I must say, however, that being in San Francisco this past holiday weekend was a little less summery, and more blustery at best. At times I felt like I was traipsing along 5th Avenue in NYC, as opposed to San Fran's Union Square. The visions of people in coats, scarves, hats, and gloves screamed "London in winter" more so than it did "San Francisco." Wait, it was still May this past weekend, right? (Or was it March?! I kid.)
Being the acclimated Angelino, I took to the streets of San Francisco sans a coat or jacket. And despite the fact that I've traveled to San Fran many-many times, and each time I have accepted the fact that I'll never catch a 'warm' break there, I still failed to pack a jacket in my suit case. I did come close to purchasing a hot jacket by CoSTUME NATIONAL, but the $1,000+ price tag scared me off. Oh well. I was destined to brave the cold... and that is exactly what I did.
As usual, the San Fran trip was food-filled. But the highlight of this culinary experience wasn't found within the city's 7x7-miles. This time around, I got a down-home "NoLa" meal in the heart of -- wouldn't you know - Berkeley.
You heard me right, Sherlock.
Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen is a little spot tucked away along busy Shattuck Avenue, which is dotted by everything from banks and ATMs to bars, cafes, and coffee houses. In a most unassuming way, Angeline's skillfully brings a taste of New Orleans to the cornflake-ish suburb of Berkeley; a perfect addition to a busy promenade that features a full array of ethnic tastes and flavors. With the aroma of pad thai, samosas, and freshly brewed java filling the air, you probably wouldn't even realize that this gem is out there for all to see and experience.We entered to place to find it packed. UC-Berkeley did have graduation ceremonies earlier in the day, so that surely added to the bustling pace of the neighborhood. We had to wait for about 20 minutes to be seated, which was fine. I was told that the wait would be well worth it.
New Orleans-Cajun standards are the big draw at Angeline's: po' boy sandwiches, etouffee, jambalaya, and gumbo --just to name a few. Hush Puppies are served with sweet butter, and Brussell Sprouts are caramelized and spiced to perfection. If you want catfish, then catfish you'll get. If you want crawfish... voila, it's yours. Creole/Cajun fans will surely enjoy this place. It's a "no frills" kind of joint, but meticulously clean and inviting. The waitstaff is super-friendly, and knowledgable. And the food - flavorful.
I actually stuck to a standard: fried oyster po' boy. The oysters were seasoned, breaded and fried to perfection; the bun nicely toasted, but still soft to bite. My side of cajun potato salad was a nice compliment to the sandwich, providing balance to my meal. While I didn't try the gumbo or jambalaya, which could easily make or break the credibility of a true NoLa-style restaurant, their po' boy was on-the-mark. If I could bottle it and take it with me wherever I go, I would. My Godsister enjoyed the Crawfish Etouffee, and her hubz went to town with the boneless fried chicken. Angeline does the "fried" thing uncanningly well. The only thing missing from the menu -- anything with "debris." Now you know a real NoLa restaurant will serve a good pulled-pork dish with debris... But hey, "A" for effort here regardless; debris or not.
Angeline's Fried Oyster Po' BoyThe experience ended with a shared order of warm beignets. And as soon as that was devoured, we were sent packing with food coma on our minds. If I could, I would've asked for a pillow and blanket right there, and called it a day.
Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen is a nice "get-away" in the little ol' town of Berkeley. It's a great addition to the area's food-scope, and is surely a place to "pass by, f'sure!"
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Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen, 2261 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704, 510.548.6900
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1 comment:
i love love love beignets. let's go to cafe dumonde!
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