nice morning with the locals.
http://www.4thstreetshop.com/

Cafe La Note on Shattuck Ave. is a very good Provencal restaurant with great omelletes, pancakes, sandwiches, salads and wines by the glass. It's usually crowded with locals. One of Berkeley's best kept secret.
http://www.lanoterestaurant.com/menuframeset.html

Kirala, somehwhere near the end of Shattuck (towards Ashby St) is one heck of a good Japanese restaurant. There's no reservations and there's usually locals lining up 15 minutes before they open for their 5:30 dinner start. There's a lot of good Japanese restaurants in Berkekley but this is a family favorite.
http://www.kiralaberkeley.com/kirala/kirala.html

Not in Berkeley, but in nearby Oakland is Oliveto Restaurant - regarded by some as one of the better Italina in the whole of Bay Area. A meal here ihas always been something to look forward to.
http://www.oliveto.com/basic.html

BTW, don't miss out on Berkeley Bowl.

Leely

I haven't been to Oliveto in a few years, but it used to be fantastic. Also very close to the Rockridge BART station in north Oakland is A cote (sorry, I don't know how to do accents, etc., on Fodor's ). Small plates, casual but nice atmosphere, excellent cocktails. Whoops, I meant excellent food.

Rivoli on Solano Avenue in North Berkeley, also very good food.

I live in Sf but have a lot of favorite restaurants in the East Bay, my old stomping grounds.

Oakland Museum of California is quite interesting if you like that kind of thing (I do). museumca.org

I believe the downtown/historic area of Oakland is undergoing/has undergone a bit of a renaissance--galleries, restaurants, etc. So you may want to look into that. I'm not referring to Jack London Square, which does have the dubious honor of being home to the oldest bar in California. Anyone know if that's true? That tiny old place that slants?

Picante on 6th and Gilman is an oh-so-Berkeley taqueria with really good food. Berkeley in the yuppie not the hippie way.

Oh, and I hear they have a big college or something in Berkeley.

CaliNurse

Thanks for explaining, Starrsville (about other ideas and narrowing down choices).

In Oakland, I love Piedmont Avenue. There are some great coffee places, restaurants, and clothes/shoe/gift shops there within a three block area.

Let us locals know as time approaches, where you'll be staying with your points--maybe a nearby gtg or at least cuppa coffee on the E side of te Bay, as well as the one you're planning in SF/wine country?

starrsville

Well, if folks are coming in from points elsewhere just for a SF GTG, then maybe just an East Bay one instead?

It depends on where folks are coming from. Obviously, I don't care! I'll be a TOURIST!

PamSF

Piedmont Avenue is my 'hood and easily accessed via AC transit. There is plenty of shopping(think small shops) and an excess of places to eat. At the end of it is Mountain View Cemetary which is filled with all sorts of famous folk and a delight to walk in)designed by Frederick Olmstead).

Let me know when you will be here. I will meet you for a walk and plus if I can.

starrsville

I love Fredrick Law Olmstead. He designed the grounds (and entrance approach) of the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC. An intown neighborhood in Atlanta, GA. Of course, Central Park. Hmmmm, maybe the genesis of a destination location series!

I would love to take you up on your offer for a walk through his cemetary. I think the trip will be around the Dec. 9 weekend.

Thanks all for the great suggestions!