Berkeley

Cheese Board Pizza

1512 shattuck ave, +1 510 549-3055 email: [email protected], (http://cheeseboardcollect...). tu-f 11:30am-2pm, 4:30pm-7pm. sa 12pm-3pm, 4:30pm-7pm. collective serves pizza two doors down from its gourmet cheese and bread shop in berkeley's gourmet ghetto. only one kind is available each day, always vegetarian [though be sure to ask if they are using animal/veal rennet, their cheese usually does]. buy it by the slice or take home a half-bake. one of many candidates for best pizza in the universe though a bit gourmet for some. lines can be long in the evenings, and their hours are short. best seating is on the median of shattuck if berkeley police is away.

Top Dog

2534 durant, +1 510 843-5967, (http://www.topdoghotdogs.com). a berkeley institution, with locations on 3 sides of campus hearst, durant ave, and center st. amazing hot dogs for $3 and walls filled with libertarian political writings. the durant location is the original, and is, really the only one worth going to. open until 2am m-f, and until 3am on saturday and sunday mornings.

Brazil Cafe

2161 university ave. at walnut, +1 510 845-8011. m-sa 11am-8:30pm, su 11am-7pm. not much more than a brightly decorated shack sitting on a corner parking lot, but this shack has been featured in national geographic, and is famous for its tri-tip sandwiches supposedly, the best in the bay and its mango smoothies. pedro, the friendly owner of the cafe, might be around passing out free samples as well.

Yogurt Park

2433 durant ave. near telegraph, "+ 1 510" 549-9570. 10 am-midnight every day. six delicious flavors of frozen yogurt daily, on a rotating schedule. you can get a heaping, satisfying cup for $2.75. not to be missed.

Gelato Milano

2170 shattuck avenue at center street, (http://www.gelatomilano.com/). sun-thu 1pm to 11pm, fri and sat 1pm to 12 midnight. authentic italian gelato and non-dairy fruit sorbetto made on the premises.

Crepes A-Go-Go

2334 telegraph ave. and 2125 university ave. a berkeley institution.

Lucky House Thai

2140 university avenue, between shattuck and oxford. great thai food, portion sizes big enough to be shared between two people and low prices. environment can be low key but the low prices and great food make it totally worth it.

In the Gourmet Ghetto. A Jewish deli with outstanding brunch dishes and dinner entrees try the Beef Stroganoff. Saul's brews its own sodas, with a rotating cast of new flavors.

Now accepting credit cards as well as cash. Just under $20 for a decently sized pizza. Pizza like you dream about. Available in deep-dish or regular. A second location is nearby in Oakland on College Avenue. A local and regional favorite with notoriously long lines. The regular is good, but the deep dish is unbelievable: a crispy pie crust with big chunks of tomato. Not to be missed.

Cha Am

Berkeley is known for good Thai cuisine, and Cha Am is one of the best. Eat delicious soups and more in a restaurant made up of many nooks and crannies, both in and out of doors.

A fun pan-Mediterranean restaurant in the Elmwood District.

Cafe Colucci

Hands down the best Ethiopian food in an area teeming with them, just across the Oakland border. Served traditionally on injera, with an excellent selection of vegetarian dishes, friendly wait staff and excellent decor. Try the mitten shuro.

Chez Panisse is the origin of California Cuisine, and still is the best representation of the style that focuses on local produce in season. Named "Best Restaurant in America" in 2001 by Gourmet Magazine and is one of the entries in the book 1000 Places To See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz. Fixed price menus downstairs Monday $65, Tuesday to Thursday $75, Friday and Saturday $95, which usually require a reservation a month in advance. It's worth it, though. The cafe upstairs offers more variety in à la carte form, and it's easier to get a table. Still, if your parents are paying, try to book downstairs.

Upscale French restaurant and coffeehouse in a romantic 1898 home on Telegraph Ave, but away from the major shopping.