Gregoire, Berkeley

I'm pissed. WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME ABOUT THIS PLACE BEFORE?!?!

Today is my birthday--yay me I have now been able to drink for exactly one year. Catherine had been raving about their potato puffs for a while now, so we got some takeout from Gregoire to bring back for a mini party at work (if you could call sitting in a circle between our cubicle partitions a party).

My choice for lunch was the lamb patty sandwich with a side of potato puffs. Others in the group got a shrimp and cucumber sandwich, a salami sandwich, or a mushroom cheese steak sandwich--all with a side of potato puffs.

Before I get into describing these tiny little bites of potato heaven, I'm going to talk a bit about the place itself. Gregoire is primarily a take-out sandwich/salad place. It is a tiny hole in the wall (though it's a pretty cute hole in the wall) across the street from the Elephant Pharmacy on Cedar at Shattuck. When you walk inside, there is a small bar with room for about two people to sit and eat, while watching the cooks toll away. The rest of the standing space has room for I'd say three people to stand in line. There are a few seats outside, but that's it. On the website, they describe themselves as a take-out joint, so I suppose it makes sense. Everyone who worked there was friendly, and considering everything was made fresh for me, I didn't mind the long wait (plus we had seven orders which seemed to throw them a bit).

Enough with the atmosphere. My sandwich was delightful. The lamb was flavored really well, and it was on a fresh toasted bread roll with tomatoes, mayo and arugula. The prices on the menu online seem a bit high until you actually taste the sandwiches...They are about on par, price-wise, with Cafe Fanny, but taste-wise blow Cafe Fanny out of the water. Everything is cooked fresh with fresh ingredients. Even the tomatoes on my sandwich stood out as being exceptional.

I also have to mention something about the packaging. The sandwiches and sides are all put in a very cute cardboard box with a sheet of checkered paper and a "Gregoire" sticker on them. They are cute but also functional, and really were good at keeping the heat in.

Finally, saving the best for last--the potato puffs are a tiny bite of heaven. Basically they are little balls of mashed potatoes that are deep fried and garnished with a bit of salt. They come with a bit of roasted pepper aioli. Whoever came up with this idea is a genius. Deep fried mashed potatoes? Yum! If anything, go here just to get the potatoes, but I have to say that I loved every aspect of my meal here. Others who walked by our cubicle area also seemed to enjoy the puffs...I'm definitely going again, and you should too. About the portions; we discovered that between two people, splitting a sandwich and one order of potato puffs is probably enough.

Thanks again to everyone who has been sticking with my blog and reading/writing comments. You make my day so much more interesting!

Gregoire has a lovely website with a menu that you can preview: www.gregoirerestaurant.com

Gregoire is located at 2109 Cedar Street (at Shattuck) in Berkeley.
Phone: (510) 883-1893

They have another location (which I heard through the grapevine isn't as good) at 4001 Piedmont Avenue at 40th.
Phone: (510) 547-3444

Both locations are open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Just for Fun

I've been looking all over for a place with good sides AND bbq, which no one seems to think exists. I was excited when I saw that a place called Looney's SmokeHouse BBQ opened up on Oxford at Bancroft. It looked like it might be a fun place, but I was skeptical after seeing a huge line after they first opened, and then walking by a week later to see the place empty. After checking out my faithful review site, www.yelp.com, I don't think I'll be going, but some of the posts were too funny not to pass on:

"I was expecting good BBQ. Granted the meat they served was cooked correctly, but it came covered in this awful, chunky, spicy salsa kinda of stuff. I was dumbfounded. I was pissed. I eventually took it home, rinsed it and added KC masterpiece, much better."

"So, I just back to my apt as fast as I can post this warning to prevent any of you from going there. This is by far the nastiest, driest, bland-tasting ribs I have EVER eaten."

"I had a brisket sandwich there a few weeks ago. It had fairly large chunks of fat on it, and was pretty tough. The cole slaw looked like kimchi. None of my co-workers enjoyed their food, either. Oh, and there were flies all over the place.
The server was pretty confused, and couldn't be found when we wanted our check.
I'm never going back there."

