The Restaurant Gather In Berkeley Left Me Hungry

I must say Gather is a beautiful place and the service was stellar, but in my opinion you might leave the restaurant hungry as I did. I love food and I come from a long line of "Last Of The Big Bad Eaters", we can throw down in my family. But if you are on a diet and looking for Locally Grown food, or a choice of Gluten free,or Vegan food this is the place.

I had the Kale salad with winter root's, fried capers, pine nuts, and Fiscalini cheese. I chose the 7 dollar small salad which was a mistake and added chicken for two more dollars, another mistake. I could not find the chicken, or the pine nuts on my plate the flavor was good, just not enough on the plate for the pallet to get the full effect of what they were trying to do.

I will however give them another chance because the ambiance is wonderful with the open kitchen great lighting I almost forgot I was still hungry. I noticed they had a great wine bar over in the corner,and I want to try the Gather Hot Dog which consists of Beef,lamb,wild boar and fennel. Um mm sounds interesting. Another Berkeley restaurant gone wild in a cheek way, reminds me of Cafe Gratitude without the hipsters, but with smaller portions.

I'm going to give it an Adi Zakti 8
Blessings

Mimosa Champagne Lounge & Raw Food Bar

Foodies… we are experience a reissuance period in Oakland. Renovated housing, big condominium developments are popping up all over the city, which is causing urban renewal and growth for Oakland. With this growth a tidal wave of super innovative restaurants are appearing with optimistic entrepreneurial risk takers; case in study, Christopher Rachal, and his business partner. One’s a school teacher, the other a former night club owner.
These men have taken on a seemingly successful project called “Mimosa”. In a beautifully decorated space that is open and attractive with large windows that show off good lighting in a high end, creatively designed bar. Comfortable seating lines the outer parameters of the bar while communal tables run almost the whole length of the two grand rooms on both sides of the bar.

Sexy Food…By Executive Chef Abram Lange
This delectable menu touts its specialties as “Culinary Aphrodisiacs”. Mimosa is a great place to bring a sexy date. They have every champagne you can think of, and wild flavored syrups to go into your glass. At this sophisticated bar you can sport a fine $330 bottle of Dom Perignon French champagne in a classy glass ice vase with the most discriminating wine aficionados.

Raw Food Bar… complements the champagne bar with various salads like Sea Bass Ceviche, Lobster Cvechie, and “For Play” items like “Oysters on the half shell”. My favorite though is the “Goat Cheese Bruschetta”with roma tomatoes, onions garlic, and oo-la la fresh thyme. Baby the garlic is kicking so don’t forget after diner mints.

Hollywood… comes to “Mimosa”. A big wall above the bar is the private theatre screen for movies such as, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, “The Blues Brothers”, “Rumble in the Jungle”, and “Rear Window” by Alfred Hitchcock.

Exhale… with after diner deserts- The Magnanimous molten, will be like having sex all over again, This is chocolate cake with a soft gancache cream center served with fresh strawberries and French Vanilla bean ice cream, and it’s everything is say’s it is, served warm, and the filling oozing out when you cut into it with your fork.

Even the powder rooms show off the style and good taste of the restaurateurs’ with pictures of the Brat Pack and a full length poster of Audrey Hepburn in “Break fast at Tiffney’s”

Folks, my people, fellow foodies, forget the hotel room come to Mimosa and let everybody watch!!

Mua Oakland Restaurant/Bar

Adi Zakti’s Restaurant Review-etc. - January 2nd 2009

MUA Restaurant & Bar/ Art Gallery
2442 Webster Street, Oakland Ca 94612
www.Muaoakland.com

Thank you for stopping by to check out what’s going on around Oaktown, which is one of my favorite places for dining and partying with the” Pretty People”
.
I am a Berkeley transplant to Oakland who happens to love good food and people, one goes with the other when having a night on the town, and I hope not to disappoint in guiding you to both. My love of art and movies will be included. Please inform me of mistakes of any kind or interesting tid bits
Love and peace,
Adi Zakti


To my absolute surprise and astonishment Auto Row now is taking on a new appearance with the elegant yet Urban Cheek Restaurant MUA, (Which means “Other World” in Korean).

What used to be a rather large garage of some sort is now home to a two level funky cheek Restaurant and artist lair; called MUA, and part of the Oakland Art Murmur walking tour (www.oaklandartmurmur.com ) a group of Galleries showing art work, and MUA is in the line up. The upstairs turns into a super uptown style art gallery and sitting solon with groovy cozy nooks and crannies for intimate social gatherings. Downstairs is big enough for larger Venues and fine dining.

MUA * has some of the most innovative cuisine and signature cocktails I’ve ever tasted and will describe later. But first I had The Picard signature cocktail, not named after the starship captain in Star Trek, but the first manager of MUA. This drink had a citrus type flavor, it’s a must drink!
Hendrick’s gin,
Prosecco
Elderflower liqueur,
Lemon.
(Signature drinks range from seven to ten dollars).

Main Dining Area* has low lighting with spacious seating and high visibility for checking out all the pretty people, you won’t have to bump elbow with the party sitting next to you while eating. Save the bumping and grinding for later when the dining room converts into a dance floor like it did for New Years Eve’s smashing party of 2009

The Upstairs* level is filled with Asian antiques, giving the uniquely carved out space a rustic Asian antiquity feel, with dark teak wood tables, chairs and amours for more privacy. You will have to see it to understand what I’m talking about. But it’s beautiful.

Because I came for just a drink I decide of the finger food appetizers to go with my drink. I am Vegan/Vegetarian so I mainly wanted to see if they could please my pallet. MUA exceeded my expectations with the Crispy Tofu /black bean, sweet chili. It was so good with perfectly served tofu square lightly fried golden brown, with chili and black bean sauce at the bottom. You dip the tofu in sauce piece by piece or toss the whole thing and you’re done with it. Yum!

I tried the Mung Bean Kimchi Pancake. The flavors were multi laired and the consistency just right. When talking to the Head Chief, John Mardikian and Su Chef, Chris Dunham they laughed when asked to explain this dish, and said it took one month to get the consistency and flavors just right, you must have this vegan treat when you go to MUA.
One more Vegan treat I had New Years Eve and then I will let you go there, was the MUA Vegan / French greens lentils ,butternut squash, kale stew served / Chick pea, bulgur quinoa walnut patty, It doesn’t get any better my Foodies.

Adi Zakti