Tea Tasting and More on Fourth Street Berkeley

Virginia came to visit for a week in April.

 On her first full day here, we headed to the Fourth Street shopping/restaurant district in Berkeley for a tea tasting at Téance and some wandering around. Harriet came in from San Francisco to join us in our explorations.

 For lunch, we debated between Zut!, Café Rouge, and Bette's Oceanview Diner...all good options. Bette's won!

Harriet had the French Toast with Yogurt and French Fruit.

Virginia and I had Tuna Melts.

...a tasty lunch in a vintage diner setting. 

 Bette's was one of the first restaurants in the neighborhood when it began to be gentrified several decades ago.  It still is very very popular. They serve breakfast and lunch daily. We put our name on a waiting list about an hour before we planned to have lunch. When we arrived at noon, we are seated almost immediately, rather than having to wait. 

 Tea tasting at Téance is always an interesting experience.

It's a shop that sells many varieties of tea, tea accessories, and books about tea. At the tea bar, people come an go, stopping in for simply a pot of tea and some conversation or to do a more formal tea tasting as we did. We each got to choose two different teas from their extensive list. Virginia had never tasted Matcha and chose that for her first taste. Matcha is a powdered Japanese tea which is first whisked with a small amount of hot water with a bamboo whisk in a small bowl.

Our server explained that you have to whisk the powder with a small amount of hot water until it does not stick to the sides of the bowl. Then he added more water and Virginia got to taste.

 Her second choice was a Pu-Erh, a black tea which is the only kind of tea that is fermented. It actually gets better with age, just like many wines. Her particular Pu-Erh was one that had been fermented for at least 5 years.

As for me, I started with a green Lu Shan Clouds and Mist and then went on to Yunnan Gold, a red tea.

With each brewed tea, our server did two infusions of the same leaves.

It is possible to resteep the leaves up to five times, but twice was sufficient for us to experience the taste changes with successive infusions.

 Some other people were sipping cups of tea while we were tasting.


When they ordered the fresh Mochi for a little something sweet to accompany their tea , we decided to follow suit.

Mochi is a Japanese sweet made with a glutonous rice outer shell and filled with a bean paste and nut filling. It can also be filled with ice cream (that version available at Trader Joe's).

We then found out that one of the people who had ordered the Mochi is the chef who makes them fresh for Téance and who had just delivered them before stopping for her cup of tea.  Her bean paste version is truly special.  If you go to Téance, be sure to ask if they have Mochi to go with your tea.

THE AGONY & THE ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS: SEE IT!!!

"The Agony and The Ecstasy of Steve Jobs" is a one-person, two-hour monologue performance created and performed by Mike Daisey.



Through the end of February it is being performed at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. If you haven't seen it yet, you have two more weeks before it closes.

As a longtime MacManiac, longtime Apple computer and all things Apple fan, as well as a former Apple employee, there was no way I was going to miss a play with Steve Jobs' name in its title.

Jim was a bit tentative about a two-hour monologue but agreed to go with me today. Throughout Daisey's engaging performance, neither of us even considered taking our eyes and ears away from the performance. It is totally captivating and also sobering.

Daisey tells parallel tales of the rise of Apple as a technology company under the leadership of Steve Jobs. He winds this part of his story around his own love of all things Apple.

The other side of his story is about Foxconn, the Chinese company where many Apple products, including the iPhone, and just about all the electronics manufactured by other companies are manufactured. Much of the assembly work is done by Chinese employees, some of them as young at 11 or 12 years old. The work conditions are the equivalent to that of indentured slavery or serfdom. Daisey tells his story of his visit to Foxconn and the people he met.

By the end of the play, I felt somewhat ambivalent about all things Apple as well as my light bulbs, TVs, and every other item that I consider essential to my daily life.

Even if you are an HP, Dell, Nokia, Sony or any other brand user, this is a not-to-miss play.

Daisey is entertaining, engaging, and he has a message to share.

See "The Agony and The Ecstasy of Steve Jobs."

TASTING TEA AT TEANCE

Last week, Melia and I headed to Teance in Berkeley, in the busy Fourth Street shopping district, for a "formal" tea tasting.

Teance's business is primarily a wholesale and online tea and tea accessory business, based in Emeryville, California.

This Fourth Street location is its only retail outlet.

In addition to its lovely store, with tea pots and other accessories attractively displayed and a central water "shower" garden in the center, Teance has a tea bar at the back of the shop. The circular tea bar is a work of art in and of itself; it is 10 feet of circular concrete, cast in a single pour and embedded with semi-precious gemstones and fossils.

It is at the bar where we did our tasting. This formal tasting, priced at $18 per person, consists of tasting three teas of your selection from a large tea menu. (there is an added cost to taste some special rare teas, but most of the tea menu selection is not the rare tea).

Before and while tasting, our server guided us through our selections and talked with us about the teas that we sipped. We evaluated the taste, observed the color of the brewed tea, and generally immersed ourselves in the tea experience. Each tea was resteeped several times. It was a delightful way for Melia and me to visit.

