Hunger Pang on Durant (next to Kingpin Donuts).

NYCGOBEARS;842853566 said:

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Not to go OT, but my wife and I are on vacation in upstate NY. We'd just arrived in Saranac Lake Village, parked in the quaint downtown area and saw a place called Bitters & Bones, which was highly recommended for their farm to table food and craft beer. Upon entering we were engaged by a pleasant barkeep and after sitting down at the bar heard a loud "Go Bears!" emanate from the kitchen (I'm wearing a Cal sweatshirt). The owner came out and explained that he was actually a UCLA alum but had always loved Berkeley much more than Westwood. Better food, more eclectic, etc. if any of you ever find yourself here, I'd highly recommend this place. Very impressive food, atmosphere, drinks and hospitality.

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After NYCGOB helicoptered 10 craft brews:

Owner: Why are you drinking so much and so fast?

NYCGOB: You would be doing this too if you had what I have.

Owner: What do you have?

NYCGOB: 75 cents.

dajo9;842853548 said:

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+1

I ate at Fat Slice more than anywhere else - but mostly because a slice and a coke was $1.50 or something like that.

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Same here, chose Fat Slice over Blondies too.

bearister;842853605 said:

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After NYCGOB helicoptered 10 craft brews:

Owner: Why are you drinking so much and so fast?

NYCGOB: You would be doing this too if you had what I have.

Owner: What do you have?

NYCGOB: 75 cents.

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Do I end up in jail?

NYCGOBEARS;842853615 said:

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Do I end up in jail?

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No, you got the "good buddy discount" for being a Bear.

bearister;842853427 said:

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Kips, the Rat, Top Dog, Pizza Haven, Blimpies, Sunshine Inn, and Sandwich-a-Go-Go.

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I remember sandwich a go-go- 2 sandwiches for $5! I loved Grossburger, the Rat, and The Smokehouse.

upsetof86;842853453 said:

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+1 also one if my go to places

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Happy to hear someone remembers it!

NYCGOBEARS;842853434 said:

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Top Dog, Steve's, Bear Ramen and Kingpin. Those were my joints. I had a buddy who worked at Cafe Fanny who used to hook me up there and at the Cafe at Chez Panisse. Great times.

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Steve's was quality. Berkel Berkel was the pits.

77Bear;842853412 said:

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. . . this was in the mid-1970s. There was a Falafel Cart parked daily on the Bancroft sidewalk at Telegraph that often had a line, albeit a short one. I had never heard of falafel before and I wasn't interested in trying it, but the cart seemed to be popular (despite the pervasive aura of rancid grease), at least among hairy-armpit Earth Mothers and mal-nourished Tie-Die Vegetarians. The popularity of the cart piqued my curiosity but it was never enough for me to give it a try.

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My memory is a bit hazy so to speak but was the food cart "Crazy Dave's Falafel?"

calumnus;842853492 said:

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I miss Flint's

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Nothing like it. Anything close in the Bay Area?

Go!Bears;842853532 said:

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I can't be the only one who actually liked Blondies. Mid-70's and early 80's (my two stints at Cal) there was always a line out the door. Yes, mainly it was cheap. But it was also good, once. A long time ago. BTW, there is still a Blondies in Pleasant Hill. As bad as the one on Telegraph just before its merciful demise...

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I pretty much like any pizza if I am hungry. For the price and huge slices, I ate there a lot.

IB Hoagies

I loved Manuel's Burritos- sitting on beer kegs with a pitcher and chips and beans for 99 cents! Bertolas, Flints, and Blondies worked too😀

We more or less stuck to the four food groups: Pizza, beer, ice cream, popcorn--

College Ave Liquors for sandwiches. And kegs, but also sandwiches. One sandwich lasted two meals.
Yogurt Park for Sunday dinner.
Swensons and Top Dog (next door to each other on Durant) late night.
Vivoli's for gelato til the power went out and all the ice cream melted, flooding the store and putting them out of business.
LaVals Northside for pizza and beer.
Colonial Donuts when they were still made fresh on Northside.
UC Theater popcorn with the double feature.

I drank as an 18 year old at La Val's, the Rat, and McNally's without even having to flash a phony. On my 21st birthday when I showed my ID to get my free drink at McNally's barkeep Tommy said, "Why you SOB, you have been drinking in here for years!" The good old days.

This was the post square ball era not long after Cal's last appearance in a Rose Bowl (v. uI Hawkeyes, Iowa City, IA).

