Bucci’s serves ‘Italian Soul Food’ in the industrial area of Emeryville. Since 1988 they have been serving as a gathering place for unpretentious comfort food. Read the rest of this entry »

In-N-Out Burger opened way back in 1948 in Baldwin Park, California focusing as a drive through hamburger stand. Their motto is “Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods you can buy and provide them with friendly service in a sparkling clean environment.” They have locations in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah.
We went to the Mountain View location to refresh our memory of how this popular burger tastes. We’ve eaten a ton of high quality burgers and it was time to test our taste buds. In-N-Out does not freeze their beef, has no preservatives in their buns, hand-leaf their lettuce daily, peel and dice fries daily from whole potatoes, and use 100% cholesterol free oil.
Decor, Vibe – Standard fast food joint decor with this location pretty clean.

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China Village is a Chinese restaurant featured on the KQED public television program Check Please back in 2008. They specialize in Szechuan (Sichuan) Chinese food but serve other styles of Chinese Food. China Village is in the 2010 Michelin Guide as a recommended restaurant. We were nearby and finally had an excuse to visit. It is a generic decor Asian restaurant in the Solano avenue business district of sleepy Albany, just north of Berkeley. Read the rest of this entry »

Commis is a hot restaurant in Oakland run by James Syhabout. He has cooked at several superstar restaurant; Manresa, The Fat Duck, el Bulli, Mugaritz, and Alkimia. Commis focuses on Contemporary California cuisine with a focus on local, sustainable, and eco friendly practices. The restaurant is located in the Piedmont Avenue area of Oakland, home to hot spots like Bay Wolf, Dopo, and Fentons. Commis received one Michelin star in 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

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Pican is a restaurant in revitalized Uptown Oakland next door to Ozumo. New Orleans native Michael LeBlanc started this restaurant in 2009. This area is undergoing a transformation from long closed auto dealerships and the like to a modern inner city. It serves California infused Southern Cuisine with lots of fresh seasonal ingredients in a vibrant cosmopolitan atmosphere. They were on the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand list for 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

Bocanova opened in September, 2009 and serves Latin American – Californian cuisine in a colorful setting located in Jack London Square, Oakland. This area has recently seen the opening of several upscale restaurants, helping to revitalize the scene. The husband-wife team worked at Chez Panisse and MarketBar. Read the rest of this entry »

Emilia’s Pizzeria is a new small pizza place in Berkeley, located about a block from Berkeley Bowl supermarket. Keith Freilich, the owner, has worked at Pizza Hut, Grimaldi’s Hoboken, Pizzaiolo, and Flour + Water in San Francisco and serves up ‘New York style’ pizza. Emilia’s sells pizza by the slice and pie. Regular and sausage and onion were the pizzas available today. They often sell out, so go early and check their Twitter feed. The place was recently on serious eats.
Decor, Vibe – Tiny pizzeria with two small tables run by one person. Most people got pizza to go. Pizza foodies and locals were the main ones eating.

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Tog Dog has been serving up grilled sausages on French rolls since 1966. They now have 5 locations in the East Bay, most are near UC Berkeley and are open very late. They serve 10 different varieties.
Decor, Vibe – Tiny hole in the wall with pretty low key decor, political leaflets all over. Many students getting food.

Menu Pictures (Click to zoom into any picture)

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Dopo is a small Italian neighborhood restaurant in Oakland’s Piedmont Avenue shopping district. The chefs used to work at Oliveto. It is located almost across the street from Fenton’s and opened in 2004. They recently opened a sister restaurant Adesso a block away. They do not take reservation unless you have a party of 5+, so wait times can be long. We went at 5:45pm and just barely got a table. We saw them offer wine to some people waiting. Read the rest of this entry »

Shan Dong Mandarin Restaurant is a family run Chinese Restaurant in Oakland’s Chinatown focusing on Shan Dong regional Cuisine. The focus is on noodles and dumplings. It was top rated on Yelp and has been mentioned in newspapers, so we decided to try it. Read the rest of this entry »

Chez Panisse Cafe is the lower cost, a la carte menu restaurant upstairs from famous one Michelin starred Chez Panisse. Alice Waters started a food revolution here, way back in 1971. She strives to serve only the highest quality products, and only when they are in season. All produce, meat, poultry, and fish come from farms, ranches, and fisheries guided by principles of sustainability. This restaurant has produced many famous chefs that have gone on to start their own restaurants.

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