Page 80 - 2019 Travel Guide to California

BERKELEY
Superb dining and performing arts thrive
in this celebrated university city
»DINE, SHOP,
SEE A PLAY
Berkeley Visitor
Information
visitberkeley.com
BERKELEY FROM THE TOP of
Sather Tower, a.k.a. the Campanile,
above; summer street scene on
Telegraph Avenue, below.
WORLD-FAMOUS as a historic center of free
speech and 1960s counter-culture, Berkeley, on
the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay, has
morphed into a foodie and arts destination. But
it’s still Berkeley, proudly offbeat, quirky and
fun to visit, especially now. The Downtown Arts
District on Addison Street showcases the Aurora
Theatre Company and the nationally known
Berkeley Repertory Theatre. The Freight &
Salvage Coffeehouse—which is both a perform-
ance venue and folk-music learning
center—has recently presented the likes of
Cowboy Junkies, Ladysmith Black Mambazo,
Booker T. Jones, Richie Furay and Cape Verde
singer Maria de Barros.
Two major venues opened downtown in
2016: the 83,000-square-foot Berkeley Art
Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) at
2155 Center Street near the downtown Berkeley
BART station. The station and surrounding BART
Plaza returned with a new look in late 2018 after
a $13 million renovation. The striking results
include a Berkeley LIVE performance stage,
foodie stalls with treats from Berkeley Farmers’
Market and 1951 Coffee and a visitor information
kiosk. A staffed visitor information center is just
a block away at 2030 Addison Street.
Another downtown draw, at 2036 University
Avenue, just west of Shattuck Avenue, is the
102-year-old UC Theatre, a cinema-turned-
music space, with its superb, made-in
-Berkeley Meyer Sound System. North
Berkeley, along and near Shattuck is the city’s
Gourmet Ghetto, with its jewel in the crown,
Chez Panisse, founded by the doyenne of
fresh, local, seasonal California cuisine, Alice
Waters. The 1966 original Peet’s Coffee is right
nearby. Other favorites include the Cheese
Board cheese shop/bakery and the bakeshop
78 2019 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
B Y D A V I D A R M S T R O N G
Cupcakin’, which opened this year in the old
home of the long-gone but fondly remembered
Virginia Bakery. Cupcakin’s highlights include
sweet potato cupcakes and vegan vanilla cran-
berry cupcakes. Hey, it’s Berkeley.
One-of-a-kind shopping and dining abounds
on Fourth Street, in West Berkeley. Traditionally
centered north of University Avenue, Fourth
Street businesses are expanding their offerings
south of University, too. Fourth Street’s stand-
outs include the designer eyewear shop Rims &
Goggles and the Japanese handmade stationery
and wrapping paper shop Miki’s Paper. Also on
Fourth, freshly sourced, innovative Mexican cui-
sine is featured at Tacubaya, which recently
expanded into larger quarters.
Gorgeous brown-shingle wooden homes
and public buildings by celebrated architects
Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan—who
adapted Arts and Crafts design to form the Bay
Region style in the early 20th century—enrich
the city. Maybeck’s serene 1910 First Church of
Christ, Scientist, just east of Telegraph Avenue
and south of the UC Berkeley campus, is an
architectural hymn to silence.
On campus, the circa 1903 Greek Theatre
presents headliners in its outdoor amphi-
theater, while Cal Performances brings interna-
tional acts indoors to 2,700-seat Zellerbach
Hall. You can toast the artists and debate the
true meaning of art in a plentitude of craft
microbreweries and urban winery tasting
rooms near campus and beyond. Among the
urban winemakers are Urbano Cellars and pur-
veyors of unfiltered, minimally processed
natural wines Donkey & Goat. Downtown
favorite Triple Rock, dating to 1986, recently
expanded its space by 50 percent for the in-
house production of quaffable brews.
VISIT BERKELEY