At Gather restaurant in Berkeley, it’s all about head-to-tail and root-to-shoot cooking.
The nearly year-and-a half-old restaurant at the David Brower Center takes the unique approach of making its menu 50 percent vegetarian with plenty of vegan options.
If you’re rolling your eyes, thinking it’s some hippy-dippy Berkeley joint that won’t appeal to gauche, non-Birkenstock-wearing carnivores, you’d be wrong. In fact, my husband, aka Meat Boy, has happily eaten there twice with me, once when we paid our own tab and most recently when we were invited to dine as guests of the restaurant last month.
Popular with theater-goers, the restaurant was packed almost from the moment it opened its doors for dinner at 5 p.m. that Saturday evening. The space is very California-like with a warm, laid-back vibe. There’s plenty of rustic, reclaimed wood, as well as metal, steel and concrete. Fun touches include light fixtures made from recycled vodka bottles, filtered water served in recycled milk bottles, and comfy banquettes crafted from old leather belts (I even spotted one still sporting its Gap insignia).
The restaurant was started by Bay Area food activists Ari Derfel and Eric Fenster, who founded Back to Earth, a nine-year-old organic catering company. Executive Chef Sean Baker, former sous chef at the vegan restaurant, Millennium in San Francisco, and executive chef at Gabriella Cafe in Santa Cruz, was named “2010 Chef of the Year” by Esquire magazine for his intriguing and innovative cuisine.
The compact menu features organic, local and sustainable ingredients, with vegan and gluten-free options spelled out clearly.
One dish, above all, has received a ton of buzz since the restaurant opened — “vegan charcuterie” ($16). It’s a beautiful wood board arrayed with four or so little tastes that change regularly. It doesn’t try to mimic meat salumi in any way except in its convivial nature that makes it perfect for sharing. It’s a great way to start the meal with a glass of wine.
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