Mori "moshi moshi" Y.'s Profile
DateSan Francisco, CA 94108
La Boulange
Categories:
Bakeries,
Coffee & Tea,
Cafes
Neighborhood: Union Square
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 549-3183
Cheese Board Pizza
Category:
Pizza
Neighborhoods: Gourmet Ghetto, North Berkeley
Something I've noticed - several restaurants along Shattuck Ave. now have jazz trios playing on certain nights throughout the week. It's interesting to think that this trend arose from Cheeseboard, which basically started out as an upright piano in the hallway that was free to play for local musicians.
Listed in: Bummin' it in Berkeley
1 Previous Review:
-
4/8/2006
(This is my first review on http://yelp.com and I couldn't think of a more special place to write about.)
Tucked away in the heart of Berkeley's 'gourmet ghetto', in between The French Hotel and the Cheese Board Collective, stands Cheese Board Pizza. At lunch time a line meanders out the door, clogging the sidewalk that's already littered with friendly dogs tethered to parking meters and a local homeless guy selling Street Spirit newspapers. There's no maitre d' exclusively taking names at the door of this perpetually packed establishment; no, when you step into the cramped and narrow Cheeseboard you are greeted by a piano, a pizza counter, and a small army of co-op employees manning the ovens with pie after deliciously hand-crafted pie.
I remember that when Cheeseboard Pizza was opened in the early 90's, it was something of a local secret and was open only for a few hours during lunch and had a single recipe that changed everyday. These days, Cheeseboard is open for both lunch and dinner (it's closed in between) and is always packed with customers; yet the one pie per day principle remains the same. The reason for this is that they use only the freshest local ingredients in their pizza, meaning that every slice is top-notch quality at a decent price.
The pies themselves range from simple to inventive; you won't find any signature sauces or overwhelming topping combinations here - but you will find artisan pizzas with an extra virgin olive oil base, and a few vegetarian toppings that balance each other in simple perfection. However, the deal breaker's for this pizza are 1) the italian, feta, or goat cheeses [just look at the name!] and 2) the crust, which is a crunchy-chewy savory sourdough. This reflects the pizzerias roots in The Cheese Board Collective's cheese and bread-making roots. This place really captures the essence of Berkeley life.
Prices are on the higher end, but still very reasonable for a the quality and generous sizes of the pies (they're pretty big!): ~$2.75 per slice, $9 for a half-pie, and $18 for a whole pie. There's almost no seating, so you can either take your pie over to The French Hotel cafe next door and order an Italian Soda (they're really cool about it), scarf your pizza standing, or do like the kids are these days and have a picnic on the grassy median strip in front of the store while listening to the live local jazz. Those who care to dine in comfort would do best to go next door to the cheese & bread shop where they can buy the same great pizza of the day, half-baked half/whole so you can have a nice warm pie of your own at home (make sure you have a medium-large oven).
============================================
"Hello Movie Lovers,
The time has come for Central Cinema cease operations at its current location after we run our final show of Iron Man on June 30, 2008. Many of you have urged us to stay open and to show more art and foreign films, even if we can't get as many family-oriented films as we have in the past. I really appreciate the show of support, and the suggestions, but the economics of theater operation are complicated, and to be completely honest, the "art house" model just isn't economically viable at a venue as small as Central Cinema.
All of that said, we are still exploring the possibility of re-opening at another location in Alameda. If that comes to fruition, as promised, I will let this email list know immediately. So don't forget about us, and watch this space for further updates!
In the meantime, I want to say that I am proud of what this tiny theather has accomplished over the last few years, and proud of the community that has shown such support and has proved, beyond a doubt, that the small, neighborhood, single-screen theater does not have to be a thing of the past. Thank you all for that.
So, for now anyway, it's...
So Long and Thanks for All the Fish."
====================================
This saddens me - we discovered this little theater just walking around Alameda, and it was a joy to catch a few movies here. The experience was much like going over to a friend's house with a home theater, or watching movies at a sleepover when you were a kid. Imagine living in a tiny village in a developing country and a traveling projectionists runs shows for the locals that would congregate to enjoy the film - that's close to what the cinema experience at Central is. The assortment of dirty used furniture, the reasonably sized popcorn, the soda in a can, the lack of commercials - this is really a venue that distills the movie experience to it's basic elements.
In an age where multiplex IMAX screens and $6 concession items are after your wallet, Central Cinema was the one place where the movie experience was pure.
I'll miss it. (until it returns!)