[U]On Tele[/U]:
Kips's cooked burgers on an open grill, and that was good. tLarry Blake's was the institution. Orange Julius.
Caffe Mediterranean (Tele near Haste; across the street from Cody's and Moe's) was where you went for a cappuccino and where some listened to the Clay v Liston fight #1. Down the road (Tele), Casper's was thee dog joint, doing business since WW-2. Top Dog came along in the mid-60's. Further down the road---Emil Villa's Hickory Pit and Bertola's.

[U]Northside[/U]:
LaVals on Euclid was on the Northside, and so was Cafe Espresso (aka Cafe Depresso) on Hearst. Later came the Egg Shop and Apple Press.
I do not remember the name of the northgate burger joint, but I don't think it was Jerry's Grossburger operated by the Olsen brothers (Jerry and Pete--Cal QB and BB).

[U]Downtown[/U]:
There was Edy's ice cream parlor and cafe on SE corner of Shattuck at Alston, and a grocery/produce market on the SE corner of Shattuck at Kittredge. Ristorante Giovanni's. Mel's drive-in closed in 1962(?). Pisco's Pizza (now dba Big Al's Burgers on San Pablo Ave in Albany).

[U]The Gourmet Ghetto[/U]:
The GG did not exist until Peet's (1966) opened at Walnut and Vine followed by the Cheesboard. What is now the French Hotel was BFD Fire Station #3. What is now the Cheesboard was Hustead's Garage, and what is now Safeway/Andronico's was Berkeley Food Coop. What is now Barney's, Crapevine, et al, at the SW corner of Shattuck and Cedar was Truman's Funeral Home.

[U]Away from campus[/U]:
Berkeley Square Lounge and Restaurant on the north side of University Ave was at the famous "1 mile drinking limit" from campus...west of Sacramento adjacent to and east of the Santa Fe RR right of way.

[U]West Berkeley fringe[/U]:
Ravazza's Pizza was near Juan's Place, both on 9th Street. Brennan's and Spenger's were both at 4th Street and University. Spenger's was affordable.

At the time (mid to late '70s) I thought Kips pizza was great.

Blimpies had just opened my freshman year if I recall correctly and that was also real good.

La Fiesta for Mexican food once in a great while and when I had some extra cash, which was rare.

I don't think anyone mentioned Giant Hamburger (not to be confused with Giant Bongo Burger), which was greasy but good, and often mentioned as an alternative to Top Dog for late night dining.

I also ate on campus since I worked in food service and there was a decent deli in Lower Sproul.

Eventually got over to northside and La Val's.

Did anyone mention the legendary donut place on northside where people would line up at odd hours for fresh donuts?

slobear;842853654 said:

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At the time (mid to late '70s) I thought Kips pizza was great.

Blimpies had just opened my freshman year if I recall correctly and that was also real good...

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Blimpie's on Bancroft across from the Hearst Gym? I ate there a lot. They used to sprinkle vinegar and oil dressing on the shredded lettuce on their subs which I loved. I recall it was either next door to, or a few doors up from, a small men's clothing store that exclusively sold Cal Bear preppie apparel and accessories -- Cal Blue suits and sportcoats, Cal or Bear logo dress shirts, polos, ties, cuff links, umbrellas, etc. I rarely bought anything there on my student budget but I enjoyed looking around and chatting with the Old Blue proprietor.

I was a South Side denizen so I rarely ventured to the North Side, but did hit LaVal's a couple of times. The place seemed dead to me. I think there was also a LaVal's on Durant.

I also liked Juan's Place for a cheap Mex fix. I understand they are still open. I haven't been there in over 40 years. Anyone know if it it any good these days?

calumnus;842853492 said:

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I miss Flint's

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After Flint's, did you ever venture into the " 'Til Two" bar next door? I did. Once.

Northsider here . Midnight study breaks > down to Giant Burger. LaVals for pizza and beer and downstairs was always crowded.

Man, Pepe's Pizza was the bomb. We'd meet there to plan our protests against President Johnson.




Man, Jules Ice Cream was the bomb. We used to go there to discuss protesting President Eisenhower.





Man, the restaurants next to Sather Gate were the bomb. We used to gather there to discuss protesting President Roosevelt.

Irv used to get so pissed off when we'd come in with greasy, sticky fingers and paw through the leather jackets.

KoreAmBear;842853431 said:

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Besides the traditional stuff that will be posted in this thread, I remember this Musashi cart that was at Bancroft and Telegraph at the entrance to the campus. I used to get a $3 chicken donburi for lunch like every other day. Anyone remember that one?

