900 GRAYSON - Yesterday's Diner, Today's Food.

Deep into Berkeley, running perpendicular to the waterway that forms the edge of the Estuary between Berkeley and the Bay, is where one will find Grayson Street. From the time I was old enough to swim I spent almost every Wednesday of every summer at the Sacramento River Delta, boating and waterskiing with my father. When I was fifteen, he began to bring along a young student of his, who also happened to be an apprentice pizza-maker. The student, whose name was Carl, worked for my uncle Frank at his pizzeria. After these long days on the water, we would spend many a night at Ninth & Grayson, concluding our day of recreation with pizzas and drinks at my Uncle Frank’s Pizzeria. It was called Granata’s.

As we drove to check out 900 Grayson — the scenery becoming more and more familiar — it was these old memories that were flooding my consciousness. They flew through my head as though the streets themselves were rushing me back in time, back to Granata’s and scenes of my youth.  I suddenly remembered vividly the glass-encased viewing window between the bar and the restaurant where Carl and Uncle Frank would show off their dough-tossing skills for me and my little sister; the big circular leather booth in the corner of the bar where my father held court with my sister and I, yelling “Hey Paisan” at passing Italian brethren; the crunch of the crust and the flavor of lovely green peppers and mushrooms melted into hot, gooey cheese. Being out with my father was an amazing feeling for a kid. Eating at Granata’s always felt like home. Mostly because it was.

It was with these overwhelming feelings of nostalgia swirling around in my brain, that I arrived at 900 Grayson. Unlike Granata’s it was certainly not a pizzeria, nor did it possess an oppressively dark interior and sixties-evoking red leather booths. Instead the restaurant that is 900 Grayson was a lovely little unassuming structure, like a tiny gingerbread house, sitting on the corner of Seventh and Grayson Streets in Berkeley. The interior was also light, airy, very Berkeley, with loads of clean simple wood and a very casual, but well thought out design scheme. It looked like we’d stepped right into grandma’s kitchen. Or a homey fifties diner, absent much of the chrome and with more bleached wooden tables. Either way, I was hungry and ready to make new memories with food.

The place is very, very small. So if you are going in for lunch, get there early or be prepared to wait. If you’ve got the time, it’s worth the journey. The fare is simple, fresh and well prepared.

I began by ordering a Chai latte, non fat. It was cold and I was in need of some warming up. They brought this lovely big homey cup of tea, with that wonderful cinnamon-laced taste of Chai and oodles of foam. It was perfect.

One of us ordered a cocktail, the Tequila Aquatic Sunburst (ironically named after the water, which is where my mind was). They do not have a full liquor license, so this drink is made with a grape based tequila. I couldn’t tell the difference, it had an agave taste to it. I found the cocktail really fresh and I loved the citrus tang.

Before they brought our mains we ordered some Shoestring Onions as an app of sorts. They were something delectable. Thin, perfectly fried, crunchy with a well-cooked onion in the center of the batter that was melty goodness. Sometimes the onions in fried onion rings can be stringy, and if not cooked well enough, they’re tough. This can make a filling that is out of sync with the fried outer shells, so they can’t really be eaten as one tasty bite. This was not the case here. These fried onion strings were out of this world. They had a nice Sri Racha dipping aioli along side them that was likewise delicious.

The grad student had the Stone Soup, (a clever little touch, from the book of the same name, which at 900 Grayson means soup that changes daily). Today it was squash. She found it to her liking, not too sweet, the savory seasonings melting into the sweetness of the pureed squash.

I ordered a Lady Boy Salad, with Prawns. It was a lovely fresh concoction of Lemongrass-Kaffir Lime Prawns, Mango, Daikon, Carrots, English Cucumber & Rice Noodles Fresh Basil & Mint, Sambal Vinaigrette Dressing, Toasted Rice Powder, Micro Tatsoi Greens. The colors all blended on the plate to give a sense of attractive lightness to the dish. The mango and citrus-tart leafy greens all went well together, and the dressing on the prawns had a nice Asian flair to it. Tasty

The grad student and our PFC shared the Pulled Pork and the Burger, which they ordered rare. The pork was good, but they felt it might have been stewed rather than smoked. Not a huge deal, but smoked does give it a more robust flavor, forcing more seasoning down into the meat itself.

The Burger was rare, having been cooked correctly. The bacon on the burger was chewy and rendered properly, the entire affair had plenty of cheese melted all over it. They enjoyed both.

The piece de resistance at this place is a dish called the Demon Lover, which is essentially fried chicken & waffles. One is given a choice of sweet syrup or a thick country gravy. The BH is a savory meat kinda guy, so he went with the gravy.

The food here is fresh. Can’t use the word enough, because it’s obviously an emphasis of the management. The food sources are purchased locally, and everything, or almost everything here, will gladly be rendered vegan or vegetarian upon request. Many dishes have versions that will easily accommodate the vegan/vegetarian appetite already listed on the menu.

It’s a nice place. Cozy. Welcoming. Intimate. A lovely little diner for the new age of food. Check it out for yourself. Bon Appetit!
 
