chez panisse

awesome experience. greatrestaurantand wine pairing. atmosphere is good too. i highly recommend thisrestaurantto locals and tourists.

i first heard about chez panisse when christina raved about the food from her last visit to san francisco last year at this berkeley restaurant, founded by alice waters . both her and her bf received alice water cook books for christmas after their dinner at chez panisse. from my quick lil research on chez panisse, i found that it was one of the top fifty restaurants in the world from 2002 to 2008, peaking at 12 in 2003 as listed byrestaurantmagazine. michelin guide echoed the sentiment by awarding its one star rating in its guide for san francisco bay area dining from 2006 through 2009. ryan and i definitely wanted to try the cuisine and were determined to fit a dinner reservation at chez panisse which we made a month ahead in our one day trip to san francisco last weekend. there are two levels - the top level is the cafe and therestaurantlocated downstairs. therestaurantserves a four course prix fixe menu but if you prefer ala carte, the cafe might be a better choice. we wanted

the best meal of my life, amazingly tasteful! it was the onlyrestauranton my bucket list and i'm fulfilled. the lamb was the best i'd ever tasted. everything was perfect.

this is probably one of those very rare occasions when i couldn't fault anything with a restaurant. it was all as perfect as humanly possible. while alice waters' mainrestaurantis downstairs, you will have to make a similar level of effort for reservations if you want to dine at the cafe upstairs.

the dining room's interior is absolutely spectacular. the fans and windows overlooking lush trees almost transported me to somewhere in the tropics. there was a calm stability to the experience. nothing was rushed but nothing was slow either.

and now to the food. the menu - which changes regularly - is a vegetarian's delight. and it is cooked and presented to perfection. we went with a big appetite and we weren't disappointed.

the thing that stood out the most to me was that alice waters was actually there on that afternoon. she was bussing tables, serving wine and clearing plates. her dedication alone speaks volumes of the place that chez panisse has come to represent.

great food, but strange ending. last night, i was with a party of 6 upstairs in the cafe. our reservation was at 5:30pm, we were promptly seated and given a great table in the back of the room. the place was already full of people and good energy. it was my first time and was very excited to finally eat at this landmark restaurant. i must say, from beginning to end, the food was spectacular and not a flavor out of place. really outstanding. we also had a couple bottles of wine bringing the bill to about $500. smiles all around. everything was so delicious...great friends, great food, always a great combination. the time we took to eat was about about 2 hrs. we paid our bill and then stayed at our table another 1 hr. we all hadn't seen each other in a while and were relaxed and enjoying the moment. no loud craziness, we're a polite but fun-loving bunch. therestaurantwas still full, with folks waiting for tables. at approximately 8:30pm, the maître d' comes over and politely but awkwardly tells my wife that there are people waiting for tables and would we like to go have a drink at the bar...basically, "ok, you're done here, please leave now". hmmm...it wasn't like we had pulled out our slippers and were settling in for the evening. we spent $500, enjoyed the great food and were taking our time. yes, it was time to leave, we knew that, but a very ham-handed situation and honestly, i've never had that happen before. we were winding up conversation and it would have been nice to leave on our own with a positive memory of our experience. we were all a little dumbfounded, and "did that really just happen?" basically, our bad...we got tossed because we were taking too much time and they needed our table. well, i loved the food. our waitress was very nice. but, i won't be going back again, nor will i recommend it to friends. i will now always tell people about being asked to leave.

the progenitor of much of the bay area's fine dining, and nearly all of the great local breads (founders of these all worked here at one point first).

always the freshest ingredients, served in simple yet often startling ways that always highlight the essence of the ingredients.

wines always lovely - with a focus on those imported by kermit lynch.

this is a bucket-listrestaurantfor all foodies.

summer ice cream desserts (dish review). chez panisse is often known for it's decadent and innovative desserts. this one leans towards the traditional and simplistic. it consists of two scoops of beloved, homemade ice cream - one a summer berry ice cream and the other a basic but delicious peach sorbet. the summer berry is full of flavor (and seeds), and is one of the best creams i have tried in all my travels. the peach, on the other hand, is somewhat icy (yes, it is a sherbet after all), a trait i never like (which i why i don't eat many cups of sherbet), yet full of fresh flavor and even the occasional chunk of fruit. both scoops are topped with an entire "summer lady" peach, a fruit known for it's sweetness and tangy flavor. unless they strongly dislike sherbet, this is the closer for anyone's perfect meal.


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braised lamb shoulder (dish review). lamb is one of the world's most beloved meats. even those who shy away from beef run for a plate of this delicacy. chez panisse does lamb right. the kitchen, which serves hundreds of hungry and high-paying patrons daily, puts it's heart into every serving of their signature braised lamb shoulder. this dish comes in a giant ceramic bowl, which is filled with both broth and a perfect polenta. the meat itself is fork-tender and essentially melts in your mouth after many minutes (or hours) of braising. a peperonata and fried rosemary add extra flavor to the shoulder, which is finally topped of with a handful of fresh "rocket", more commonly known as arugula. it is a meal to devour and then order seconds, assuming your checkbook allows you too.


