Valentine's Day prix fixes

Out of dining ideas for Valentine’s weekend? Take note of a few prix fixe specials around Berkeley and Oakland. Call for reservations, as these places may already be booked.


Friday through Monday

Cioccolata Di Vino
1801 Shattuck Ave., Suite C, Berkeley
510) 898-1392
4-course Italian prix fixe for $35/person


Scott’s
2 Broadway, Oakland
510) 444-3456
3-course seafood prix fixe with a glass of Brut for $75/person.


Saturday


Local 123 (reservations required)
2049 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley
(510) 647-5270
Seasonal 4-course meal with drinks for $45/person


Monday, Valentine’s Day


Lalime's
1329 Gilman St., Albany
(510) 527-9838
4-course prix fixe for $55/person

Chop Bar
247 4th St # 111, Oakland
(510) 834-2467
3-course dinner with glass of wine for $30/person.

Gather
2200 Oxford St., Berkeley
(510) 809-0400
4-course local, organic and sustainable prix fixe for $70/erson.

Italian Colors
2220 Mountain Boulevard, Oakland (Montclair Village)
(510) 482-8094
4-course prix fixe for $39/person with complimentary chocolate for every table.

Ozumo
2251 Broadway, Oakland (Uptown)
(510) 286-9866
7-course prix fixe for $150/couple featuring grilled Dungeness crab with miso sauce, Yellow Fin tuna sashimi with apple garlic soy and quail egg & more.

Zut! on Fourth
1820 Fourth St., Berkeley
(510) 644-0444
3-course prix fixe for $45/person with a complimentary amuse bouche and a mid course Moscato d'Asti sorbet palate cleanser. Wine pairing an additional $25/person.

Bocanova
55 Webster St., Oakland
(510) 444-1233
4-course Argentinean prix fixe for $48/person with tango dancers.

Miss Pearl’s Jam House
1 Broadway, Oakland
(510) 444-7171
3-course Southern prix fixe for $45/person. Drink pairings $8 per course.

Christmas and New Year Eve's Prix Fixe

With the recent prix fixe success at Jimmy Bean’s and Lalime’s, a couple more K2 eateries are offering prix fixe Christmas Eve early dinners.

Who: T-Rex
Where: 1300 10th Street at Gilman, Berkeley, 510-527-0099
When: Dec. 24, 4 to 8 p.m.
What: $38 for holiday buffet featuring carving, salad, sides and dessert stations and glass of sparkling wine. Menu lacks ribs but includes suckling pig (with BBQ sauce), smoked turkey and salmon. Sides include beet salad, Cobb salad, Cesar salad, cornbread, brussel sprouts, mac & cheese, baked beans & sausage. For dessert, there’s carrot cake and chocolate bread pudding.

Sea Salt
2512 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, (510) 883-1720
Dec. 24, 3 to 8 p.m.
$25, 3-course San Francisco classic of chicory salad, cioppino, dessert and a glass of Brut.


If you don’t yet have New Year’s Eve plans, try celebrating at a few local restaurants.

Oliveto
510-547-5356
Early seating ($80) and late ($95) for 4-course Venetian menu: starter, pasta, main and dessert.

Pizzaiolo
510-652-4888
Early seating ($90) and late ($125) for family-style dinner, likely including wood-fired Dungeness crabs, and drinks. Live music & dancing.

Gather
2200 Oxford St., Berkeley, 510-859-9180
Closes at 10 p.m. $65 4-course prix fixe, including vegan options.

Lake Chalet
1520 Lakeside Dr., Oakland, 510-208-5253
$75 murder mystery dinner. Solve a whodunit while enjoying a 3-course dinner at sparkling wine toast.

Ozumo Oakland
2251 Broadway, Oakland, 510-286-9866
Closes at 11 p.m. $65 6-course prix fixe with complimentary celebratory toast and entertainment by DJ Ed.

Zut! On Fourth
1820 Fourth St., Berkeley, 510-644-0444
Early seating ($70) and late ($90), 4-course prix fixe plus $30 for wine pairing. Live music and complimentary midnight toast

SF Chefs expands to the East Bay

As part of SF Chefs food and wine activities next week, select restaurants will offer prix fixe menus ranging from $35 to $50. While the main festivities occur in the city, a few East Bay eateries are participating in the weeklong fest beginning Monday and ending Sunday, Aug. 15.

In Berkeley, try the Meritage at the Claremont and Five in Hotel Shattuck. In Oakland, catch the special menus at Miss Pearl's Jam House and Lake Chalet Seafood Bar and Grill. Of the four, Five looks the most promising with two options for each course at $35, or add the wine pairing for an extra $15. The smoked duck salad sounds delicious with goat cheese, candied kumquats, pistachios and melon. The "Five" spiced lamb loin seems traditional and hearty, while the blueberry dessert lassi with white corn ice cream has me curious.

