East Bay dining is a relaxed alternative to San Francisco's gourmet scene. There are plenty of ambitious Berkeley restaurants and, unlike in San Francisco, plenty of parking, provided you're not near the campus.
If you want to dine student-style, eat on campus Monday through Friday. Buy something at a sidewalk stand or in the building directly behind the Student Union. There's also the Bear's Lair Pub and Coffee House, the Terrace, and the Golden Bear Restaurant. All the university eateries have both indoor and outdoor seating.
Telegraph Avenue has an array of small, ethnic restaurants, cafes, and sandwich shops. Follow the students: If the place is crowded, it's good, supercheap, or both.
Sweet Sensations at Berkeley's Chocolate Factory -- If you haven't had chocolate nibs, you haven't lived -- at least that's what chocoholics are likely to discover upon visiting Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, California's runaway-success chocolatier that opened its factory and retail-shop doors in Berkeley in mid-2001. Within the brick building, visitors can not only taste the nibs (crunchy roasted and shelled cocoa beans), but also see how the famous chocolate company uses vintage European equipment during regularly scheduled free tours (call or visit their website to reserve a spot as spaces are limited). All manner of chocolate-related products, from candy bars to cocoa powder to chocolate sauce, are also available in the retail shop. You can have coffee, pastries, lunch, or brunch at their restaurant, Café Cacao, which is open Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm (serving lunch 11am-3pm) and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 3pm. The factory is located at 914 Heinz Ave., Berkeley (tel. 510/981-4066; www.scharffenberger.com). From I-80 E take the Ashby Avenue exit, turn left on Seventh Street, and turn right on Heinz.
