1517 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA
(510) 548-5049
Website
| Description: Chez Panisse Cafe is a Californian and Fine Dining restaurant where most Menuism users came for a romantic date. | Tags: | |
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October 7, 2008
Whenever I mentioned to someone that I was going to Chez Panisse, they would always be shocked and somewhat impressed. The restaurant has such a good reputation for good and priciness (esp for college students), that people are practically awed that you are going to eat there. I decided to eat here one day while at Cal, and I went with my girlfriend for her birthday.
I could only get reservations for the Cafe since I reserved it a couple days before the desired day. I actually think the Cafe works out better because you get some choice in what you want to eat, the ambience seems nearly identical, and it is a little bit cheaper.
Suffice to say, the food was pretty darn tasty. Each bite was packed with flavor, and all the ingredients seemed to fit perfectly. For example, in my pepper salad, the dressing couldn’t have been a perfect complement to the ripe, crunchy red peppers. You can see my review of all the dishes at the bottom. All you need to know is that I loved it all, especially the dessert.
I’d recommend that people try this place at least once. They serve different food everyday, so if you got the money, then you can try all their dishes. For the less wealthy, it’s a great place to eat for a special occasion. You don’t have to dress up too much if you don’t want to. They have a very slack dress code compared to most fancy restaurants, yet the atmosphere is still very pleasant.
I didn’t think peppers could taste this good until this dish. The squab was oh so tender, and the flavor and texture melded well with all the peppers. The dressing was not overwhelming, but added just enough to the dish to make it just right.
The crust was a great mixture of chewiness and crunchiness. It was a nice, light appetizer to get you started. A very small portion of the crust was a little bit burned, which was disappointing. The cheese more than made up for it. The amaranth, which is some sort of herb, was also fantastic. The best bites were the ones heaped with amaranth and cheese. Mmmmm. The slices were so light and delicious I could eat it all day.
The chicken was very tender, and not dry at all. There was just the right amount of chewiness and the soft meat contrasted well with the fried sunchokes on top. The little turnips were very juicy and also went well with the chicken.
Most of the pork meat was just the right tenderness and fattiness. Unfortunately, some of the meat in my opinion was a little bit overdone and some parts did not have the fabulous texture of other parts of the meat. The meat definitely tasted the best when eaten with the sweet corn and peppers, in my opinion.
My favorite part of the meal. It came with two small scoops of pluot ice cream and one scoop of the sherbet. Boy, did these attack your tastebuds with flavor. You can take a tiny bite, and BAM, you can taste the fruit immediately. Some might think it’s a bit sweet, but it’s a more natural sweet. The peaches were also sweet, soft, and went with the ice cream.
These are dishes contributed by Menuism users, either entered directly, as part of a restaurant review, or as part of an image upload.
Some Images and Data provided by FoodieBytes
justin
10/10/2008who’s paying for this?! :)