I've finally gone to a restaurant featured on Food Network's...

[Hector]

...Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives...

Aunt Mary's Cafe in North Oakland's Temescal District...Cal Berkeley campus is not too far from there...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIBhyidFQqY

The food is really good...Southern eclectic breakfast and brunch (it closes early, 3pm)...great food...great service...great atmosphere.

I went there around 1pm...so it was not too hectic...but if you go there earlier...there's always a line...standing waiting time averages around 30 minutes...they have a few couches up in the front as well...there's also a small outside section...but too bloody cold right now for that...lol.

The minus?

Expensive as heck for breakfast fare though...I took my mom...and the tab was $32 plus $6.50 tip (20%)...basically two plates with one extra side order each, one glass of orange juice, and one cup of hot chocolate...holy prices, Batman...my idea of breakfast for two would be around $18 total...lol.

Very good though...I will go back...but not often...perhaps once a month...or something like that...

Aunt Mary's Cafe: It's Our Neighborhood!




P.S. Anybody else been to a restaurant featured on this program? Or even something like Man vs Food?

[Hector]

My mom had the Zorba the Omelet:
Omelet w/feta, olives, cherry tomatoes, red onion, spinach & lemon...plus a side order of two bacon strips, and a buttermilk biscuit...plus a hot chocolate.

I had the Chilaquilles Verdes:
Fried corn tortillas in a spicy tomatillos sauce, topped w/2 eggs any style & goat cheese, served w/avocado, pico de gallo, black beans & flour/corn tortillas...plus I ordered an extra side of bacon, plus a large glass of orange juice...lol.

Delicious!

Next time...I wanna try one of their signature dishes...the Grilled Shrimp & Grits w/Tabasco Gravy (it's featured in that Food Network show):
Benton’s smokey bacon, grilled domestic shrimp, goat cheese cream on top of stone ground grits, served w/a roasted tomato & Tabasco gravy...




P.S. Some traditionalists might scoff at these eclectic takes on these types of cuisines (like Southern or Tex-Mex in this instance)...but sometimes you just get tired of cooking all the time...it's nice to relax...and have some else cook and serve you...and nothing wrong with a little eclectic take on traditional foods. Why be so narrow-minded or be afraid of change? Nothing is set in stone...and it shouldn't be...that's how dishes progress...and get out of the norm...people can get tired of the same old take on stuff....I know I do...lol.

[babycyclops]

That all sounds delicious!
I live in neighbourhood with a killer Malaysian-Chinese eatery. Do you like a good Laksa, Hector?

[Hector]

That all sounds delicious!
I live in neighbourhood with a killer Malaysian-Chinese eatery. Do you like a good Laksa, Hector?

I love Chinese food...but not familiar with Malaysian cuisine...I'd love to try that...I have a very eclectic palate...I appreciate all cultures and cuisines...I googled it...and that sounds yummy...

[babycyclops]

I love Chinese food...but not familiar with Malaysian cuisine...I'd love to try that...I have a very eclectic palate...I appreciate all cultures and cuisines...I googled it...and that sounds yummy...

Oh I can tell that you're a person with eclectic tastes!
The curry laksa is the type to go for... mmm

[Earth 2 Chris]

My wife and I went to J.J. McBrewster's in Lexington a few weeks back. We didn't know the show had stopped near us until a week or two prior. Good BBQ! It lived up to Guy's hype.

Chris

[MIB41]

I often wonder if Guy has ever been in a place where he DIDN'T like the food and had to fake the interest. I just wonder how they find these places and how the show determines which place to go to? I bet they have people who go all over the country checking these places out in advance and then report back. That's my guess.

[Mikey]

Cool, but sounds really expensive

The diner by me a breakfast for 2 would be about 12 bucks

[Rallygirl]

...holy prices, Batman...my idea of breakfast for two would be around $18 total...lol.

Holy West Coast Prices, Batman...my idea of breakfast for two would be around $8 total...lol

[WannabeMego]

I've been to Neely’s Barbecue...and their food was retched!!!

I have no clue how these folks got an entire show on the Food Network cause their restaurant's food was horrible.

[megoscott]

Aunt Mary's is great. We know the owner's wife, she was the photographer at our wedding.

[palitoy]

I really enjoy that program, mostly because it gives me ideas.

While we can only wish to visit those locations, the wife and I did visit some places featured on a Canadian series called "Restaurant Makeover".

[kingdom warrior]

Damn that's expensive.....for that i stay home and crack my own eggs lol ....

[Adam West]

We were at Geno's in South Philly a couple of weeks ago (my daughter was in a soccer tournament) to try one of their cheesesteaks. We have always gone to Pat's and decided to give Geno's a try. Definitely a different style to both from the way it is prepared and service level. I like both of them equally for different reasons.

[jessica]

Yumm...Malaysian food....