. . . and Just Across the Bay . . .

Native San Franciscans (or is it San Franciso-ites?) make frequent reference to "the Bay Area," and with good reason: There's much to see and do in the cities that surround the San Francisco Bay. One of my favorites is the city of Berkeley, home of the eponymous branch of the University of California.

The ethos of the University sets the tone for much of the town in that it's a liberal, artsy, cultural destination . . . in all the good ways! There are over a dozen art galleries in this small little town, and I find them to be much less pretentious (and less expensive!) than their San Francisco counterparts. Mere mortals like me can actually afford to buy art here! And if you stroll about in the areas surrounding the Berkeley campus, you'll likely encounter the random performing musician, and occasionally some impropmtu theater. On my last visit, we stumbled across an enactment of "Queen Lear!" Jerry Worsham would have loved it.

Berkeley is also a great place to immerse yourself in the "locavore" phenomenon. In case you don't know, the term refers to those who eat only local products, including not only the expected fruits and vegetables, but also meats, fish and poultry. In Berkeley, there's a fantastic Farmer's Market held every Saturday from 10am 'till 2pm directly across from Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. There's another on Thursdays at the intersection of Shattuck and Rose, and they sell only organic produce.

The latter is just around the corner from Chez Panisse, which is one of my favorite restaurants in the universe. I know, I know -- it has a reputation for being expensive and fancy-schmancy. But there are TWO separate dining rooms: The original, more formal downstairs dining room (book WAY in advance if you want to go), and the newer, more casual upstairs cafe. I've been to both, and it's the latter that I enjoy most; not because I'm a cheapskate (they have a great $30 3-course prix fixe), but because it's more fun. The last time I was there a young man at the next table proposed marriage to his girlfriend (she said 'yes!'), and there was an accordionist playing in the entryway, much to the delight of Berkeley locals, who danced away with abandon. If you're lucky, you might even see Alice Waters herself.

I should mention another benefit Berkeley offers: It has no shortage of hotels, and on average they are far less expensive than those in San Francisco. Because it's just a short jaunt across the bay from SF, you might consider actually staying in Berkeley and reaping those savings . . . which you can then spend on entertainment and dining! Here are some of my favorite Berkeley hotels.




Thanks to Eron One and fuzuoko for the photos!