GrubGirl.

Still learning to deal with crowds…

Hotel Vitale
Downtown across from Market Bar & Boulevard
Rating: Buzzkiller

I work downtown near the Ferry Building. Where’s a grubgirl gotta go for good service? “Good” = attentive bartenders that get your orders right, and ask you if you’re ready for another (not too early, not way too late).

For now, it’s not Hotel Vitale’s bar, though the patio seating (with heat lamps) is what seems to draw the Melrose Place crowd, while the slightly older set (potential cougar alert!) mingles inside.

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Filed under: Financial District / Downtown, USA, Meals more than $15 per main course | No Comments »

Vik’s Chaat Corner
726 Allston Way
Berkeley
(510) 644-4412

If you live in San Francisco, it’s easy to forget how close Berkeley is. On a nice weekend, hop on the bridge for a short 15-minute drive over to the East Bay, home of the California Golden Bears (my alma mater).

Just off the University Ave. exit is an unexpected place to go for cheap, fresh Indian food. “Chaat,” as a friend told me, basically means “snacks”…and tucked in this industrial area is what looks like a garage-turned-cafeteria, serving Indian delicacies.

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Filed under: East Bay, South Asian, Meals from $5-15 per main course, Cuisine | No Comments »