Category: food

BERKELEY, Calif. — This city has many exciting places to explore, and one of its most treasured is the weekly Farmers’ Market, held on Saturdays at the corner of Milivia and Center streets and in other locations during the week.

Think this is just about fresh veggies and fruit? True to Berkeley’s unique style, there’s so much more. One of the market’s most popular tents is Three Twins Ice Cream. Simon and Maxine Gottlieb greet visitors and sell on Saturdays. “My son actually started Three Twins,” Gottlieb said. “He made ice cream in the morning, sold it in the afternoon and did the books in the evening.”

Eventually, his son hired a catering staffer and recruited his dad to help him deliver the ice cream, and the business took off. The local supermarket took four pints first, and then after the success there, the tiny crew opened up a factory. In 2010, though, money became tight and they had to cut back. They found investors and continued to pursue their dreams. “Now we can be found in all Whole Foods across the country, 65 Safeways, nine or 10 Costcos, all over the East and West Coast, and overseas,” Gottlieb said.

And the name? “I have twin boys, and one of them married twins,” he said. “It’s very interesting, but creative.”

Not everyone at the market is a vendor.  Alan Lipton provides the shoppers with what he describes as “original acoustic progressive rock.”

“It is my art,” he said. He visits the farmers’ market two to three Saturdays a month, but can also be found at other areas for open mic nights. He found his passion for music after realizing he was happiest “singing a song, not punching the clock.”

“I tend to be a storyteller,” Lipton said, after being asked the inspiration behind his song lyrics. “I can write or sing about a political element with a surrealist approach,” he said.

Lipton expresses himself on many different platforms. He’s a “fictioneer,” scriptwriter and content developer. He also works with [mostly] the acoustic guitar, bass guitar, baglama (a present from his daughter’s trip to Greece) and a mountain dulcimer.

Not only is the farmers’ market home to performers like Lipton, but it is also one of the best places to sell food such as beef and dairy, sellers said. Katie Coffman with True Grass Farms  said people in Berkeley appreciate their organic, 100 percent, grass-fed beef. True Grass Farms recently won the Environmental Stewardship Award for its region for the care of the cows they butcher.

Every day, the cows are moved to a new pasture so that they won’t eat around their own feces. Their beef is 100 percent grass fed and finished. This means that the cows eat grass from the time they are calves to the time the die.

Another company benefiting from the farmers’ market is Saint Benoit Creamery. The owner, Benoit de Korsak, began the company at a farmers’ market in San Francisco 10 years ago. Zoe Wadkins, representative of the creamery, said loyal customers have been coming to them for yogurt, milk and cheese ever since.

BERKELEY, Calif. —With more than 42 different toppings, Build Pizzeria takes the Italian food tradition to new heights. Customers are able to create a custom pizza from a combination of two types of crusts, seven kinds of cheese, six sauces and endless combinations. General Manager Jonatan Martinez said, “Our motto is ‘find your inner pizza’ but you really find your inner self.” Build Pizzeria opened in spring 2013 on the corner of Bancroft and Shattuck streets close to the University of California’s campus here. Sous Chef Jonathan Popenuck said, “We are our own biggest competitor. There are lots of imitation restaurants but nothing like what we do here.”

Popenuck was back in the kitchen this week after a small kitchen fire last Saturday night. The fire broke out around 1 a.m. and an assistant manager who was still in the building was able to put the fire out; no one was injured. Despite the closing, the restaurant was able to reopen a week later — with new appliances.  Popenuck said, “It built up anticipation to walk back in the door.” When asked who comes in the door, Martinez said, “In true Berkeley fashion, a lot of everything.” Kids, students and families, every age group, he said. To attract students, BUILD occasionally holds a special night. On these days a discounted menu is offered to anyone with a student ID. Students are able to test out the restaurant at a affordable price. BUILD strives to buy the best ingredients possible for its costumers, Martinez said. “They (the owners) don’t ever want to sacrifice quality or the taste or the flavor to save a couple bucks in the long run,” he added. Many of their ingredients are locally bought. Martinez said, “It’s all about supporting and giving back to the community itself.”