On weekends, Teance offers some tea snacks on its menu. But, during the week, it is just tea. Wanting that little something to eat with our tea, I dashed next door to the Pasta Shop Markethall to buy several fancy chocolate bars, some of which were infused with tea, just to keep in theme.

While Teance was not overly busy during the more than two hours that we spent there, there was a steady stream of customers. Some come in just to buy loose tea or a tea accessory. Others joined us at the bar to enjoy a pot of tea. A single tea tasting costs $7 (rare tea tasting is $15 per tea). We were the only ones doing the tasting of three teas.

My favorite tea was the Lichee Red Premium which I had to purchase to take home to continue enjoying. That's what I'm sipping as I write this blog post.



Teance is a beautiful and calming place to enjoy tea, conversation, and an escape from this bustling shopping district.

Dinner at Meridian after Berkeley Rep

Yesterday, Mary Ann and I went to the Sunday afternoon performance of "American Idiot" at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre.



The show, based on Green Day's "American Idiot" rock opera, is an amazing production...it brought me memories of "Hair," "Rent," and "Tommy" with a bit of Cirque du Soleil thrown in (there is constant action all over the stage and up into the rafters). This is the world premier of "American Idiot". It has been extended twice, but must close on November 15. If this lively, poignant show does not go on to Broadway, I will be very surprised.

So after the show, we were revved up and famished...so much energy expended just being in the audience.

Our choice for an early dinner was the relatively-new sports bar and pub, Meridian International Sports Club. Meridian, is just a block away from Berkeley Rep, an easy walk from the theatre.



While we waited for Dean and Kirsten to join us, we got started with half-pint glasses of beer. About two dozen different brews are poured at Meridian. Since we were unfamiliar with many of the offerings, we relied on our server to help us make our selections. She was so knowledgeable of the characteristics of each beer we asked about, I could almost taste them from her descriptions. Mary Ann chose the dark Smithwick's while I went for the lighter Krusovice.

We ordered some Almond Breaded Cod Fingers to accompany our brews while we waited for Dean and Kirsten to arrive.




Once they arrived and ordered drinks, we ordered more small plates/side dishes: Ahi Tuna Poke and Duck Fat Fries.






For our main courses, we ladies ordered from the Classic Pub Fare portion of the menu. It was Fish and Chips for Kirsten



and Po Boy Sandwiches for Mary Ann and me...Mary Ann had her sandwich with Fried Oysters and I ordered mine with Fried Crawfish.



Dean started with a bowl of thick flavorful Butternut Squash Soup which was garnished with Sage Cream.



His main course was Cranberry Short Ribs which were served with a Wild Mushroom Risotto Cake.



We could not resist desserts to finish off our meal. We shared the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Tangerine Toffee Sauce and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and two orders of the Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Each order of Ice Cream Sandwiches has two sandwiches and a small cup of hot Mocha Sauce for dunking or drinking.



As you can gather, we thoroughly enjoyed the food, drinking, and knowledgeable staff.



Meridian is owned and designed by local resident and former UC Berkeley swimmer, Bayani Flores. The dining room is comfortable, with seating at tables, in booths, and at an oak-topped bar in the center of the dining room. From anywhere in the dining room, there is at least one television screen within view. Also there is free wireless internet. Last night, I noticed many who were taking advantage of both the sports on TV and the internet on their laptops. Meridian offers valet bicycle parking.

For those who prefer wine to beer, the reasonably-priced wine list features about two dozen wines, all offered by the glass or bottle.

Two fixed price meals are also offered. The $10 Student Lunch includes any Pub Fare selection and a non-alcoholic beverage. The Chef's Dinner for Two, priced at $59, includes a shared Small Plate, two Large Plates, a Dessert, and any bottle of wine from the wine list.

I must also mention that while a good portion of the menu, designed by 25-year-old Executive Chef, Brian Burris, features fried dishes (perfect compliment to beer), there are several non-fried dishes, including Vegetarian Lasagne, Seared Alaskan Halibut, Grilled Bangers and Mash, a Cheeseburger, a Vegan Falafel Mushroom Burger, and Chicken Sous-Vide. The menu changes seasonally.

Meridian accepts reservations, a sometimes rarity in popular casual Berkeley restaurants. I appreciate being able to make a reservation, particularly when I am heading to a performance or sports event nearby.

On home Cal game days, the free shuttle to the game stops near Meridian.

BERKELEY LUNCH WITH FRIENDS

I had the pleasure of joining three emeritus law professors for lunch today at Eccolo in Berkeley's bustling Fourth Street district.

Mort and Dick arrived by Amtrak train, which makes a stop right behind the Fourth Street shopping area. George and I, who live closer than the other two, drove from our respective areas.

It was Mort, whose wife is from Italy, who originally told me that Eccolo's Roman-Style Fried Artichokes are the "real thing." Since then, I always order them when I dine at Eccolo. We started with them.