900 Grayson

900 Grayson Street
Berkeley, CA 94710-2618
(510) 704-9900
http://www.900grayson.com/

Dining time: except for any wait, service was plenty swift
Noise Level: TWO BELLS - Can talk easily

BOOT & SHOE SERVICE - Italian Food with Heart & "Sole"

About a week and a half ago my husband had to attend a mediation. We work together, so I was left ‘abandoned’ in Oakland over dinner-time while I waited with the car to see if he’d need me to bring him home. I saw this opportunity for what it was, a chance gift from the gods to get to one of the many restaurants I’ve been dying to try in Oakland that are not open for lunch. I have a long list of selections that only serve dinner. So here an opportunity was presenting itself for me to try one of them. How fortunate for me!

As I was reviewing my list, I came across a particularly intriguing name “Boot and Shoe Service.” That name itself conjured up an image of my grandfather, who was a magnificent cook. He arrived in this country in about 1917, fresh off the boat from Italy. His first stop, so the story goes, was on Park Street in Alameda. He had visited a dry goods and shoe repair store to get his shoes re-soled. When they were ready, he complained to the cobbler who had fixed them about the shoddy job he had done. My grandfather said that he could have done much better. The cobbler replied “Then go ahead,” and invited him into the shop. It seemed to be a challenge, and my grandfather liked nothing better. My grandfather loved to tell us how he not only repaired the shoes, but did the job so well that he was hired on the spot to work in the store. He ended up owning the store in under a year.

With it’s serendipitous name choice evoking my family history, and given that Boot & Shoe serves Italian food, I decided this was tonight’s winner. Founded and co-owned by one of the pizza chefs formerly with Chez Panisse, I figured that my odds for a good meal were high. I called the Grad Student, a favorite eating partner of mine, and we were off to eat up.

We got there a bit early, and they weren’t open (seems to be happening to me a lot lately!) We stopped in next door for a cup of tea. It was cold and rainy out, but we wanted to maintain a pair of healthy appetites. We started with drinks. I had a tequila concoction that was really tasty. Smooth with a kick of bitters to follow the taste down. It never ceases to amaze me the things they can do with liquor these days. At first we missed the bar altogether, as it is located in the far back through a narrow doorway. It’s almost like a hidden secret room. Gives the area itself a cool mystique, while helping to keep the noisy bar crowd from completely overwhelming the eating crowd. Probably a coincidence of the original architecture, but pleasing, nonetheless.

The grad student ordered a wine, and the waiter was extremely helpful. She wasn’t sure which of the two reds she was thinking of would be the most to her liking, so they brought her a tasting of each. It was a classy touch and allowed her to select a wine with certainty. I love thoughtful customer service.

After we settled in with our drinks, we were all over the menu in search of a couple of apps. We ordered the Burrata & Radishes because, well because it was on the menu and neither one of us can resist a shot at a good burrata. This one was magnificent. It presented as a soft, buttery whipped mass of creamy cheese. So light it might as well have been clouds. Really melt-in-your-mouth perfection. The addition of just a hint of olive oil drizzled over the cheese and the crunch of the radishes offset by bits of delightfully bitter arugula, really an outstanding dish.

We were sitting there drooling and thinking there could be nothing tastier on this earth, when we were presented with our next appetizer. It was a Sunchoke Sformato. We’d ordered this dish because we were curious. Sometimes curiosity doesn’t kill the cat. Sometimes it makes for purr-fection. This was one of those times. It was essentially an egg dish, a bit like a souffle, but smoother. Something like the consistency of pudding, but savory rather than sweet. It is very, very difficult to describe just how unexpectedly different the taste and texture of this dish is. The surprise texture, the addition of the Porcini Mushrooms and Romanesco Cheeses blended into the eggs... I can say only that the experience of tasting it, coupled with the element of surprise at it’s unknown qualities making themselves known, made eating it delectable. It was a home run.

We capped off our meal with the obligatory Pizza. It is, after all, a pizzeria. I am really really fussy about pizza. I don’t have a thin or thick crust rules fetish or anything, I’ve actually been known to enjoy both. The heavily laden pizzas I grew up with at Granata’s in Berkeley were my idea of heaven for years. Now I am just as happy eating a thin crust from Dopo, or the ever evasive “perfect Chicago-style thick crust pizza” which are okay at Zacharys’ but not anything that really moves my soul. The pizza we chose this evening was a Potato, Fontina, Pancetta and Rosemary mixture. It had a lovely crust, thin, but not super thin. The flavor was consistent and I enjoyed the herbs used in the seasoning. But it was just good. Nothing about it that I found particularly inspiring.

At this point I wanted another drink, but I got a call from the BH to let me know I had to drive home, so the second drink became a House made tonic. Gotta drink responsibly, after all. Frankly, I was rewarded for my responsible choice as it was remarkably delicious. The drink was sparkling and intense, crisp and tangy, its fresh ginger palpable in the mix. Not sure what else they used to concoct it, but I would definitely order it again. It was not just really good, it was splendid.

That was pretty much the meal in toto. A late night at the office salvaged by a good meal (I was feeling sorry for the BH, but he ended up having dinner in the City, so hey, he did okay. Isn’t that always the way?) Definitely check it out. I’d order one of the other pizzas unless you are really fond of potato. Bon Appetit!

Boot and Shoe Service
Neighborhoods: Lower Hills, Grand Lake
3308 Grand Ave
(between Lake Park Ave & Santa Clara Ave)
Oakland, CA 94610
(510) 763-2668
http://www.bootandshoeservice.com/

Table size: adequate
Noise level: 3 -4 BELLS