Gather Around Gather in Berkeley

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Seared panisse -- wedges of crisp polenta-like cakes made of creamy, custardy chickpeas -- at Gather restaurant.

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 dining room made with reclaimed materials.

Filtered water in recycled Straus Creamery milk bottles.

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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Part II: The Meat

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Juicy, tender lamb with the flavor of Madras curry.

Did you know that most Americans eat little to no lamb? Indeed, only 0.7 pounds of lamb are consumed per capita here each year, according to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.

More’s the pity, since lamb is one of the most succulent and flavorful meats around.

Don’t take my word for it. Try it in this dish of “Lamb Shoulder Steak with Japanese Curry Oil.” The recipe is from “The Japanese Grill” (Ten Speed Press) by Tadashi Ono, executive chef of Matsuri in New York, and food writer Harris Salat. It’s also a perfect accompaniment to the duo’s “Romaine Hearts with Miso-Mustard Dressing,” which I spotlighted the other day.

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Part I: The Salad

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A simple salad you're sure to fall for.

Sometimes, it’s the simple things in life that bring such joy.

The feel of crisp, freshly laundered sheets on a bed.

The sensation of gulping ice-cold water after a hard workout on a blistering day.

The whiff of heady, fresh rosemary from the herb pots on my front porch.

And a shamelessly simple dressing that can transform plain ol’ lettuce leaves into a salad I can’t get enough of.

Indeed, “Romaine Hearts in Miso-Mustard Dressing” has become the new favorite salad in my house. The recipe is from the new cookbook, “The Japanese Grill” (Ten Speed Press), of which I recently received a review copy. The book is by Tadashi Ono, executive chef at Matsuri in New York, and food writer Harris Salat.

Inside, you’ll find recipes for everything from classic chicken yakitori to foil-baked onions with soy sauce to miso yaki onigiri (grilled rice balls). While most of the recipes do make use of the grill, there’s also a chapter on salads that does not. This is one of those cookbooks that will tempt you with every recipe because they are all quite straightforward and with manageable ingredient lists.

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New Sustainable Sushi Restaurant, Food Bloggers Bake Sale, Guy Fieri & More

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The interior of the new Ki in San Francisco. (Photo courtesy of the restaurant)

San Francisco Welcomes a Second Sustainable Sushi Restaurant

At the new Ki in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood, you can enjoy your sushi without any guilt.

That’s because the new izakaya-style restaurant is dedicated to serving food that’s local, seasonal and sustainable. Owner Paul Hemming, a DJ, art gallery owner and record store owner, has teamed with Casson Trenor, author of “Sustainable Sushi: A Guide to Saving the Oceans One Bite at A Time” (North Atlantic Books). Trenor also helped launch Tataki Sushi & Sake Bar in San Francisco, the Bay Area’s first sustainable sushi restaurant.

Executive Chef Brian Beach, formerly executive chef of Infusion Lounge in San Francisco, sources many of his ingredients from within 150 miles of the restaurant. At Ki, you won’t find bluefin tuna, hamachi or eel — all of which are over-fished. Instead, the spotlight is on sardines, local albacore tuna, artic char, and other sustainable seafood. Dishes ($6 to $17) include kasuzuke, a seasonal fish cured in sake lees and cooked on a cedar plank; and karaage, sous-vide fried chicken served with pickled chile-usukuchi sauce.

Sushi Chef Isamu Kanai, formerly executive chef of Deep Sushi in San Francisco, turns out specialties such as scallop carpaccio served on a chilled Himalayan salt plate with grilled cherry tomatoes, red shiso pesto and baby mizuna; and “Fish ‘n’ Chips,” a specialty roll with tempura striped bass and pickled slaw topped with crushed potato chips.

Enjoy an extensive selection of sakes, served by the 4-ounce or 8-ounce pour or by the bottle.

San Francisco Food Bloggers Bake Sale

Foodies all over the nation will be baking up a storm for the second annual National Food Bloggers Bake Sale on May 14 to benefit Share Our Strength, a national organization working to eradicate child hunger.

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Cool New Water Bottle and Food Gal Giveaway

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Win a new Groove water bottle with built-in filtration system. (Image courtesy of Camelbak)Camelbak, maker of those nifty water packs for biking and hiking, wants you to get into the Groove.

A new portable filtration water bottle to be exact.

The Camelbak Groove is a reusable water bottle that comes with its own carbon filter built into the drinking straw. Fill the bottle with tap water, and as you sip, the water is filtered before it hits your mouth.The straw has a bite valve — the same one apparently used by NASA astronauts in space — that locks into place when not in use, so you don’t have to worry about spills or leaks.

It’s great to stash in your car or to keep at your desk. Or tote one in your purse or briefcase. No more spending money on disposable water bottles or worrying about recycling them.

The 20-ounce bottle is made of BPA-free plastic and comes in four colors. It sells for $25. Replacement carbon filters (each of which should last for up to 60 gallons) cost $10 for a two-pack.

The Grooves are available online at the Camelbak Web site or at stores such as Target.

Contest: I’m happy to be able to give away one Camelback Groove to each of five lucky Food Gal readers. Entries, limited to those in the continental United States, will be accepted through midnight PST May 14. Winners will be announced May 16.

How to win?

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