Then, I mentioned that I've been tempted by the Tuscan French Fries but have never tried them. Mort said they are not necessarily the "real thing." Real thing or not, the guys were game to try them. We ordered them for more munching before and during lunch. They were excellent and worth the indulgence.



George and Dick both ordered the warm Grilled Steak Salad, but wound up with one Steak Sandwich and one Steak Salad.




Rather, that sending the sandwich back, they agreed to share, after negotiating to also share the housemade potato chips that accompanied the sandwich.

Mort order the Pan-Fried Halibut with Sautéed Zucchini.



His serving looked a little small for the plate size and he agreed that it was not the best thing he's eaten here.



My choice was the Grilled Squid Salad with White Beans and a Pesto Dressing. You can't see them, but the White Beans are under the Frisée Greens.



Lots of interesting and lively conversation, especially between the other three who were longtime colleagues. And, good food as well.

After lunch, Mort and I went to the Café Rouge Meat Market, at the back of the restaurant, where he bought some meat to carry home.





Then we browsed in the Pasta Shop Food Market adjacent to Café Rouge, where Mort purchased some Tuscan cheeses and some Italian Chocolate.




We also looked through CB2 and stopped at Peet's for Jasmine Lime Ice Tea. Meanwhile, Dick headed over to The Gardener where he bought some rocks.



A lovely, leisurely afternoon all around.

A BERKELEY DAY: LUNCH AT ECCOLO; CHOCOLATE AT CHARLES CHOCOLATES

On our day in Berkeley, MA joined us. We started at the Fourth Street shopping/restaurant area with lunch at Eccolo. You might recall that my Valentine's Day dinner at Eccolo was less than satisfactory, but, this time, the restaurant was its "normal" excellent self with great service and plenty of room in all dining rooms between tables. Note to Self: REMEMBER holidays and special occasion days like Valentine's and Mother's are the worst times to go to restaurants.



At my suggestion, we started our lunch with a shared order of the Roman-style fried Artichokes, which are served with aioli for dipping. The Artichokes are amazing...way better than Fries, but I must say that when the table next to us started with not only the Artichokes, but also the Tuscan Fries, we really wanted to try them too.



MA could not pass up the Lobster Roll, which she throughly enjoyed and recommends.



Amy and I could not decide between the Sicilian Tuna Sandwich and the Cuban Sandwich, so each ordered one and shared them. Made on Acme bread, they were both excellent. The Tuna was Italian tuna mixed with capers, olives, roasted peppers, and aioli. The Cubano was the typical combination of sliced pork, ham, cheese, and dill pickles, served as a warm sandwich.

We passed on dessert, knowing that there was chocolate ahead in our day.

After lunch we spent some time browsing in the many Fourth Street shops. We spent a lot of time in Sur La Table and couldn't resist buying a few kitchen/home items. We also dashed into Bryn Walker to look at clothes and purses, and made a quick run through the Crate & Barrel Outlet Store. We would have spent the rest of the afternoon there, but we had to get to Charles Chocolate for a 2:30 p.m. tour.

So, off we went to Emeryville for a tour and tasting at Charles Chocolates.




With the closing of some of my favorite local chocolate makers, Joseph Schmidt and Scharffenberger, I've been searching for another outstanding local candy maker. I had tried some of Charles Chocolates confection around Christmas time and was impressed with his use of fresh fruits in his fillings. The fillings all have intense natural flavors.

It is only recently that I heard about tours at his factory. The tours are conducted every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. There is no charge for the tour itself, but, if you wish to follow the tour with a formal tasting of 5 different chocolates, that costs $10. A more extravagant Deluxe Tour is offered for $75 per person and includes the tour and tasting plus a gift set of Charles Chocolates' most poular products; it is said to be valued at over $100.

We signed up for the $10 Tour and Tasting.





Much to our delight, owner Chuck (Charles) Siegel, was our tour guide.

The tour and tasting take place in the factory's Chocolate Bar, where at other times, visitors can sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and, of course, a piece or two of chocolate.

The Chocolate Bar overlooks the kitchen where just about all the processing of the confections is done. We learned the difference between molded and enrobed chocolates. And, everyone got to sample a few pieces, even those who were not signed up for the tasting. Chuck guided us as to what and how we were supposed to taste. We were particularly intrigued by the Fleur de Sel chocolate covered Caramels. Also of interest is that Charles Chocolates does not make its own chocolate but rather buys premium chocolate from some of the best chocolate makers in the world. Chuck describes his product as Confections, most of which are covered with chocolate. It is his fillings...caramel. ganache, marzipan, and more...that make his confections unique. The tour is very informal and Chuck encouraged us to ask questions.






At the end of the "formal" part of the tour, those of us who had signed up for the tasting, tasted 5 handmade confections. Chuck guided us through this tasting and provided us with more insights into Charles Chocolates.



Even after 7 pieces of chocolate, we still could not resist purchasing a few pieces of candy to carry home with us. The complete selection of Charles Chocolate confections is sold in their small retail store here at the factory.