By Mummy B.
These last weeks the Californian weather was extremely sunny. The spring wasn’t arrived, but we could already feel like in summer! As one of the last week-ends began, we looked for a place with an outdoor terrace for lunch and chosed Berkeley where we had a great day.
La Note, a nice Provençal restaurant, collected some very good reviews on internet, so we went there.
Here you can find the atmosphere of a typical bistro of Southern France with a lot of greenery and you will smell and taste the Provence at your table. Even the menu items are written in the language of Molière!
The patio at the back of the restaurant made us think we were on vacation. The small wooden furniture, plants on the walls and the roof of the courtyard, cloth umbrellas … everything is very beautiful with a sophisticated French touch.
The service was very attentive, as often in the United States. A fresh lemon water jug was immediately given to us. With the heat, we appreciated this!
We really enjoyed the food : not-too-complicated dishes but well executed with Provencal flavors. We chosed our dishes in the special Brunch menu. Daddy B. had a “Bon Vivant Côte Ouest,” an omelet served with ratatouille and fried new potatoes and I took “Les oeufs Lucas”, scrambled eggs with fresh goat cheese and chives served with roasted tomatoes. We added orange juices, scrambled eggs, bacon slices and bread (although we had already some with our dishes, we have therefore left a lot), so Mimi can also feast with us.
For dessert, we tested “La Charlotte au chocolat”: delicious!
The check was not too expensive: $ 70 (including tips). For two and a half, when you know that French restaurants are among the most expensive in the US, it was fair. It is a place that we will remember for the next time at Berkeley.
Right next to the restaurant, there is a bookstore, Pegasus Books. When you look at the storefront as well as inside the shop, you will find exactly the atmosphere you would expect of shops in Berkeley. Slightly retro, a bit bohemian and very diverse.
You can find pretty postcards in vintage style, used or new books, a kids corner literature in English and Spanish, but also used vinyl records.
A small “play and read” area is even there for children. So Mimi B. waited for us quietly.
Open daily, this is a very pleasant place for a short cultural shopping time before or after eating at … La Note!
Our day in Berkeley does not stop there, I’ll take you soon on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley, discovered the homes of fraternities, explore Telegraph Avenue and Ghetto Gourmet. Stay tuned!