"I give them 1/2 point for the good mac & cheese & the crowd of people working at this joint & the big TV screen. I would have given them 5 stars for the beers on tap and if they didn't serve food fired all the employees."

So I guess we shouldn't be eating at Looney's...

Kirala, Berkeley (Lunch)

Rachel and I decided to get some sushi during our lunch break, and since the actual sit-down Kirala is closer to Nolo we went there (they have a different location for take-out only in Epicurious Garden). We started out with the seaweed salad...I wanted to order agedashi tofu as well but apparently they don't make that until dinner time. Unfortunately, the "not at lunch" issue came up quite a few times when I tried to order. They don't do the robata grill during lunch either, and the only sushi that you can order is on a tiny little check-off menu provided at the tables (No amaebi and shrimp heads! Noooooo!!).

Eventually, we decided to get some salmon nigiri, a rainbow roll, scallop nigiri and tuna nigiri. The seaweed salad came first, and it was delicious. It was a much larger portion than the dinner size, and had little pickles and a reddish seaweed in it which I've never seen before. The salad was dressed with a sesame sauce, but it wasn't drenched in it. Overall, it enabled us to get a taste of the dressing and of the seaweed itself. My favorite part is just the texture of the salad, which was very crunchy.

Next, the sushi came. It was beautifully presented, and all of the fish was very fresh. I'd never had a rainbow roll before, so I'll describe it now. Basically, it's a California roll with tobiko and three different types of thinly sliced fish laid across the top. Very tasty.

Basically, the reason why I'm putting this post up is because I always rave about Kirala--I still do--the food is great, always fresh, and I love the atmosphere. However, one of the main reasons why I love going there is because of the robata grill, which is a no-show for lunch, as are most of my favorite dishes. Still, for a very satisfying and filling lunch, it ended up being only $20 bucks per person, including tip, so I can't really complain.

Pho 84, Oakland

I've been going to Pho 84 with my family for a few years now, and every time I go, I love it. I somehow convinced Andy to try their food on Wednesday. Every time I've gone in the past, there has been a huge line, so I guess Wednesdays around 6 are a good time to go--even parking was a breeze!

Both of us got drinks--Andy an imported Vietnamese beer and me a mango smoothie. I always have a hard time deciding what drinks to get at Pho 84 because they are all so good--the coffee with condensed milk is always a great choice, probably not for dinner, but it's also a good conversation starter because it's so beautifully presented. I also love the lemonade mixed with iced tea. On Wednesday, though, it was a smoothie day. The mango smoothies are made from fresh mangoes and they truly taste like it. They can be a little bit heavy at times, because I think there is some sort of dairy in it too, but they are overall very refreshing.

Sorry, didn't try Andy's beer...I know I have to be a reviewer but honestly I just don't like beer.

Moving on. Our appetizer of the night was the spicy beef salad. They marinate and grill thinly sliced pieces of beef and lay it on a bed of fresh mint, shredded carrots and jalapenos. It was even spicier than normal last night, but the flavor was still really strong, and the beef tender. Andy wasn't a fan of the mint, so we compromised. He ate all the meat and I ate all the mint...my favorite part.

We also ordered chicken satay and my personal favorite dish of red snapper in a coconut curry sauce with special rice. At Pho 84 you can choose between having regular rice or "special rice." The special rice is I believe cooked in chicken broth, which gives it a bright yellow color, but a lot more flavor than the ordinary rice.

The chicken satay consists of slices of chicken breast in a spicy red chili sauce with tons of green onions on top. It's very spicy, but goes along well with the rice. Andy's friend Dave ate our leftovers and apparently he was sweating like crazy but loved it.

The red snapper is fried and then covered in a coconut curry sauce with onions and fungi (I don't want to say mushrooms here because I think most people will get the wrong idea). The sauce itself is so tasty and addictive--even after the fish was gone, I like saving it to eat over rice. It's a little bit spicy, but not overwhelmingly spicy. You can also tell that everything is freshly made for each order because the fish, despite being covered in sauce, is still crispy.

All in all, it was an as usual wonderful meal at Pho 84. The food was fresh, tasty and flavorful, and the service was good (not outstanding, but good). The cost of eating there isn't as cheap as most Vietnamese places I've been to, but it's definitely worth it for the quality of the food. I highly recommend this place to anyone. Even Andy said he'd love to go again, which is a huge stamp of approval.

