Tunnel Wars: Why the West Side has the Best Eats
The line stretched all the way along the block, but everyone in line seemed aware that waiting was completely worth it, so they waited patiently. Inside the store, a wall was lined with all sorts of bread loaves, the glass showcase was filled with all sorts of cookies and tarts, and the main counter was piled with croissants, scones, gougères, puffs, and others, stacked on each other in delicious heaps of delicious pastries. Fournée Bakery is one of the most popular bakeries in Berkeley. Every morning the line stretches the block because of its amazing reputation. Their croissants are thin, flakey, and yet soft. Their Gougères are a subtle mix of cheese, bread, and herbs that come together wondrously. All together the small corner bakery feels just out of a small town in France.
Fournée Bakery is one of the amazing restaurants and bakeries in the East Bay area. The East Bay, specifically Alameda and Oakland, is filled with amazing small restaurants with all different kinds of food. These foods come from all over the world: Ethiopia, Myanmar, the Mediterranean, and so much more. This is partly due to the diversity of people on the west side of the tunnel. Urban areas tend to attract people from all over the world and because of the greater population, there are so many people to offer up their skills, recipes, and culture.
“Berkeley is so lively and always has tons of options for things to do and eat, unlike Danville or Pleasanton which doesn’t have anything outside Main Street,” said tenth-grader Uma Raghavan.
Multiculturalism tends to make restaurants and bakeries better because of the diversity of cultures and authenticity. According to the 2020 census, Contra Costa County’s population is 62.8% white, while Danville’s population is 76.5% white. At the same time in Alameda, the population is 47.5% white. It’s no wonder that Berkley has much more culturally diverse and authentic food at an affordable cost. Places like Danville or Pleasanton, of course, have some culturally diverse restaurants, but they are often less authentic or more expensive. This could be because restaurants are commercialized expensively to suit the wants of the surrounding community and Contra Costa has a more white American population.
History teacher Stephanie McGraw said, “So, because Oakland is more diverse, we have more diverse people. We have more diverse food, which I like. Like, here, in Danville, you can get a great hamburger and that's awesome. Right?”
Tutu’s Food and Drink is a small restaurant in Lafayette that provides mostly organic, healthy options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Its popularity among the local community makes it hard to get a table during busy hours as parents toting children and dogs eat busily. The restaurant’s ambiance gives off that very vibe of calm chaos as birthday gatherings, business brunches, and casual family outings all occur at once. However, the wait staff are very friendly and easily able to accommodate various needs and requests. The menu is extensive and although it includes food from multiple cultures, their American food is the most popular. Two of Tutu’s well-liked brunch options on the menu are the organic avocado toast and cinnamon french toast.
Tutu’s runny poached egg in combination with slices of avocado atop thick bread makes for a good few bites. Yet it is just that, a simple dish condensed down to a smaller form yet still unnecessarily expensive with a price of $12 for only one piece of avocado toast. The cinnamon french toast is rather good. It is sweet, light, and soft without too strong a taste of cinnamon. Though this is a nice breakfast, many would say that it was not worth $14. While Tutu’s is a good restaurant, it represents the lack of multiculturalism and the presence of price inaccessibility among communities in places like Lafayette, Danville, and Walnut Creek. Many people would agree that paying six dollars for three pieces of bacon is unreasonable. These places serve generally richer populations, unlike the communities in areas like Oakland and Berkeley.
College Avenue is a popular place in Berkeley to eat or just stroll around. The street is picturesquely lined with dogwoods and pedestrians flow along the sidewalks. In the mornings and afternoons, people are sitting on high stools or comfy chairs sipping tea and eating biscuits at The Elmwood Cafe. When the sun goes down, late night revelers chat animatedly at small tables eating at La Mediterranee, ManPuku, or at the delicious Italian Homemade.
The Italian Homemade Company offers authentic Italian food for those who wish to have a real taste of Italy from right here in California. The restaurant is plastered with old Italian posters and everything gives the feeling of a small cafe in Europe. A big counter is set up so that the customers can see the pasta being made. The process is mesmerizing and one of the restaurant’s unique aspects. Their food is even better than the restaurant’s atmosphere. The menu offers a wide and diverse selection of pastas, salads, sandwiches, and cold plates, and even includes delicious vegetarian options such as the vegetarian ravioli filled with ricotta cheese and spinach. The ravioli, coupled with a delicious marinara sauce, is the perfect balance of flavors. The pasta is always a perfect consistency, falling apart perfectly. The pappardelle with bolognese sauce is perfectly tomato without being too overpowering and thick. Another one of the restaurant’s distinctive aspects is its gelato. They have at least eight different unique flavors. The gelato is subtly flavorful and not too sweet. The ice cream melts quickly in the mouth like ice over a fire. The whole restaurant puts so much care into the food they make and it is apparent in the taste. Italian Homemade is a subtle but amazing and beautiful restaurant.
Another restaurant in the Berkeley area that offers up the authentic taste of multiculturalism unique to the Bay Area is Kim’s Cafe & Sandwiches on Solano. Solano Avenue is another street, stretching from the hills of Berkeley down to Albany, that offers a wide array of fantastic restaurants. One such place is Kim’s Cafe which serves authentic Vietnamese comfort food: delicious banh mi, flavorful noodle soups, and vermicelli dishes. The relatively simple design of the cafe’s exterior betrays the countless flavors found inside that keep dedicated customers coming back. The curry tofu over rice has just the right amount of spicy curry flavor to balance out the more neutral tofu and rice. Most popular out of the many noodle soup varieties that Kim’s Cafe offers is the chicken noodle soup with rice noodles, Thai basil, bean sprouts, and green onion. Each sip of flavorful broth is infused with the rich flavors of Vietnam familiar to many who are part of the substantial Vietnamese population in the East Bay. Kim’s Cafe has many delicious options and is just another wonderful example of the diversity in restaurants that only the East Bay has to offer.
“It's much better on the other side of the tunnel [Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, etc...]. I live on the other side of the tunnel, and I think it's better. I think here [Danville, Walnut Creek, San Ramon, Pleasanton, etc...] it's too, how do I say…white? You know, on the other side of the tunnel, we have a lot of culture. Culture for people who maybe can't afford, like, $50 tacos. I think it's more of a bang for your buck because here you pay a ton of money for a really bad taco or something like that,” ninth-grader Eliana Dukes said.
Due to its much higher average income, some may wrongfully assume that the east side of the Caldecott Tunnel would have better cuisine. However, the west side of the tunnel, and Alameda County in general, has a greater variety and affordability. This only furthers the idea that diversity is important to not only food but also culture and community. This great diversity in nationalities and ethnicities in the East Bay has provided an expansive, and delicious, variety of foods for cheaper prices.