Day 46 (June 17): Berkeley, Ca.

I have to admit that, amazing train ride and staring contest with a brass gorilla notwithstanding, I have lost a bit of energy lately. Berkeley has completely reinvigorated me. First off, Berkeley is at sea level (well, it starts off at sea level...) and, with the cool air coming in off the Bay, it is actually pleasant (mid to high 70's). Both the elevation (or lack of) and weather were a refreshing change from recent stops.

Second, I finally made it to Berkeley! Both previous times I had visited San Francisco (fifteen years ago; man, I am old) I had intended to explore Berkeley. On both those occasions, well, San Francisco got in the way. This time, just to make sure, I booked accommodations in Berkeley.

And what I found was even better than what I expected: a funky, dynamic, multi-cultural neighbourhood/community, home to numerous cultural institutions and a thriving restaurant/food scene.

Walking through the 'foodie ghetto' on Shattuck Street, one finds for several blocks restaurants following food shops following restaurants of all ilk and cuisine. (It was nice to see a construction crew hard at work putting the finishing touches on the venerable Chez Panisse, following the recent fire.)

This variety gave me the opportunity to try a cuisine I had never encountered before: Laotian food. At Dara's (a Thai/Laotian restaurant at the corner of Spruce and Shattuck), I had for dinner a Mao Kateem, with pork, which I guess is basically a stir fry. The spices were very different from other South East Asian cuisine: while pepper was the main taste, it was mixed with something sweet, which overall gave the meal a decent, but not overwhelming spiciness. It was washed down with, what else?, a Laotian beer, Beerlao Dark.

Visiting a local grocery store, I bought 150 grams of Humboldt Fog, a goat cheese with hints of blue, one of my favourite cheeses, for $6. In Ottawa, I have gladly paid $25 for the same quantity. I am still trying to figure out how to ship some home...

And, of course, I found a brew pub! Triple Rock Breweries on Shattuck appears to be a neighbourhood bar that caters to a quite a bunch of regulars. I watched the Bruins game there and quaffed a few of their IPAX, an excellent IPA, lovely on the finish, with just the right mix of hops.


Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.