BERKELEY, Calif. —  From the outside, a goldenrod sign displays the restaurant’s name. On the inside, customers see a modern industrial architectural look. Clear glass and chrome provide a barrier from the countertops at the “Building Department.” Distressed wood tables are surrounded by matching chairs. Black-and-white photographs of students from the 1960s in People’s Park create large urban murals on the walls.

“The idea and concept came from the owners,” said Jonatan Martinez, the general manager, who added the couple, Lisa Holt and David Shapiro, traveled to Italy often and fell in love with the idea of owning a pizzeria based on the country. “Our concept is more casual. We serve gourmet food at an average price,” he said.

The owners collaborated with the head chef to create the menu.”Our focus is on Roman Style pizza,” said Jonathan Popenuck, the sous chef. BUILD has several different sauces and 42 different toppings for their “Build Your Own” pizzas. The chefs stand along the counter and take you through every step of the process. “We like customers to see what they’re getting,” said Popenuck. Customers can also order from the menu.

But the “build” option isn’t limited to the 10-inch pizzas popular with customers. It also can be used with other dishes, too, including entrees, pasta or salads. Some of the toppings include Brie, chicken, pancetta, shrimp, pine nuts, jalapeños, shaved fennel and mushrooms. “Believe it or not, our most popular ingredient is mushrooms,” said Martinez.

BUILD also creates seasonal items for its customers. “We focus on the soups; that’s where we focus on seasonality,” said Popenuck.

“They chose Berkeley in particular because of the history that’s here with food,” said Martinez, citing the growth of the slow-food movement under Alice Waters and Chez Panisse.

Berkeley has a lot of opportunities to stay local, which is something that the owners value. “We try to stay local, and Berkeley is the best town to do it in,” said Popenuck. However, he said that because of the concern of quality standards, not everything is locally sourced; they use San Marzano tomotoes, for example, instead of local ones.

When they created their menu and sourcing, cost was the last factor. “We don’t want to sacrifice the quality of the food for something that would save us a couple dollars,” said Martinez.

BUILD uses social media and other outlets to connect with its customers on a more personal level. Restaurant guests can reserve tables via Open Table, which then texts them when a table is ready. Another way that BUILD connects with their customers is with “Cal Night,” in which students can bring in their student ID and unlock a special, discounted menu.

The reason for the vast array of activities is because of the audience of the restaurant. “We try to pinpoint our audience and there really isn’t one,” said Martinez. He said customers include couples, families or college and high school students. He mentioned the diverse area of Berkeley and how they try to have something for everyone.

As Martinez said, “Our motto is to find your inner pizza, but here, you find your inner self.”

BERKELEY, Calif. — Every Saturday, farmers fill Center Street with fresh produce and hopes of a profitable day. From pastries, vegetables, fruit, meats, fish, flowers and bread, almost anything organic can be bought at the Farmers’ Market. Along with farmers, street entertainers seek the attention of market-goers. The market is run by the Ecology Center, an organization “committed to supporting small-scale farmers who practice sustainable agriculture,” according to its website.

Vendors who go by Lucky and Shadow have been at the market for three weeks. “We do well here,” Lucky said. Lucky is a disabled student at Berkeley Community College trying to make money for tuition.

She and her boyfriend sell handmade jewelry and charms at the market. Along with her merchandise, Lucky also provides Tarot readings, fortune-telling using cards, something her mother taught her as a child.

In addition to her boyfriend, Shadow, Lucky brings along her cat, Sativia, on a leash. “You have to really train them to do it,” she says.

One longtime regular at the market is New Jersey native Dozo the Clown, who said, “I came to San Francisco as a cultural refugee.”

She attended New College, which is now closed, and graduated after writing a thesis on clowns and their impact on society through American history.

Dozo offers balloon animals to children every Saturday for an average tip of $2 per balloon animal — or she accepts a joke in exchange. Dozo said, “I love it, I get paid to have fun with kids and all the vendors are super friendly.”