Bucci's, Emeryville

One of the great things about working at Nolo is that they constantly feed us. Once a month, there is a randomly selected group called "The Lunch Bunch" that goes out to eat on Nolo's dollar. I was one of the lucky selectees this month. I voted that we go to Cafe Rouge or Eccolo, two restaurants that I have always wanted to try, but unfortunately was out-voted by the group. We went to Bucci's in Emeryville instead.

The place came highly recommended by everyone who was going, so I had some hope that it would be good. The decor was really nice, so that got my hopes even higher. Unfortunately, it was downhill from there.

First of all, they served us a plate of bread and olives, but didn't even give us bread plates. I wanted to eat the bread with what the Yelpers say is the best olive oil in town, but there was no way to really do so. Everyone at our table basically just stared at the bread until our food came. To add to the madness, the CEO of our company came. He's a really great guy and very laid-back, but the fact that he's the CEO made it kind of difficult, as we all had to play the food ordering game (figuring out how he's ordering so we can figure out how much we can all get).

The service was okay. They were good at remembering to refill my water glass, but our waitress was very short and abrupt, as if she just wanted to turn over the table. When David (the CEO) started going over a practice presentation, she kept staring at us as if we were over staying our welcome. As if? We were, I guess.

I took the queue from everyone else and just ordered a main course. The menu itself is really simple, and not in a good way. I was very unimpressed. They had basic Italian style food that you can get at any run of the mill restaurant (i.e. spaghetti with sausage, linguini with clams, etc.), but in tiny portions, for no less than $15 a plate. Supposedly they did fish well, so I ordered the Alaskan halibut with aioli.

The fish itself was okay, but everything else around it was a nightmare. The fish was put on a bed of sliced mushrooms, halved cherry tomatoes, spinach, and sliced red potatoes. The combination of all of them together was okay, but nothing new or exciting. Plus, the potatoes were raw! I ate all of them because I was starving and the servings were so small, but never have I been to an upscale restaurant where they didn't know how to cook a potato. Since they were sliced pretty thinly, I almost feel like they didn't cook them at all, because it doesn't take much to cook a potato slice that is only 1/4 inch thick. The aioli was also terrible--too thick and too much mayo. It also didn't have any flavor aside from the mayo. The great aiolis that I have had have some sort of flavor infused, such as lemon or garlic, but this had nothing to it.

I looked around at everyone else's food, and they ate everything on their plate, but no one was raving about how good it was, which usually happens at these things when no one knows what to say to one another. Two of the women in the group ordered the linguini with clams, and the linguini looked almost mushy it was so overcooked (it fell apart on their forks). Plus, it looked like it was cooked in a simple tomato sauce, so nothing too exciting. If they can't even cook pasta and potatoes properly, I don't even want to know what happens when they try to cook something unique.

Our waitress was also very good at snatching our plates away when we were finished, even interrupting one of our lunch bunch members as she was talking to see if she could take her plate. Needless to say, I would not recommend this place to anyone. I still love the company that I work for, but I would have been annoyed if I had had to pay for this meal. If you feel like defying my anti-recommendation, here is the information for Bucci's:

6121 Hollis Street, Emeryville 94608
(510) 547-4725

http://www.buccis.com

Bakesale Betty, Oakland

My mom always raves about this place's pies, but I never knew that they serve regular food, too! Paw Paw had cut out an article from the newspaper on Bakesale Betty the last time I was at her house, and it mentioned that they serve the best chicken pot pies and fried chicken sandwiches. I had to try it out.

As fate would have it, one of the girls I work with had to go pick up a friend who lived near Lake Merritt for lunch. So, we headed off to pick him up and they asked for a recommendation as to where to eat. Conveniently, her friend needed a ride to Berkeley, and Bakesale Betty was on the way there.

The place itself would be very hard to find if it weren't for the huge line of people outside during lunch time. Even the firefighters from next door were lined up, so we knew it must be good. There isn't even a sign on the door, and there is no menu--the only reason we knew we found the right place was that there was a piece of butcher paper taped to the wall that said "Fried Chicken Sandwich...Chicken Pot Pie...Egg Salad Sandwich."

Being the amateur food critic I am, I allowed everyone to get the same thing (a fried chicken sandwich) and didn't try anything else. A gigantic sandwich (packed with 3 huge pieces of fried chicken) and a water bottle cost $8.00. Sounds expensive, but I was full after only half of my sandwich, so split two ways, it is only a $4.00 lunch.

The sandwiches are made on soft, fresh rolls, piled high with a cabbage, fresh jalapeno, and vinegar slaw, along with three pieces of juicy, crispy, slightly spicy fried chicken. Leilani had a little bit of trouble with the jalapenos, but since they were fresh I didn't think that the spiciness was overpowering. In fact, it was just about perfect. My biggest problem was that the seating provided by Bakesale Betty is limited to stools and milk crates, so I had cabbage pieces and napkins flying everywhere.

Despite the huge line that consistently stood outside the cafe, the turnover is fast. We stood in line for about two minutes before we were helped, and the employees were very efficient. They even take credit cards!

Lunch was delicious (everyone complimented me on my recommendation even though I'd never eaten there before). I didn't get hungry until about 5:30 that evening, and the chicken was still crispy then, which is one of my tests for fried things. Still crispy and still delicious. I highly recommend trying their sandwiches! I promise next entry will not be something fried (I hope).

Bakesale Betty is located right on the corner of 51st and Telegraph. Parking may look daunting but actually isn't bad at all if you go around the corner.

5098 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA
(510) 985-1213

They are open Tuesday through Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.