In the four years my sister has been at Berkeley, not once have we gone to Chez Panisse. Price might have been a contributing factor but that really isn’t a good excuse for not trying it at least once. So as a graduation gift, I made my reservation for the café upstairs, just in case our palettes were not up for the restaurant prix fixe menu.
On a Tuesday evening we headed on over to Chez Panisse. While going up the stairs to the cafe, I walked as slow as possible so I could get a glimpse of the restaurant downstairs. Definitely a more formal atmosphere, a bit quieter, with dim lighting and white table cloth, compared to the upstairs, where it was loud, but not so much we couldn’t hear one another. Lots of sunlight coming through made it inviting and cheery in the room. Wooden decor added to the casual atmosphere.
Onto the food! I took a quick one or two pics of everything so as not to draw too much attention to myself or annoy the other diners. Our server found it amusing and laughed at times.
For appetizer, we shared this slow-roasted salmon with diced mango, cucumber, and marinated beets. Shared because we intended on saving room for our own desserts. The combination of mango, cucumber, and beet was so refreshing and went perfectly with the salmon. I wish I had more.
My main course was the duck leg with cannelloni beans. The duck leg was fantastic. The skin was crisp and the inside was moist. I loved the beans and rocket salad. I literally wiped the plate clean.
My sister got the butterflied chicken with shoestring fries. Again really great flavor. The chicken was slightly dry but accompanied with all the delicious sides it was good.
For dessert, rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream. Mmm the rhubarb was warm and had the perfect amount of tartness. The shortcake was fantastic as well. Crisp outside with an airy, fluffy inside. Not dense at all.
Lastly, the chocolate pave, which our server explained was a flourless cake. I think with espresso cream on the side. The cake was amazing and unlike any other flourless cake I’ve had. It was not dense nor was it dry. It was so light! It just melted in my mouth.
Chez Panisse Restaurant and Café
1517 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94709-1516
www.chezpanisse.com
Deliciously Noted is a food blog documenting my life in San Francisco - eating, baking, meeting artisans and chefs, and my getaways to New York and Paris. Enjoy and leave a comment or two!