Pho 84 is located at 354 17th Street in Oakland, CA between Franklin and Webster.

They are open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
They are open for dinner Monday through Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Kirala, Berkeley

Kirala is by far my favorite Japanese restaurant, so it's about time that I write a review for it. I went with my friend Nnekay yesterday (Tuesday) around 5:20 p.m. We got a table as soon as we walked in, which is very rare. As soon as the clock hit 5:45, though, the place was packed and there was the usual line out the door. So, my new recommendation is to go on a Tuesday (according to my idol Anthony Bourdain this is also a good day to get fresh fish) and before 5:45, when the crowd comes.

We started off with some unagi and amaebi. Unagi is always one of my favorites, I'm thinking about ordering it for Andy the next time we go out and just not telling him what it is until after. Besides, I think he'll like it: the flavor is always good, so is the texture (tender on the inside and the outside has a nice crunch), and I highly doubt he has the suspicion that I'll try and trick him into eating barbecued eel. As always, it was beautifully presented and fresh fresh fresh.

One of my new favorites (thank you Margaret) is the amaebi. They give you two nigiri pieces with the raw body of the shrimp, and then they give you the heads deep fried with a lemon wedge. Nnekay was a little too weirded out by the shrimp heads--she said that if I really thought she was missing out on something that she'd try it out, but to be honest I just wanted to eat both of them so I said it was a cultural thing that I'm not weirded out by the head. To my mom's side of the family--best thing ever, you have to try one or you will be missing out!

We also ordered from the Robata grill. I don't know too much about the Robata grill--just that it has special Japanese coals which give the food a special flavor. You can get good sushi at quite a few places in the Bay, but the Robata grill here is to die for. We ordered two of my favorites; the scallops and the squid (you can order either a small part of the squid or you can order the entire body). Both come with a special sauce on top, a lemon wedge and a bit of tobiko. The scallops are always cooked perfectly (not overdone or rubbery) and go really well with the sauce. Even Andy thought they were tasty when we went. That really says something. I also love how the squid is a bit charred on the edges, so the squid has a very crunchy texture.

So, sadly, this was all that we ordered this round at Kirala. Probably the cheapest meal I've ever had there. Between both of us not being that hungry and Nnekay having to get to class, we definitely didn't get to sample all of my favorites, but this is in no part because of the food.

I'll do another review, but just off the top of my head, my other favorites at Kirala include: baby lobster tail off of the robata grill, the caterpillar roll (soft shell crab, tobiko, unagi...mmmm), agedashi tofu, seaweed salad, and the tuna nigiri. I also have some recommendations--if you arrive when the line is out the door, make sure to sign up to go to either the bar OR a table. While the table isn't as fun, you will be seated much faster. However, please note that if you are going to order a dinner, such as a meat and rice dish, you cannot sit at the bar (we learned this the hard way with Andy). Also, if you are sitting at the bar, make sure to order Robata grill dishes from the waitress, not the sushi chef. They get annoyed, and who wants an angry sushi chef? I also recommend ordering in stages. I like to sit and talk a lot because the atmosphere at Kirala is quite nice, and since the food is pricey (but completely worth it, in my opinion), it's nice to digest a bit and then order more when needed.

Check out their website: www.kiralaberkeley.com

Kirala is open for lunch Tuesdays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
They are open for dinner Monday through Saturdays from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sundays 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Kirala is located at 2100 Ward Street in Berkeley, CA 94705.
Phone: (510) 549-3486

Please note that they do NOT take reservations.

Picante, Berkeley (Round Three)

Catherine was convinced that she could make me like Picante. She did.

We ordered a bunch of things together and split them today for lunch. We ordered the empanadas, two a la carte tacos with carnitas, split a rajas burrito, and had the chocolate angel food cake for dessert.