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shaved fennel salad (dish review). this dish is not only pricey and amazing, but large enough for an entire meal. the plate consists of the freshest fennel known to man shaved, sliced, and diced on fine glassware. then, the lettuce-substitute is tossed with a light salsa verde for a touch of acid. afterwards, the chef places in sliced hard-boiled egg and fine prosciutto for a kick of salt. altogether, the combination of the fennel, egg, acid, and meat makes for the finest salad i have ever sampled. though chez panisse offers dozens of other appetizer and dinner versions, each time i see this particular offering, i will fly across the bay for a taste.


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bacon/scallion pizzetta (dish review). this mini-pizza is a gift from the gods. chez panisse sure can make a killer, italian-inspired pie. this one comes with an airy tomato sauce and crunchy crust, and is covered with thick, chopped bacon and fine, fresh scallions. when paired with a fresh fennel salad, anyone can savor a perfect lunch. don't be fooled, chez panisse doesn't offer just one pie; they have their own wood-fire oven, allowing them to offer at least two chef's specialty pizzas a day, such as the popular wild nettle version, or the immortalized wild mushroom disk.


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house-made spaghetti (dish review). if the title doesn't tell you this already, here goes: chez panisse makes all their noodles, pastas, and breads (not to mention ice creams) in house. yes, that's dedication to excellence for you boys and girls. alice water's brainchild churns out some of the best homemade pasta around, and then proceeds to showcase it, not hide it, in every dish. this house-made spaghetti should be trade-marked; it throws the meat sauce to the dogs and instead features a light herb pesto on each noodle. on top, the skilled chefs place fresh cherry tomatoes from the garden out back and ancient parmesan cheese. it is both the simplest and cheapest dish offered at therestaurant(that isn't pizza). i'd eat this any lunch of my life.


-----12 feb, 2013-----

#700 - chez panisse (californian/farm-to-table). chez panisse, arguably the most hypedrestauranton the west coast of the united states, deserves every good word it gets. thisrestaurantis among the finest i have dined at, ever. period, end of story. the service is impeccable, adding to the already enchanting charm of the eatery. though the price tag is astronomical, most days it is worth every penny (their menu often changes, so try to check in advance to make sure it appeals to you before plopping down $300). every dish is almost perfectly cooked; tender meats and savory vegetables rest on each $30 plate. perhaps my favorite offering is the simplest of all, the house-made spaghetti. you won't find a thick sauce at chez panisse; instead, the chef tosses the noodles in a refreshing herb pesto and then tops them off with fresh tomatoes and aged parmesan. another, even more succulent option is the braised lamb shoulder, which comes on a bed of polenta after being fire-braised and seasoned with pepper corns and fried rosemary. perhaps the best, most consistent section of the menu is the dessert list, which incorporates both traditional favorites and the freshest local ingredients on each plate. i particularly enjoy the homemade peach sherbet and berry cream topped with "summer lady" peaches, often only served in summer. all things (and dishes) considered, chez panisse takes the cake for bestrestaurantin not only the east bay, but all of california outside san francisco and the peninsula, where a few enduring favorites keep it from the title. if you have a few hundred dollars lying around that you want to use for a special occasion, drive over to the heart of berkeley for a crack at chez panisse.

rating: 9.2/10

everyrestaurantand chef has a story.  but rarely does arestauranthave a more than 40-year history, a legendary owner, and a book to chronicle it all.  this makes my visit to alice water’s chez panisse in berkeley, california an experience that is about far more than the food.

happy 40th. we had a lovely lunch at this veteran of therestaurantscene. loved the use of seasonal, local produce. it must have been some of the best food i had eaten in a very long time.
it is hard to keep it simple.

founded by alice waters, chez panisse has been around since 1971. the idea behind therestaurantwas to make it as though you were dining at a friend’s place, with special care given to every dish. each plate always created with top-notch quality, organic

before i begin, think about this question: what are some of the hardestrestaurantreservations in the world? eric ripert's le bernadin or mario batali's babbo in new york? thomas' keller's the french laundry or bouchon in napa? what about ferran adria's

chez panisse cafe is the lower cost, a la carte menurestaurantupstairs from famous one michelin starred chez panisse. alice waters started a food revolution here, way back in 1971. she strives to serve only the highest quality products, and only when th

so i tried to make a reservation for dinner at chez panisserestaurantbut they only take reservations exactly one month in advance and i was off by one day. luckily, they also take reservation for their café which also does lunch. comfortable arts and cr

this place is by far the bestrestauranton the planet. i have never been more blown away by food in my life

excellent fare!. 4/4 stars! - i visited chez panisse for the first time on a thursday evening. although...the price goes up as the week progressess, it is well worth it. the main dining floor, although snug offers elegance and superb ambiance, the wait staff is excellent and timely...the fare phenomenal (every course). definitely worth the splurge. my favoriterestaurantin the east bay, thus far. only downside is finding available parking on the street. pricey - $60+ and up as the week progresses