The menus for all but the Meritage can be found at the SF Chefs website, and reservations can be made at Opentable or by calling the restaurant.

Photo: SFChefsfoodwine.com

Chez Panisse Cafe in Berkeley

For those who can’t afford the steep prices at the world-renowned Chez Panisse or get a reservation, the upstairs café is a good alternative. Unlike the dining room that serves only one daily prix fix, the café has a varied menu, which is helpful for people with dietary restrictions or picky eaters.

The highlight of the café may be the daily three-course pasta prix fixe for $26 a person. Start with a salad, organic no doubt, then a dish of house-made but meatless pasta, and finish with dessert.

Eating here can still be expensive because you are paying for the brand and the local, sustainable food, but the café is a more affordable option, especially with a prix fixe, to take parents or out-of-towners who want to see what Chez Panisse is all about.

Reservations are highly recommended and can be made a month in advance for the cafe.

Chez Panisse
1517 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley

$15 3-course prix fixe at Jimmy Beans in Berkeley

The price for the 3-course dinner at Jimmy Beans used to be $12 and you got a glass of wine, but it's still a deal for $15. The menu changes daily, so pick your favorite.

Monday: Spaghetti and meatballs
Tuesday: Sausage or veggie lasagna
Wednesday: Manicotti
Thursday: Meatloaf
Friday: Fried chicken
Saturday: Paella
Sunday: Mexican fiesta

Each dinner comes with choice of small mixed green salad or soup and the daily dessert special.

The first time I went, I tried the shepherd's pie, hearty, filling and perfect for a winter night. The second time, I tried the fried chicken, which was juicy and delicious. The food at Jimmy Beans is simple and looks and tastes freshly homemade, which I appreciate.

While the food is great, Jimmy Beans is more like a cafe than a sit-down restaurant. Known more for their breakfast and lunch dishes, Jimmy Beans' decor reflects that of a coffee shop. Diners are crammed in a small space near the front doors with tightly packed two-seaters in the center. The next party is only an arms-length away, so conversations are easily heard. The staff is still considerate and professional though.

If ordering off the prix fixe menu, prices can get steep as dinner entrees start around $13.

Jimmy Beans
1290 6th St., Berkeley

Marica in Rockridge

During lunch a couple Mondays ago, my friend mentioned she went to a fantastic seafood restaurant at the end of College Avenue in Oakland. She raved about the affordability, quality and all the complimentary dishes from the chef. I hardly crave going to a restaurant, but after hearing her compliments I had to try it. The next day, I dragged myself through the rain to Marica Restaurant.

Marica is a cozy family-run bistro. Walk by quickly and you may miss it. The space is well lit and bright with welcoming walls of art and mirrors. Entering, I felt as if I was visiting a friend's home, and the hostess-waitress-owner greeted us as such.

The menu is small with two daily fish specials and about seven entree staples that include chicken and beef for land lovers. The best deal is their three-course prix fixe of soup or salad, fish of the day and dessert for $25, or $21 if you are seated before 6:30 p.m. The dishes can be flexible, as our waiter kindly informed me that I could substitute the mussels as my appetizer and the steelhead for my entree.

Everything we had was delicious and flavorful. Marica makes one of my favorite mussel appetizers. Cleaned properly with a buttery, tangy sauce, they are the candy of the sea. The entrees were also good and hefty. This isn't a minimalist restaurant with a delicately placed piece of medium-seared fish on a pristine white plate. This is like going home to mom when she says you have gained weight but continues to give you an enormous heaping of her pot roast.

We were so impressed with Marica after our entrees that we appreciated even more all the little things the staff did, such as a free calamari appetizer and chocolate souffle dessert. It was our first visit, but whatever the occasion, Marica seems to give each table something complimentary. It is the type of service I have seen only on birthday and anniversary dinners, never for something as simple as just visiting.

Marica is a great place that I'm surprised to have found in Rockridge, one of the more affluent Oakland neighborhoods. Walk a few blocks up College and you'll find plenty of eateries that cost twice as much but are not half as good. From the three course prix fixe for $21 and all-day happy hour of $5 cocktails and appetizers to the 10% cash discount, Marica offers terrific value. Our tab for three appetizers, two entrees, three desserts and two cocktails was $51 before tip.

I wish more restaurants were like Marica, but until there are, I will be making many return visits.

Marica Restaurant
5301 College Ave., Oakland
Reservations recommended

Photo: MilkConspiracy

Welcome

Many people know San Francisco is a great city for dining, but few venture east, across the bay, for anything other than Chez Panisse. I live in Berkeley and love finding great deals and memorable spots, high-end or low, gourmet or hole-in-the-wall. I want to share my adventures and learn from others who enjoy food just as much as I do.