First of all, I think that Picante is a LOT better when eating in. My enchiladas probably wouldn't have been so rubbery if I had just eaten them at the restaurant and not at my cramped, greenhouse of a cubicle. Of course having good company also helps out a lot. :)

The rajas burrito is Catherine's favorite--it was very good. They fill the burrito with roasted green peppers, rice, beans and some really good sour cream. It has enough spice as it is, but it's even better when you drop some of the roasted chipotle salsa on top. Either way, it's a very nice take on a burrito. Plus, it's nice to notice when the veggies are fresh, and they definitely were in this burrito (Picante 1, La Burrita 0).

I tried the empanadas next. The empanadas were filled with peppers and cheese, in a folded and sealed flour tortilla which is then deep fried. They then garnish it with queso fresco, lettuce, and that pickled veggie thing that Heather loves. I don't even like cheese and I liked these. The cheese practically melted in my mouth, and the texture of the tortilla was amazingly good--very crispy and flaky. This one didn't need any additional sauce, it was very satisfying on its own. I could probably just make a dinner out of the empanadas.

Next, I moved on to my street tacos. The tacos consisted of a handmade corn tortilla filled with carnitas, diced onions, cilantro and guacamole. The carnitas were good--definitely not dry like the chicken had been two times ago, but they needed a little bit more flavor (I recommend Gordo's for really good carnitas). The guacamole was good, but they were better after I put some salsa verde on top...Or maybe if I had a lime that would have helped too. Still, these weren't bad, and I'm starting to appreciate Picante a lot more.

Finally, even though I was really full, we ate the chocolate angel food cake. Just half of one was enough for me, but it was really addictive. If you're going to get one, definitely turn your slice over on to its side and eat it from the bottom up. The cake itself is great but when you get a bite of it with the chocolate frosting on the top, it's heaven.

So I'm convinced. I'll definitely go back to Picante--not all the time when I want Mexican, but I'm definitely a convert. Finally.

Please stay tuned, I got a huge list of authentic Vietnamese and Mexican restaurants from my dad's friend who is very involved in food. I'll probably try to slowly make my way through the list and learn my way through the taco trucks of International Boulevard.

THANK YOU Catherine for lunch!

Picante, Berkeley (Round Two)

Ok everyone said I had to give Picante another try. Heather and I just went together, and overall, it was much better than before, but I'm still not overly impressed.

We both ordered the tortilla soup and split the ceviche. I'll start with the ceviche. It had fish and shrimp, which were very fresh, in a sweet tomato sauce with a slice of avocado on top. Everything was good, I just don't like sweet ceviche. I can't say that in general, this is actually the first time I've had sweet ceviche, but I liked the spicy/tangy ones I've had a lot better; Heather agreed with me. The ceviche was served with their homemade, thick and salty corn chips, though, which were really good.

The tortilla soup was good, it had chicken and tortilla chips in it with a hint of some cheese. They also give you some diced onions and cilantro on the side to add. The only thing I would have added would have been a bit more spice and some lime. Overall though it was very satisfying, and Picante gives you a lot. However, both the tortilla soup and the ceviche ended up costing me $16! I'm really agreeing with AP (see comments on Picante entry number one); I need to go to International Boulevard and get me some cheap, good eats. Though I will comment, they use primo fresh produce and yes, they do have cured Neiman Ranch beef, so with some dishes it's hard to argue with the price. I just feel like with Mexican food, you can get something way better at a much lower price by going somewhere that to me at least seems more authentic.

I'm going to go one more time like the true food critic (I heard Michael Bauer goes at least 3 times) I'm trying to be--plus my mom had some recommendations too. If on Monday when I go with Catherine I'm still not sold, I'm calling it quits with Picante. I might be taking a higher risk of getting some sort of food poisoning but I have no problem with going to La Burrita or some random taco truck for a cheap but oh so tasty wet burrito. Anyone have a recommendation for International Boulevard restaurants? Please leave a comment and let me know!

T-Rex BBQ, Berkeley

I've been here quite a few times now, ever since I found out that my friend Kete is an investor. T-Rex is owned by the same group who created Lalime's, Sea Salt, Fonda, and Jimmy Beans. For some reason I felt like pigging out on Tuesday night (this is after eating Picante AND Crixa Cakes in the same day...what can I say, the A's lost and I'm an emotional eater), so I dragged Andy to go get some BBQ (or not...).

