Greetings my dear readers!
I hope your holiday season was lovely and full of tasty food,
fun and other shenanigans. My last semester at Berkeley has already started and I must say I have a rather nasty case of senioritis and the work
has not even begun yet!
Today, I wanted to share another foodie destination spot
that most Berkeley folk have eaten at or passed by on the way to class near the Starbucks on Center and Oxford. I’m talking about Saturn Café. I was one of
those students who always passed by the retro looking place and thought it too
hipster for my taste even though it has the words “GLUTEN FREE FOODS” glaring
at me from the shop windows. Saturn Café also is famous for serving vegan and
vegetarian friendly foods as well.
I was back in Berkeley one week before classes started and
my good friend, Jen, called me up and asked me if I would like to have dinner.
And when someone asks me to go to dinner with them, I almost always say yes
(well, unless it is an impromptu visit to Chez Panisse at which point I would
run and hide my wallet!) As we were searching for dinner selections, Saturn Café
popped up in my mind and I offered the suggestion. Next thing I know, I’m
sitting down in one of those retro booths with colors screaming from every
direction ready to try out this restaurant that I have always glanced at as a
passerby but never found the will to go in.
Once Jen arrived and we received our menus, both of us unanimously decided that the Crunchy Potato Taco Plate was the best thing on the
menu so we ordered two plates.
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| Close up shot of our Crunchy potato taco plate |
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| I seem to always wear this shirt to go to new restaurants! |
I think now I know why I never had too much of an
inclination to go to this restaurant beyond a minor interest. The food did not
really impress me at all and reminded me of food I could easily make at home.
The tacos were nice and crunchy but we were only given two small tacos (hardly
could satisfy my rather voracious appetite that day), the black beans were
simply opened from a can, scooped and warmed up, and the salad was fresh but
without much substance. I could get more selection on my salad at the dining
commons. One thing that was nice was that all the salad dressings are gluten
free- I tried the cilantro lime dressing which had a pretty nice taste.
Overall, service was slow (although I didn’t mind as much
because I was too busy chatting up a storm) but the waitress was nice and kept
our waters filled. Food was average and they could really use some interior
upgrading. I had to move booths because the one the waitress seated us at had a
huge slash through the fabric revealing the yellow foam on the bottom. The price is also a bit
expensive considering they didn’t give us much food- however, I understand why
they have to mark it higher seeing as how they market themselves as a specialty
diner.
Next food adventure, I think I’ll skip the glittery columns
and the retro themed music and just save up for my long awaited trip to La
Note, Gather or Chez Panisse. Although, I wouldn’t count Saturn Café out just
yet because I found out they actually have seasonal gluten free cupcakes!
Many thanks to Jen for her company and the gorgeous pics!
The pics make the plate look infinitely better.
Until next time,
Kris
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