not Chez Panisse, but something good for next weekend. Thanks.
alan
chez panisse cafe?
Kirala Japanese?
It’s in Oakland but I heard Commis is really good.
looks good and booked for next six weeks
FWIW, here’s the SF Chronicle’s reviewer’s Top 100 from last year.
Fantastic sushi, but the no reservation policy is annoying.
Cafe Rouge
Iyosare
Comal
My hometown. It is however woefully inadequate for fine dining. If you want a series of starters and then a main that is heavy, there plenty of places but for food designed for wine and designed to accommodate several different wines over the course of a meal, my hometown is a desert. I would and usually do just head to the City. Choices abound there.
The Japanese food in the Bay Area is truly not worth the effort and with all the great fresh locally designed cuisine there are much better choices.
What type of scene? Group wine dinner, romantic couple’s dinner, etc?
Mike
wife and I are flying in for weekend w daughter and her boyfriend. Our son will come in, too, so 5 of us. Will be at Berkeley/U of Colorado basketball game at Berkeley and looking for a dinner place.
Sounds like a good time 
Berkeley does a lot of casual pretty well. One place where you could go that would be very easy and is locally quite popular is Zachary’s pizza. One on Solano and one on College. It is largely a Chicago style pizza but if you like that, it rates highly in the area.
(Solano location) http://www.zacharys.com/berkeley.html
(College location) http://www.zacharys.com/oakland.html
Living in Tokyo as I do, and being inclined to this food genetically, I like to stop in at Saul’s for a meal when home. Reasonable to good deli even by NYC standards.
Location is Shattuck near Vine.
Mike
I had a fantastic dinner at Oliveto last week. Right down College Ave from UC Berkeley.
daughter chose Grange and Ella. That Oliveto looks good, too. Thanks all.
Go Buffs!!!
sadly, an overtime loss for the Buffs, who really lost it at the foul line. Were I the coach, each player would shoot 100 free throws after today’s game.
Got into C. Panisse Cafe today for a lovely lunch. OK meal at Ella last
night.
Fun to hang with the kids and got to visit Kermit Lynch, Berkeley Wine, and drove
past Premier Cru but it was closed. Bread at Acme rocks and got some nice English muffins at another bakery.
These are some of the things I do when visiting the kids in Berkeley, although I’ve not been to Ella. I miss Cafe Fanny which was adjacent to Kermit Lynch and Acme. Other rituals are visits to the Cheese Board and a quick lunch at their pizza place, take out sandwiches from Gregoire, and daily shopping at Berkeley Bowl. I love Berkeley.
Second the rec of Oliveto. Also for your next trip, consider Camino in Oakland. Very good!