North Berkeley
At the geographic and spiritual center of North Shattuck street's famed Gourmet Ghetto is Chez Panisse, Alice Waters' shrine of California Cuisine. Within a block or two of Chez Panisse are wildy popular Cha-Am, The Cheese Board, Vegi Food China (home to what may be the best sweet and sour walnuts in the world), the exotic produce section of Monterey Market, epicurean Andronico's, and FatApples, whose Brobdingnagian pies are the stuff of legend. Book lovers also flock to independent Black Oak Books for readings, slightly superior salespersons and a broad selection, both new and used. Residentially, North Berkeley, favored by U.C. professors, is the quiet, unfussy, but attractive continuation of the Berkeley Hills—indeed, Euclid Street, if patiently followed to its end, leads onto Grizzly Peak Road, and thence back around to Tilden Regional Park. Solano Avenue, skewing across the border between Berkeley and Albany, continues North Berkeley's culinary focus, with an array of restaurants surely daunting to the indecisive. Adjanta, Cactus Taqueria and Sweet Basil are among the many draws that make this such a challenging area in which to park. Pegasus Books is another new and used favorite.Nightlife
Attractions
Gilman Street Shopping District
Restaurants
Hotels