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Yes on the chicken donburi

77Bear;842853444 said:

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A little farther off campus, but one day after several hours of libating at The Hut on College Ave. my bud talked me into going to Flint's on Shattuck. I recall getting there around midnight and the fluorescent lights there were bothering my eyes.

My bud talked me into ordering the "three-way" which I did, even though I had no idea what it was. I vividly remember it was hot and steamy in there, and the brother behind the counter - whose sweat was dripping from his head into the food in the steam trays where the food was being held - asked if I wanted the "white boy" sauce, the "hot sauce" or if I wanted him to 'tease it.'"

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Flint's remains my baseline for BBQ. Three-way all day. Was sad to see it go (the one on San Pablo).

Juans, Manuels, Top dog, Kips, Fat Slice, Blondies, Fentons, KingFish and a burger place maybe across the street from Top Dog that I can't remember the name of.

Jesus, look at that list - oh to have a young person's metabolism...

Kingpin Doughnuts for half dozen doughnut holes with grease dripping.

I could really go for some Bongo Burger right about now.

Right up from the corner of Telegraph and Dwight Way was the Hanoi Dining Room. My buddies lived in the apartment complex on top of it which they referred to as the ....Hanoi Hilton, naturally.

bearister;842853641 said:

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I drank as an 18 year old at La Val's, the Rat, and McNally's without even having to flash a phony. On my 21st birthday when I showed my ID to get my free drink at McNally's barkeep Tommy said, "Why you SOB, you have been drinking in here for years!" The good old days.

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Bertola's and Come Back Inn never carded anyone. When I went through CalSO, they took us to the CBI and said you could get a pitcher for $1.25 if you showed them your CalSO name tag (ie were 17 or 18).

Manuel's happy hour was $2 for a pitcher, chips, and dip. They jacked up the price to $2.25, so we took our talent down the street to the Yakitori Bowl (Yak Shack). We were friends with Frank, one of Manuel's owners, so after a month he told us we could have old happy hour pricing back even during non-happy hours.

A couple of good lists... In my era - late 70's to 80 - I would drop Bongo burger, the soup kitchen, the Chinese place near People's park and add in the Chinese place on University roughly 4 doors west of the McDonald's... Can't remember the name. Having lived in a frat while in Berkeley, the need to go out was somewhat lessened. Flints was an occasional hang during the school year more so summertime..

BearDevil;842853561 said:

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Same era. Would add Blondie's, Giant Burger, and the Soup Kitchen. Forget the name, but there was a Chinese place with good hot & sour soup near People's Park (roughly at Bowditch and Haste or Dwight.

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Snip:
In my time (early '80's): Bertola's, Bongo Burger, LaVal's, Top Dog, Fondue Fred's, Fentons. Just writing this list is giving me stomach rumblings, of both a good and a bad sort.

bearister;842853641 said:

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I drank as an 18 year old at La Val's, the Rat, and McNally's without even having to flash a phony. On my 21st birthday when I showed my ID to get my free drink at McNally's barkeep Tommy said, "Why you SOB, you have been drinking in here for years!" The good old days.

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Ah yes Bearister... McNally's . The family and friends hangout for decades. Also the fish (Kingfish) long before a fellow O'Dowd alum bought it.... Many late nights at McNally's and off to Flints for some Q for a late night snack... Always remember waking up the next day with the smell of their sauce on my fingers.....

petalumabear;842853776 said:

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Always remember waking up the next day with the smell of their sauce on my fingers.....

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This makes me think of Mills College.

Manuel's mostly for the $2.00-50 pitchers but their nachos were pretty good too. Steve's Korean BBQ. Top Dog, Fat Slice, Flint's, KC BBQ (on San Pablo, just burned down), Intermezzo (half sandwich and salad), Shakey's pizza (Shattuck - really not that great but for some reason - fun), BBQ Pork Bun at stand at Berkeley BART, fruit smoothie cart on College/Bancroft owned by Middle Eastern couple, it was amazing, the OLD Giant Burger place right on Durant, Steve the Greek (before it burned down - rumor was self-inflicted arson to collect insurance $), Cafe Med (has been in Berkeley since the 60s, when I was 4 years old I'd simply call it "Fan in Berkeley!"), etc.

Also liked some places that were a little ways from campus. Casa de Eva Mexican food on Telegraph around Parker, and Leaning Tower of Pizza on University was bomb.

being an old timer and a northside resident .. LaVals for pizza and beer

My go-tos from 2000-2004 were:

Greg's Pizza
Cheese 'n Stuff
Yokahama Station
Steve's Korean BBQ
Gypsy's
Raleigh's
Cafe Jun for sake bombing
Bear's Lair