Sorry Catherine, I don't go for the BBQ despite the place having barbecue in their name. I've had the ribs before with my friend Margaret and I wasn't impressed--$16 for a half rack of dry pork ribs with not enough sauce (which was mild even though we ordered hot). For ribs, go to Everette and Jones (or Doug's, per Catherine) to get way more meat that is way better.

Anyway, I go to T-Rex because I love their sides. The mac and cheese is usually really good and so are the greens. I love getting the cornbread for dessert (a huge slice of delicious cornbread soaked in maple syrup) but after Crixa Cakes, nothing can really compete. I ordered the mac and cheese and the kale. Andy got the brisket sandwich sans horseradish sauce. We also got the spicy drumsticks appetizer.

One thing I that has always impressed me at T-Rex and the other restaurants owned by this group is the service. Everyone is always friendly and laid back, and I've never had a bad waiter. Tuesday was no different. The food on the other hand, at T-Rex and Sea Salt, is inconsistent. I've had some amazing meals at both, but sometimes the chefs are not on their best game. I don't want to make too much of a generalization with this though because the majority of the time, especially at Sea Salt, the food is great. This review is about T-Rex though, so I'm going to move on.

The drumsticks came first. They were garnished with some lettuce, radishes, celery and apple with a little cup of bleu cheese dressing. The bleu cheese was good, and the drumsticks, though not spicy, were really good. The chicken was tender and tasted like it had been smoked all day and covered in bacon. Mmmm.

Then, our regular food came. I wasn't able to eat as much as I originally thought (thanks to Crixa Cakes), but my depression about the A's was mounting so I dug in. The mac and cheese at T-Rex is usually amazing. The mix of cheeses is so good that even I like it (I hate cheese--I know, it's weird.). The only complaint was that it is usually cooked longer to get a better browned crunchy texture on top. Flash forward to now, as I sit in front of my recently reheated leftovers of the mac and cheese, I have one more complaint. I reheated it in the microwave (probably not the best idea, but I'm at work), and there is now a puddle of melted butter sitting in my cardboard take-out container. Not too appealing. I drained my mac and cheese in the sink and now it tastes fine, but it still could be more crunchy. Grr. My recommendation: eat all of your mac and cheese at T-Rex so you don't see how much butter they put in it.

The kale was also good, but again too oily. Last time I remember having veggies at T-Rex, they were cooked really well and tasted a lot lighter. This time, the kale came with little squares of what I think were roasted yams, which were very tasty, but the kale itself was too oily. My Auntie Carolyn's greens are wayyyyy better than this, so maybe I have high standards, but honestly the greens were just dripping in oil.

Andy's brisket sandwich looked really good, but he scraped off all of the horseradish sauce that the waitress mistakenly brought which disappointed me. I didn't try any because I was too immersed in my mac and cheese, but he said it was good. He wasn't thrilled with the cole slaw on the side--he said they didn't put enough flavor in it, but that the potato salad was decent. He also had some pilsner (sorry I don't know my beers, nor can I hold them--I'm part Asian!), that he said was good...They have a huge selection of beers, wines and specialty drinks at T-Rex which look awesome but I was not in the mood to drink. Sorry, I know to be a food critic I should be trying everything but this is why this is a free blog that I'm doing while I'm bored at work thank you very much.

Long story short, this meal was okay. I've had a lot better at T-Rex, so I don't want to discount the place. But if you are in the mood for ribs, remember what I said before--go to Everette and Jones; T-Rex is overpriced for those. For sides, T-Rex is usually really good and I always go home full, regardless of whether or not I had Crixa Cakes beforehand. I know from this review they don't sound that great, but I know I'm going to go back there eventually...I think I was just there on a bad night considering my previous experiences.

There also has to be some credit for the ambiance at T-Rex. It's a really fun place to go with friends, either to the bar or you can eat upstairs--they have couches that are great for lounging at eating appetizers (which are the highlight of their menu anyway). Thanks everyone for your comments on my blog so far, keep 'em coming!

T-Rex is open Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (bar until 10:30 p.m.); Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. (bar until midnight); Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. (bar until midnight); and Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (bar until 10:30 p.m.).

