Hotels and restaurants in the Bay Area. - Page 6

I'll be gone until the 29th, unfortunately.

What are you actually doing something fun for spring break? Unlike me who is sitting around the house not doing much of anything during my last spring break ever.

golden boy pizza in north beach, 1 veggie pesto pls

Any sushi recs for the East Bay, mainly Oakland, Berkeley. All I care about is Sashimi.

Also pho in the city, I've been trying to find a spot for quite some time now.

The best sushi I have found in the Bay Area is a small dive in Walnut Creek called Sakana. It is no frills but the owner knows the purveyors and gets the absolute finest fish anywhere.

[quote=Also pho in the city, I've been trying to find a spot for quite some time now.[/QUOTE]

Try Pho City in San FRancisco. Its on 20th and Clement(somewhere in the area). They have the Pho challenge-4 lbs of food

i think its called pho garden
i wanna this place, not the challenge though!

Ah, thanks but I'm rarely in that area. For some reason I can't stand it.


I've heard of the place, they put in two bags of noddles. Thats massive and I only use a quarter bag at home. I've also heard the pho wasn't so great.

You're correct. Thanks for catching it.

Unfortunately, no. Five days into my 'break' and I'm neck deep in research and preparation for a very important interview on the 29th. I've just changed the setting of my office, really.

I'm surprised no-one mentioned either Gary Danko or Ana Mandara, both of which are near Ghiradelli square. My father-in-law lives right down the block, so I've been to each a couple of times. The food and wine are always wonderful, and the pricing isn't ridiculous.

Went to Oliveto a few nights ago. Had an almost perfect meal. Very highly recommended.

Here are some of my favorite Berkeley/Oakland establishments, in no particular order, and with some perhaps lesser known and less formal spots that deviate form the usual suspects (i.e., Chez Panisse, Oliveto, Cafe Rouge, Camino, Wood Tavern, etc.--all of which I adore too): Great China in downtown Berkeley for Chinese food; some of the best I've had anywhere in the world, including Taiwan and China. Best Peking Duck I've had; 'Ants Climbing a Tree' is phenomenal here; Guo Ta Tofu is amazing; Double Skin is a great cold noodle salad dish; they have a Dungeness Crab dish that's cooked with egg whites, ginger, scallions, etc. and served w/ steamed buns to make little sandwiches out of; their walnut prawns are delicious... Gioia Pizzeria on Hopkins St. in Berkeley. Best NY style pizza I've ever had. Their pepperoni slice is heavenly, the spinach sublime. Acme Bakery on Cedar St in Berkeley. Everything here is delicious, but the ham and cheese turnovers put anything at Tartine to shame in my opinion. Al's Big Burger on San Pablo Ave in Albany. Seriously, this is the most delicious standard bacon cheeseburger I've ever eaten, and boy have I eaten a lot. I'm not sure why it tastes so good; they use frozen patties and serve crinkle cut fries (which are also always perfectly fried--almost like a potato gougere, crispy on the outside, but almost like whipped potatoes on the inside). Ajanta on Solano Ave has terrific 'upscale' Indian food with a rotating menu that highlights different regional specialties. Masse's Pastries on Shattuck Ave; fantastic cakes and delicious croissants. An excellent morning bun as well, but I prefer the ones at La Farine. Taco Grill on E.12th st between 35th Ave and Fruitvale Ave, right at the Fruitvale Bart Station. Most amazing carnitas I've ever had. All organic ingredients (including masa for the fresh homemade tortillas), and Niman Ranch meats and Fulton Valley Farms poultry. Locally grown vegetables when available. Don't be fooled by the cheesy name and generic cactus signage. This place is outrageously delicious, and as cheap as the numerous taco trucks in the area. A taco is only $2, and is nearly twice as big as the ones you get at a typical truck. Everything is good here, people rave about the pozole--it is technically a taqueria as well as a pozoleria--but I think they really shine with their tacos. The burritos are only ok. The burritos at the Sinaloa Taco Truck at 22nd and International are superior. Otaez Mexicatessen on International Blvd in Oakland, at 38th Ave. Not everything is good here, but the Caldo Tlalpeno (spicy chicken soup with garbanzo beans and chipotle peppers) is excellent, filling, and cheap. Homemade corn tortillas here are thick and fluffy and delicious. 900 Grayson in Berkeley. One of the best burgers I've ever had. It only comes one way, with white cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, house bbq sauce, and shoestring fried onions. When it's brunch time, I'lll order a fried egg on the side to put on top of my burger. They have a chicken and waffle dish that's made with a boneless breast, it is quite good--the spice mixture they use in the breading is delicious, but for those who eat actual chicken with bones in it the chicken and waffles at Brown Sugar Kitchen on Mandela Parkway in West Oakland are better. Grayson is closed for dinner and on Sundays, so visit accordingly. Luka's Taproom on Broadway and West Grand in Oakland has fantastic burgers and Belgian Fries. The patty tastes great here, it's perfectly seasoned. The buns have a tendency to disintegrate. This place is also a bar and has a dancefloor in another room, so it's quite noisy. Marzano on College Ave. Great wood fired pizzas, and the happy hour special is to die for. $10 pizzas, and other things of lesser interest at discounted prices. Pizza here is better than Pizzaiolo, Boot and Shoe Service (Charlie Hallowell's much ballyhooed East Bay pizza restaurants), and Delfina in my opinion. Champa Garden in Oakland (can't think of what street it's on, but it's in a residential area just off Park Ave) has great Laotian food. The appetizers are the best, especially the fried spring rolls and the fried rice ball salad. Whatever they put in the sauce that comes with these dishes is insane... I could go on...but since this has been a dead thread for a long time I'll stop here and see if this restarts a conversation about great food in the East Bay...