I have tickets for show in Berkeley in March (Zellerbach Hall). I
would appreciate recommendations for great or interesting restaurants
in the area. Pretty much any cuisine is OK, esp. seafood, italian,
sushi, country french, chinese, thai, vietnamese, ...

Thanks

If there is a better place to ask, please advise.


--
For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com

On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 19:52:22 -0800, Top Spin >
wrote:

>I have tickets for show in Berkeley in March (Zellerbach Hall). I
>would appreciate recommendations for great or interesting restaurants

C hez Panisse knows no equal.

-- Larry

On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 09:18:51 -0500, pltrgyst >
wrote:

>On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 19:52:22 -0800, Top Spin >
>wrote:
>
>>I have tickets for show in Berkeley in March (Zellerbach Hall). I
>>would appreciate recommendations for great or interesting restaurants
>
>C hez Panisse knows no equal.

I was hoping for someplace that I could actually get into. The last
time I called Chez Panisse, they said you had to call "exactly" three
months in advance starting at 9:00 am. By 9:15 am, they were booked
for that day.

Have you dined there?

Do you know Alice personally?

--
For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com

Top Spin > writes:
> I was hoping for someplace that I could actually get into. The last
> time I called Chez Panisse, they said you had to call "exactly" three
> months in advance starting at 9:00 am. By 9:15 am, they were booked
> for that day.

It's not always that bad.... The current policy is reservations up to
*one* month in advance, and if it's not a Friday or Saturday night you
can get a reservation a week in advance pretty easily.

I ate there last time I was in Berkeley for a business trip, and I
called 6 days ahead of time. I'm not the only one, two or three of my
coworkers have done the same since I recommended the place to them.

--
Richard W Kaszeta

http://www.kaszeta.org/rich

On 21 Jan 2004 07:42:29 -0600, Richard Kaszeta >
wrote:

>Top Spin > writes:
>> I was hoping for someplace that I could actually get into. The last
>> time I called Chez Panisse, they said you had to call "exactly" three
>> months in advance starting at 9:00 am. By 9:15 am, they were booked
>> for that day.
>
>It's not always that bad.... The current policy is reservations up to
>*one* month in advance, and if it's not a Friday or Saturday night you
>can get a reservation a week in advance pretty easily.
>
>I ate there last time I was in Berkeley for a business trip, and I
>called 6 days ahead of time. I'm not the only one, two or three of my
>coworkers have done the same since I recommended the place to them.

Thanks. I just checked their web site, which says just that.

When you ate there, was it in the restaurant or the cafe? We have show
tickets at 8:00 in Zellerbach Hall. The web site says the first
seating is 6:00-6:30. It's a set menu (4 courses). If we got a 6:00
reservation and were on time, would we be done by 7:30 without rushing
so much that we would ruin the evening?

Can we walk to Zellerbach Hall from Chez Panisse?

Thanks


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For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com

Top Spin > writes:
> Thanks. I just checked their web site, which says just that.
>
> When you ate there, was it in the restaurant or the cafe?

The restaurant.

> We have show
> tickets at 8:00 in Zellerbach Hall. The web site says the first
> seating is 6:00-6:30. It's a set menu (4 courses). If we got a 6:00
> reservation and were on time, would we be done by 7:30 without rushing
> so much that we would ruin the evening?

That might be pushing it.

> Can we walk to Zellerbach Hall from Chez Panisse?

Zellerbach is on the south side of the campus, while Chez Panisse is
about a mile north, so it's a bit of a walk. Maybe 1.5 miles?

--
Richard W Kaszeta

http://www.kaszeta.org/rich

On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 21:02:57 -0800, Top Spin >
wrote:

>On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 09:18:51 -0500, pltrgyst >
>wrote:
>>C hez Panisse knows no equal.
>
>I was hoping for someplace that I could actually get into. The last
>time I called Chez Panisse, they said you had to call "exactly" three
>months in advance starting at 9:00 am. By 9:15 am, they were booked
>for that day.
>
>Have you dined there?
>
>Do you know Alice personally?

I do not know her personally, though I have met her (and her daughter)
and been given a nice tour of the kitchen when my wife and I asked her
to autograph our copy of the book about the three most influential
women in American cooking, of whom she was one.

Firstly, the upstairs cafe does not take reservations -- you can just
walk in. A much simpler menu, but the same quality.

Secondly, assuming you have flexibility as to time: I generally call
after I arrive in SF, no more than three or four days in advance, and
I've *never* been unable to get a downstairs table any night from
Monday through Thursday. CP has been there for so long that it's not
so trendy-high-demand as the French Laundry, for example.

-- Larry

On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 11:06:35 -0500, pltrgyst >
wrote:

>Firstly, the upstairs cafe does not take reservations -- you can just
>walk in. A much simpler menu, but the same quality.

Apparently, this has changed. From their web site:

On June 1, 2000, the Café (upstairs) began taking lunch and dinner
reservations up to one month to the date in advance. To reserve a
table, call (510) 548-5049 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:30
p.m. Monday through Saturday. This policy also to applies to special
events at Chez Panisse (New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, and Bastille
Day, for example). The wait for a table in the Café can be very long
at dinnertime, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. The host can
estimate, but of course cannot guarantee, when there will be tables
available for parties without a reservation. Therefore we strongly
encourage calling in advance to make a reservation.

>Secondly, assuming you have flexibility as to time: I generally call
>after I arrive in SF, no more than three or four days in advance, and
>I've *never* been unable to get a downstairs table any night from
>Monday through Thursday. CP has been there for so long that it's not
>so trendy-high-demand as the French Laundry, for example.

Unfortunately, we need this to be on a Saturday! ;-)

Maybe we'll do the Cafe or do CP another time.

The French Laundry, in my opinion, is grossly overrated. It's not
awful, mind you, I'd probably give it 3 stars, but there are several
restaurants in Palo Alto that are far superior.

The main restaurant at the new Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay, is a
fabulous experience. Their prix fixe menu is much better than TFL.

Thanks for the help.

--
For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com

On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 09:47:22 -0800, Top Spin >
wrote:

>>Firstly, the upstairs cafe does not take reservations -- you can just
>>walk in. A much simpler menu, but the same quality.
>
>Apparently, this has changed. From their web site:
>
>On June 1, 2000, the Café (upstairs) began taking lunch and dinner
>reservations...

Whoa, thanks for the update and correction! We were there last
September, but downstairs, and didn't note the revised cafe policy.

-- Larry

East Ocean Chinese Restaurant in Emeryville is very good.


"Top Spin" > wrote in message
...
> I have tickets for show in Berkeley in March (Zellerbach Hall). I
> would appreciate recommendations for great or interesting restaurants
> in the area. Pretty much any cuisine is OK, esp. seafood, italian,
> sushi, country french, chinese, thai, vietnamese, ...
>
> Thanks
>
> If there is a better place to ask, please advise.
>
>
> --
> For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com

Just ate at Tanaka Sushi on University Ave. which might be a 10-15 minute
walk to Zellerbach. They've got fresh sushi and a great dinner entrée menu
as well as good beers (bottled) and sake. they also have a small wine list.

Prices are moderate for excellent food.

hth,
RE

On 1/19/04 7:52 PM, in article ,
"Top Spin" > wrote:

> I have tickets for show in Berkeley in March (Zellerbach Hall). I
> would appreciate recommendations for great or interesting restaurants
> in the area. Pretty much any cuisine is OK, esp. seafood, italian,
> sushi, country french, chinese, thai, vietnamese, ...
>
> Thanks
>
> If there is a better place to ask, please advise.
>