They are located at 1300 Tenth Street (at Gilman) in Berkeley, CA 94710.
Phone: (510) 527-0099

Website: www.t-rex-bbq.com

Picante, Berkeley

It's a slow day. Time for post number two.

Picante comes highly recommended by the Chronicle food writers, so I thought I'd give it a try. It also turns out that Picante is owned by Jim Maser, who is Alice Waters' brother-in-law and co-owner of Cafe Fanny (a place I love).

The restaurant is located near the corner of Gilman and 6th. I was in a hurry to find parking (I have a tendency to do some very odd things when I'm hungry), so I decided it would be okay to just park in the red one block down. For future reference, I noticed as I walked into the restaurant that there is a huge parking lot across the street with an even huger sign that says "PICANTE PARKING."

My mind was set on having something hot, spicy and filled with meat. I ended up ordering the enciladas verdes: chicken wrapped in hand-made tortillas, covered in salsa verde with black beans and rice on the side. In addition, Heather from Nolo recommended this pickled vegetable mix thing, so I got a small container of that. Since I was on work time, I wasn't messing around (there is a hint of sarcasm here), so I ordered everything to go. I stood around and waited for about 7 minutes until my food was brought to me. The dining room was nicely decorated--there looked to be seating inside and out. Nothing too special, it reminded me of most upscale taquerias I've been to.

Eventually I came back to my desk and dug in. I was really looking forward to the hand made tortillas, so I started on the enchiladas. Unfortunately, the meat was really dry and the tortillas were rubbery. For $14 total, I was hoping for something better. The salsa was better than most though, it had a fair amount of heat which is kind of rare for salsas verdes (though please note I'm not attempting to be a Mexican food connoisseur, I just look like one). The rice was flavored nicely, but both the rice and beans looked like they had been sitting out for a long time. Very disappointing. I'd also like to add that I think I went in with very high expectations, considering that Alice Waters is associated with the restaurant, so I expected crisp, fresh organic veggies. This wasn't a bad enchilada, it just didn't make me crave more.

I then moved on to the pickled veggie thing. I know this stuff has a name, I just don't know what it is. When I ordered it, I simply asked for the pickled veggie thing and this is what I got. It's basically a mixture of pickled cauliflower, zucchini and carrots with lots of jalapenos. The flavor of it was really good, but I think I was hoping for more sourness than I got, and it was a bit more hot than I'd have liked. Sweating through my A's hat after two bites, I decided to bring it home for Andy, who seemed to really enjoy it, but he also agreed that it usually has less heat and more acidity (but he liked it better that way). Either way, not bad, but the veggies could have been more crunchy. Note--Heather just said over our cubicle partition that it helps to eat the veggies with tortilla chips, it cuts down on the heat, and after what I just wrote, I'd assume add some crunch too.

In the middle of writing this post, I went over to thank Catherine for being my first comment on the site. I told her my next review victim was Picante and she said I need to rethink my ordering choice. I'm going to go back, like the true food critic I am, and order something else, but so far I'm skeptical. Catherine and Heather both have heard that the tortilla soup is great, and I'm interested in their ceviche. Nolo is pretty close to Picante, so come back soon (PLEASE come back soon and read my blog!) and I will probably have a new review of this place soon.

The one thing I will give this place is that they seem to do veggie and vegan well; they have an entire menu devoted to vegetarian and vegan cuisine. There is a brunch menu for the weekend, also, that I may or may not try. Depends on that tortilla soup. Anyway, like I said before, check back or let me know your feedback on this place.

Picante is located at 1328 6th Street in Berkeley, CA 94710
They are open Monday through Friday, 1:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Phone: (510) 525-3121

Website: picantecocina.citysearch.com
Yelp.com: www.yelp.com/biz/x_8JAuZLXfcI1SJlgOcZ6g

Crixa Cakes, Berkeley

I had a dream two nights ago that I bought a chocolate cake and ate the entire thing. Unfortunately the dream didn't fulfil my hunger, and I woke up craving cake. Yelp.com is my new reference for food recommendations, so during an as usual busy day at work, I typed "chocolate cake" into their search engine. Crixa Cakes, on Adeline, the first to show up. It was also the first place in Berkeley I had ever seen listed with five stars.

