“Yes!! Tarocco is the restaurant that we all needed but didn’t know! So fresh and healthy and delicious. Upscale enough for a nice work lunch but you can also show up as you are. Bravo!Dietary restrictions: Gluten-free and dairy-free friendly.“
“Finally tried this little gem on San Pablo Avenue after passing it for years saying, ‘I gotta try that little gem’.A couple friends and I managed to get a same day reservation at the corner of the bar, which worked out perfectly.We ordered exclusively from the tapas menu, and I’m glad we did although I’m sure their paella and mains are equally exquisite.Everything from their BIMI to cheese platter, to croquettes and churros for desert were a delight. Each plate had its own distinct and satisfying flavor, and nothing we ordered disappointed.I suggested the octopus which sounded splendid, but my friends protested that octopuses (octopi?) were too smart to eat, so we compromised on their dumb cousins, squid. Dumb maybe, delicious certainly!Being a dedicated carnivore, I had little hope for the mushroom croquettes , but they were also scrumptious. Better yet were the chicken and crab croquettes, with each of us expressing a preference for one or the other. If you have to chose, I say go for the crab and my friends would say go for the chicken. The best solution is to order them both!The atmosphere of La Marcha is ‘classy casual’, and very lovely. Every table seemed to be celebrating something, much like you’d expect on a warm summer evening in Barcelona.As the saying goes, “You can judge a person by the company they keep” and I think this can be applied to La Marcha’s ownership. He/She/They must be remarkable people to attract the kind of talented chefs and servers who made our evening complete.I was too shy to ask our server her name, but I think one of the other (regulars?) called her Seejay (which isn’t a real name… I Googled it), or Cindy (a name I haven’t heard since the Brady Brunch). I’ll go with Seejay because it is as uncommon and unexpected as this young lady. Anyway, you’ll know who I am talking about when you go there. Seejay fills the room with her beauty and charisma, and she seemed to be one-person army. I don’t know if they were understaffed that day, or if Seejay just takes on the responsibility for the entire restaurant, but she seemed to be everywhere at once, and yet the level of service she provided my party made us all feel like we were sitting in the VIP section of some swanky club. I hope and trust that the ownership recognizes what a blessing they have with Seejay (or Cindy… whatever).Well, that’s about it. If you are still hesitant to give La Marcha a try, then all I can say is thatyou are more squid than octopus.“
“This review is for the dinner service, which is lovely, full of charm, and has a serious appreciation for food as art. Each dish was incredibly flavorful, curated, and came with fresh ingredients. Overall, the dishes had quality ingredients that were thoughtfully put together, and well worth the value. The vibe and ambiance was fit for both a playful date and an evening with friends. The person behind the counter was also very kind and took his time to suggest wine pairings and dishes. So grateful for this place -- it definitely is a spot for good dining in Berkeley.“
“Wine So Cru has been on our list to check out for quite some time, and we were finally able to go a few weeks ago. Overall, it was a good experience, not without its cons (see below), but generally, Wine So Cru offers an elegant and intimate environment to enjoy wine. The staff in particular are extremely knowledgeable about wine and very attentive.What I really liked about Wine So Cru is that they offer not only some very high end wines (to drink or take away - more about this later), they also have very affordable options, including some geekier (for wine nerds) options like lesser known varietals or wines from lesser known regions. All this is to say that whether you know what you like and you like what you know or if you're a bit more adventurous and open to learning, Wine So Cru has options for you. Bottle prices ranged from as low as $20-30 to well beyond $200-300+. They seem to be reasonably well stocked up on champagne if that's your jam! They also have some interesting flight options if you're in the mood for sampling a few different wines.While browsing the selection, the staff was extremely helpful and knowledgeable and I truly get the sense that they want to help you find something you're going to really enjoy, rather than being hyper-focused on upselling you on more expensive offerings. Don't be shy and tell them your price range.The bottle prices are retail prices, i.e. for you to take the wine home. If you want to enjoy the wine on premise, there's a $20 corkage fee, which I feel is quite reasonable since they'll be providing the stemware, ambiance, service, etc.There are so many positives about Wine So Cru, but it comes with some negatives as well. First and foremost, of the few wines I was familiar with, their retail price is quite a bit higher than you can find elsewhere. For example, the 2019 Louis Latour "En Chevret" Volnay 1er Cru sells for under $150 retail, even from places like wine.com, which is not necessarily known for offering the best prices. In the shop, the retail price was over $200. Let's say you were in the mood for a Napa cab and chose the 2018 Groth Reserve CS - it'll set you back $180 (retail) vs. $120-140 from other retailers. So although there's "only" a $20 corkage fee to drink in the shop, chances are you're going to be paying 20-30% more for the wine to begin with.Lastly, the location leaves something to be desired. It's on University very close to the 80 overpass, under which there are frequently unhoused members of our community. The juxtaposition of sitting in the wine bar enjoying $200 bottles of wine while meters away, people aren't even able to meet their basic needs - it's not lost on me. Now of course, none of this is the fault of Wine So Cru and I only mention it because you may feel unsafe walking around the area at night. After all, there's a reason the front door remains locked during business hours and you have to be let in by a member of the staff.“
“Best hidden Thai restaurant that I just found out about this year! I celebrated my birthday here earlier in the spring and I was able to reserve a table for 6 with no problem. I was specifically looking for a restaurant that had a lot of vegetarian options for my vegetarian friends and was amazed to find they had so many on their menu. Overall, my experience at this restaurant is superb. The customer service was excellent, friendly servers, and dishes passed out in a timely fashion. Food was excellent. My party ordered a variety of dishes from soups, to salads, to noodle and meat dishes. The portion of the food were huge, quality was definitely delicious! All my friends enjoyed their dishes and had leftovers. I also like the intimacy of this restaurant. It's on the smaller side, though they still had plenty of tables. Though there were a good number of people also having dinner, the noise level of the restaurant was not too loud. It was perfect for my group because we could have conversations and hear each other very well without competing with loud noises or other people's conversations. After my excellent dine in experience, I ordered pickup from the restaurant twice and had a good experience as well.“
“Vegetarian options: I had the Mount Etna salad and it was one of the best salads I've ever had! Really colourful with interesting textures and flavours, and warm ingredients were welcome on a cold rainy day! There were lots of other vegetarian options that looked tempting too.“
“A long overdue review as I came here in May for BRW to go. We got 4 BRW prix fixe menu for $40 each for us and my parents and added a lamb shank from their regular menu as well. The mushroom soup was light and flavorful with every sip due to the porcini broth. Since I rarely fry things myself, anytime I see arancini available, I almost always get them and these definitely did not disappoint. Three of us got the crab raviolis which just like the soup was delicious from the first bite to the last. The porchetta was good but personally I preferred those crab raviolis instead. Since my dad loves lamb shanks, we had to order one to try and it was dad approved. For dessert, it was 50/50 chocolate torte and blood orange panna cotta. For chocolate lovers, that torte is decadent and satisfying. For non-chocolate lovers, that panna cotta was a great alternate, but again for me, chocolate was the way to go.“
“East Bay Provisions is a lovely breakfast & lunch restaurant at The Carriage House Entrance of The Claremont Hotel in Berkeley. The staff is wonderful and they actually remember their customers by name! We had delicious breakfasts and lunches as well as delicious coffees, lattes and tasty cookies.“
“This was a celebration of International Women's Day for a group of close neighbors, some of whom had not experienced Corso before. The hostess greeting was perfection, as was Vito, our server, Michael our expeditor, and the food was superb❣️ The perfect evening for gratitude to our Women!“