Like others, I had written it off due to the El-torito-esque facade of the building, but having read the glowing reviews and history of the Otaez location on International Blvd, I knew I had to give this place a spin. This has since become my go-to sit down Mexican restaurant in the East Bay. It's nothing fancy and it won't blow your mind, but the food and service are consistent, the portions are ginormous and everything is CHEAP! A combination plate is large enough for two, and runs under $10. Quite a deal.
Plusses:
+ The salsa is really freakin' good. Why? It's actually hot. It's not some watered down tomato sauce, it has a deep chile flavor with an even and slow burn. The pico de gallo is refreshing, and also hot!
+ The menu is posted in Spanish first, then in English. Awesome!
+ Rice and beans are tasty; not amazing, but very satisfying.
+ Dishes aren't nearly as greasy as La Pinata or Juan's Place.
+ Chilaquiles Rojos served all day long!
Minuses:
- Servers are friendly, but a bit disorganized since the restaurant is so large. You may have to remind them about a side salad or flag them down if you're ready to pay the bill.
- Chips are a little oily, but only because they're the delicious cooked in lard style chip.
- Carnitas only on the weekends. (Although the carnitas omelette makes up for it).
I'll have to try out the location on International Blvd., if it's truly even better than the Alameda Otaez, I'll be hooked.
First off, the atmosphere for this place is great. The collector's fruit labels on the wall, the old and kitschy coffee mugs on every table... I can see and I like the charm of Marti's.
However, the food didn't live up to all the glorious reviews. I ordered the Swedish Continental, and my girlfriend ordered the Hungry Swede. The eggs, bacon and fresh fresh fruit cup were standard. However, the swedish pancakes, the focal point of the menu.were a bit disappointing. They were dense, starchy, soggy, not very warm, and swimming in a pool of coagulating melted butter.
All in all a charming place, service was fantastic, but didn't find the food to be any better than Alameda's other breakfast joints.
San Francisco, CA 94103
Yelp Holiday Party 2007
Category:
Local Flavor
Neighborhood: SOMA
Thank you Yelp staffers, Yelp volunteers, sponsors, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts for putting together such a great party! I had a wonderful time in spite of the massive crowds. That rocked some serious shit.
The beef isn't anything to rave about, nor any of the other ingredients, but it's hot and there's a lot of it and it's really cheap for the amount of food you get. It's kind of bland food as well, tantamount to fried rice with no seasonings, and that little bottle of pepper lunch sauce that you cook the meat with only goes so far.
Listed in: Oishi katta, bitches!
First of all, the service is fantastic and personal. Warm, smiley greetings, great menu suggestions, and our food came out really quickly. The place was pretty crowded when I went (12 - 1 or so), but everything went like clockwork. Sat down, poured over all of the delicious options on the menu, and got a delicious iced tea straightaway.
We chose the Wildcat benedict - delicious! Garlic tomatoes and applewood bacon on a benedict? Brilliant! Also had one of the specials (catfish benedict), also excellent. Normally, I find that breakfast places try to make up for sorry ingredients with lots of butter, but not Sunny Side. The food was neither heavy nor greasy, yet still flavorful and fresh.
Maybe it's that they name their dishes after various Berkeley locales, but this place utterly charmed me. Will have to come back and check it out as Luna Dinner House one night.
Granted, this place is pretty feminine, but perfect tea and blazing fast wifi are hard to come by, so I can overlook that. The garden is very relaxing, and the decor (all of which is for sale. how enterprising!) give it a very lived in feeling. The only downside is that they aren't open very late, but whenever I have a morning or afternoon to kill on the island, this is my first stop.
Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 841-1688
House of Curries
Categories:
Indian,
Halal,
Pakistani
Neighborhoods: Elmwood, Claremont
3 Lists
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223 Useful, 148 Funny, and 221 Cool
Berkeley, CA
Yelping SinceApril 2006
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...I'm following my bliss.
Why You Should Read My Reviewsbecause I put some thought into them.
The Last Great Book I ReadIn Defense of Food
Most Recent DiscoveryChicken and Waffles: syrup goes on the chicken!
Current Crush"I only dated one asian girl, but she was very asian. She was a panda."~Gaffigan
The coffee is organic and they offer one of the better stocked condiment bars out of the coffee places downtown.
The menu items can be hit or miss, but the items in the sandwich and pastry counter are consistently tasty whether taken to-go or plated for dine-in. The mini-baguette sandwiches are satisfying as a snack (mini-BLT is a fave.)
Service is good in the mornings and afternoons, but can be a little harried during the noontime lunch rush.