Bar Area Trip Part 2: Gather Restaurant (Berkeley, CA)

Even the decor was sustainable!  From reclaimed wood to reused leather belt seats. 

Thank you Liz for being the menu display :)  

Located in Berkeley, CA right across from the college campus, this place boasts going beyond organic by supporting local farmers and using only sustainable ingredients.  Although this place is not completely vegan, it has a variety of vegan and gluten free options that are clearly marked on the menu (v, gf).  Chef/co-owner Sean Baker cooked in the kitchen of renowned vegan Millennium Restaurant, and in 2010 was named Esquire's Chef of the Year.  So don't worry about being the left-out vegan here, Chef Baker has got you covered ;)  His dishes range from sophisticated starter plates (salads, soups) to pizzas (these are not your everyday pizzas, they are fancy!) and of course flavorful entrees.  Read below to see what me and my team of guest bloggers thought of some of their vegan dishes.

Vegan Charcuterie (v, gf): Citrus-pistachio, coconut milk, fermented black  beans; Trumpet mushrooms-Cannelini, spring onion, horseradish, herb salad; Chickpea-dried habanero, english pea, cilantro; Mushroom tartare-spring veggies, radish salsa

The Macroveg: "For me this was the best dish.  Us vegans don't normally get this fancy treatment with our food so it was a great treat.  I would have to say that the chickpea was the best and the citrus was a little too sweet for me.  Be sure to request bread for the table, I made sure it was vegan ;), and enjoy this platter as spread."

LIZ:  "Totally not what I expected.  I guess the name Charcuterie is misleading, I was expected dryer things.  But the presentation was very pretty, as with all the food.  In everything but the mushroom tartare, the flavors were distinct and clean."
JO:  "Probably the most interesting dish of all! We were all curious what a vegan charcuterie would mean. The most memorable was the mushroom capriccio- it was a flavor I had never experienced in my life before."
BREE: "Great presentation and very tasty! I really enjoyed these uncommon flavor combinations."

Napoli Carrot Nasturtium Soup-vadouvan (v, gf)

The Macroveg: "Something was definitely not right with this soup when it first came out.  I agree with the girls that it was too salty, but I thought it also tasted more like burnt wood :S  Round 2 when they brought out a newly made soup with the salt omitted was so much better, but I still didn't find it to be anything special so I say skip this soup and get another starter."


LIZ:  "Haha, this was an interesting dish.  It speaks to the service of the restaurant though.  The first came out WAY to salty and we sent it back.  The servers were apologetic, and then brought another one out.  It was delicately flavored with ginger and carrot, but I don’t know where the nasturtiums went…"
BREE:  "This is a nice, savory soup. I recommend asking the server to skip the added salt. It was a bit on the salty side when I ordered."

Loca Lettuces Salad (v, gf): Cabernet vinaigrette, radishes, Campovida olive oil

LIZ:  "So big!  I was expecting something smaller, but it was a good, filling salad that was lightly dressed with a good variety of greens."
BREE: "Fantastic! Everything was so fresh. There was a perfect amount of vinaigrette to keep the salad light, yet filling."

Broccoli di Ciccio (v, gf option no crumbs): Sinese pepper, Meyer lemon, bread crumbs

LIZ:  "Very tasty.  I love roasted broccoli, and this had a nice seasoning with dried tomatoes, and breadcrumbs for extra crunch.  I think it was a little oily, but most of it stayed on the plate.  Not too salty."
JO: "Perfect combination of flavors. I usually like overcooked soft broccoli but this was crispy yet perfectly done. Very refreshing dish."
BREE: "The broccoli was well-done, and the whole dish had a spicy kick to it."

Mushroom Dashi (v, gf): Spring vegetables, whipped tofu, seaweed, "caviar" 

The Macroveg: "This was the only vegan entree and to my delight sounded pretty macro.  When you first see it you have no idea what you're looking at.  But what's floating the broth is a portobello mushroom wrapped in seaweed, filled with spoonfuls of different purees, and topped with dolops of whipped tofu (the whip was the best part!).  It was pretty difficult at first trying to maneuver a way to eat this since it was half soup--best way is to dig in with spoon and knife to cut the mushroom.  Overall, it was satisfying because the broth really fills you up and you literally have ten different tastes in one dish.  I mark it down for presentation because it was hard to eat and once you dug into the mushroom a whole bunch of other flavors started floating about and got lost in the broth.  I actually think this would be better without the broth and presented as a portobello steak!" 

JO:  "I had no idea what to expect when I ordered this, but that was half the fun. A little salty, but tasted very healthy and actually filled me up quite a bit. Loved the combination of mushrooms along with the frothy bit on top (forgot the name of it haha)."

BREE: "The broth was very flavorful. I can’t believe how many other flavors were packed into such a simple soup."

Vegan options include the chocolate hazelnut cake and the sorbet.    I decided to opt for chamomile tea which was a relaxing end to an awesome day.  But my friends got the roasted strawberries and pavlova, both which they found very tasty.  Except maybe Liz couldn't "gather" the unique taste of olive oil ice cream...not sure I would have either haha.

What was our overall experience at Gather Restaurant?

The Macroveg: "Gather is the perfect name for this restaurant because it is the perfect place for vegans and non-vegans to gather around a fancy meal.  I compare this to Madeleine Bistro in SoCal, but it does not surpass it.  There were a lot of flavors and the restaurant itself was beautiful.  That being said, would it be a must place for vegans to go to?  I say go if you have nonveggies with you and want a nice dinner, but perhaps skip if you have a limited time in SF and are looking to explore more popular vegan eats in SF.  As macroveg, I sometimes found the flavors really overbearing but that's because macrobiotics does not use much seasoning.  So prepare yourself for a feast bursting with flavors ;)"

LIZ: "Gather has excellent, attentive service.  Even though the space is large, it doesn’t feel big. It has a nice atmosphere with lots of natural light."

JO:  "One of the highlights of my trip to the States was eating at Gather. It was a dining experience because tasting the food took us on a journey. Rather than the restaurant simply being a setting for a get-together, tasting the flavors and the style of cooking became the main topic during our dinner, which is in my opinion the mark of a great meal."

BREE: "Excellent! Cozy atmosphere, pleasant servers, and bouquet of flavors in each dish puts Gather on the top of my list for favorite restaurants in SF.  The vegan dishes were very tasty! Even non-vegans would appreciate the body and flavor of these dishes."

*Be sure to make a reservation far in advance.  I called the beginning of the week for a Friday reservation and the only opening they had was at their opening time at 5pm.

Gather Restaurant
2200 Oxford St., Berkeley, California 94704
On the corner of Allston Way and Oxford Street
Phone: 510.809.0400, Fax: 510.295.2813

Dinner Every Day 5-10pm
Lunch Weekdays 11:30am-2:00pm
Weekend Brunch 10am-2:30pm