The menu made me crave chocolate cake even more, so immediately after work, I attempted to drive up there. Crixa Cakes is a very cute, small bakery across from that triangle parking lot across from Kirala. Confused? So was I. It didn't help that as soon as I turned on to Adeline from Ashby, there was some sort of crime committed in front of Kirala. Twenty cop cars (including two meter maids!), a fire engine and two ambulances all rushed to the scene, preventing me from continuing down Adeline. After driving in circles for a very long time and trying to figure out what was going on, I reverted back to my original mission. I think the easiest way to find parking for Crixa Cakes is to either park in that mystery triangle lot (is it for Kirala? The mountaineering place?) or to do what I did--I turned down Carleton, made a left, and then made a left Derby and parked along the Volvo dealership wall (not the side of the Co-Op, you need a permit). I'm not sure if this makes sense on a day that 20 cop cars aren't parked on Adeline, but it worked yesterday.

So anyway, this place is very cute. It's tiny, and hard to miss if you aren't walking right in front. They have both outdoor and indoor seating. Online, the Yelp.commers had all raved about the Carmella Cake ($4.75 for a mini cake), so I had to get one:

"Moist chocolate chiffon cake with vanilla whipped cream, bittersweet chocolate mousse, and butterscotch caramel."

And the Cherry Chocolate Mousse Cake sounded amazing as well ($4.95 per slice) so I got a slice of that too:

"Chocolate sponge cake with a light soak of dark rum, tart cherries and creamy bittersweet chocolate mousse."

The New Orleans Bourbon Cake also looked beautiful and chocolatey, but after seeing how huge the slice of Cherry Chocolate Mousse Cake was, I decided to call it quits. Plus, when I asked the woman at the counter which she preferred, she said that the Bourbon one was a little too strong for her. My Asian side cannot handle liquor and the last thing I need is to get drunk off of a cake. Carmella and Cherry Mousse it is.

I got my two cakes to go, but it looked like the place would be fun to hang around in as well--they have a good selection of teas up on the board.

I took the cakes home and after seeing them, Andy immediately got two forks and two giant glasses of milk. These cakes are gorgeous, but they also look very very rich.

We started on the Cherry Chocolate Mousse cake first. I'm trying to be somewhat intellectual with this food blog but honestly, it was just soooooo goooooooood. The bottom layer was a chocolate sponge cake. On top of that was a layer of mousse with cherries and rum, and on top of that, another layer of the sponge cake. It was topped off with bittersweet chocolate mousse. Normally when I've had cakes claiming to have mousse, they've just been frosted with a really rich, thick sugary chocolate layer. No more. This cake was rich but not unbearably rich. The sponge cake was smooth, not too sweet, and very...spongy? The cherries were, as promised, tart and went perfectly with the cake. No, the rum did not get me drunk, there was just a light flavor that complemented everything well. The mousse was the highlight, though--someone at Crixa Cakes really knows how to make a mousse. It was light, almost airy, to go along with the sponge cake. All in all, it was amazing. Even Andy liked it--that says a lot.

We then ate the Carmella. The Carmella was also a taste of perfection. The cake again was light and airy. In the middle, there was some fresh (not too sweet!) whipped cream, and the top was covered in caramel and bittersweet chocolate mousse. Rich, but not heavy, so I definitely kept wanting more. The caramel was not the overwhelming flavor of caramel I usually expect. Everything contained a wonderful buttery and smooth taste. Andy liked this one too, but he said he preferred the Cherry one. When it comes down to it, I'd probably crave the Carmella more.

Go here. Please, go here. It is worth a trip. If you get it to go, make sure you have plenty of milk on hand. As far as portion sizes, I'd say that splitting one Carmella between two people would be pretty satisfactory but I guarantee you'll want more. Crixa Cakes also sells goods that are not of the chocolate cake variety, such as apple cake, pie, and all kinds of other things.

Crixa Cakes:
Tuesday through Thursday: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

2748 Adeline Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
(510) 548-0421

You can check out their website: www.crixacakes.com
Or the reviews on Yelp.com: www.yelp.com/biz/TS07BQsyZqwcEgraAbiMbw