48 hours in Berkeley: Where to eat, what to do during your 2-day visit
In 1984 we moved to California from the Pacific Northwest. Shortly after purchasing a home in San Mateo and anxious to get acquainted with the Bay Area, we spotted an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, “Berkeley, the gourmet ghetto.” The article outlined 40 of the town’s top restaurants and noted interesting shops and art throughout Berkeley, across the Bay and just north of Oakland. Realizing that the town was also home to University of California, Berkeley, and our two daughters would soon be thinking college, we used that article to explore about a dozen of the more interesting restaurants, while shopping many of the avant-garde shops (even got my ear pierced in one, celebrating our new California life; yes, I was much younger then) and touring the lovely college campus.
We would go on to explore the Berkeley bay-front, its unique neighborhoods, the Berkeley Repertory Theater (and in next door Oakland, Jack London Square and the historic Paramount Theatre, featuring classic, silent movies and modern shows).
We decided to revisit in early February, with fresh eyes, and revisit some of our favorite haunts and find new attractions. Here is how we spent 48 hours in Berkeley. We arrived mid-morning, starting with a delicious breakfast at an old favorite, the Oakland Grill, just south of Jack London Square, in the old produce district. After breakfast, we decided to take the “free harbor tour,” namely, the inexpensive ferry ride from Oakland’s Jack London Square to San Francisco‘s Ferry Building, grabbing a late afternoon bite at Hog Island Oyster Bar in the historic Ferry Building, and then taking the ferry back to Oakland, garnering a lovely harbor tour of both the Oakland and San Francisco harbors and spectacular waterfront views as part of the ride.
We headed for the Super 8 Motel in Berkeley, one of a number of older but classy motels on University Avenue with multiple choices well below $100 per night, a bargain in the Bay Area.
The next morning started a full day; after a light continental breakfast, we were ready to re-explore the UC Berkeley campus, with a walk through the campus around the lofty Sather Tower, better known as the Campanile, for its close resemblance to the Campanile di San Marco in Venice, Italy. On the south edge of the campus, just beyond the historic Edwards Stadium (track, soccer), Stu Gordon baseball diamond and Haas Pavilion, find a six-block stretch of Telegraph Avenue where it intersects Bancroft, for a host of unique shops and restaurants with interesting wares, perfect for people watching. We snacked on delicious baked goods from Cupcakin’ Bake Shop and made note to return sometime soon to check out old favorites, like Mezzo and Little Gem Belgian Waffles.
We took a mid-afternoon tour down to the Berkeley Marina, wrapped by McLaughlin East Shore State Park and Cesar Chavez Park. The parks are bisected by hiking and biking trails throughout the marina area - perfect for Berkeley residents and visitors to admire hundreds of boats and a fair share of permanently-moored houseboats on a sunny day. We then headed back to our motel to freshen up.
Since it was Valentine’s Day, I had made arrangements for an early, lovely dinner at Revival Bar and Kitchen, just a block from a Berkeley icon, the Berkeley Repertory Theater. An old favorite, Little Plearn Thai Kitchen was nearby but will have to await another gourmet visit. At the Berkeley Rep, we enjoyed a Tony-award winning performance of "Clyde's," a play done with energy and fervor by a five-person cast based on the elaborate theater set, the kitchen at Clyde’s Sandwich Shop ("Clyde’s" ended its run Feb. 26). Just a delightful, energetic performance, followed by a half an hour discussion of the play led by the theater’s casting manager.
On our final morning, we had time to explore the historic Ocean View area, now better known as West Berkeley, where, in the 1850s, a small settlement grew around Jacob’s Landing, a wharf at the end of Delaware Street. The settlement grew into a commercial and industrial center, with gristmill, factories, blacksmith, an inn, a school and homes. The balance of future Berkeley was farmland; the settlement came together, incorporating as Berkeley in 1878 to avoid becoming part of Oakland. The neighborhood is anchored by the old restaurant stalwart, Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto, which sadly closed in 2018.
We couldn’t resist the cute Ocean View Diner where we split a huge crab omelet with house potatoes, then walked through the surrounding neighborhood, featuring unique art on almost every block. Favorites were art installations such as the “Oh, Oh house,” complete with the tail of an airplane that had apparently crashed through the roof of the home. Across the street, neighbors had painted an elaborate mural on the side of the garage. Alas, it was time to head home, saving more of the art, sights and good eats of the “Gourmet Ghetto” for our next visit.
For more information, Berkeley, visitberkeley.com; Berkeley Repertory theater, berkeleyrep.org;
University of California Berkeley, berkeley.edu.
Reach Tim, tviall@msn.com; happy travels in Northern California!
This article originally appeared on The Record: 48 hours in Berkeley: Restaurants and places to visit
