Cafe Durant, Berkeley
Before we left this morning, I looked up breakfast places in Berkeley. We usually eat at Bette’s Ocean View Diner but decided to try somewhere different today. Cafe Durant was well recommended so we programed the address into Mollie (affectionate term for our GPS) and set off.
(click on the thumbnails for a larger version)
As we turned onto Durant Avenue in Berkeley, we began to have doubts. Maybe we had put in the wrong address. But Mollie deposited us right outside. I had read a few reviews which mentioned it being upstairs and I could see the tables, chairs and umbrellas on the second floor but still the entrance is very hard to find. There are several restaurants in the same building so look for the clues. First clue is on the big sign outside. There is an arrow pointing downwards. So we walked into a dimly lit entry way. The next clue is on the wall to the right on which is another arrow and a sign saying ‘Upstairs and turn left’.
It is unashamably a Mexican restaurant. At first we were a bit reluctant to enter. For a start the place was almost empty - never a good sign. Also it looks a bit run down. We decided though that if we could stomach the Video Cafe last weekend we should be able to manage this. We had to find out why the reviews were so good.
There was just one customer inside and he had obviously overheard our conversation. He was a young man and he told us that, indeed, the food was very good. We asked where everybody was and he said that this was early for Berkeley (8 a.m.). Even the 7-11 does not open until 8 a.m. He also said that we could sit anywhere but we had to go to the counter to order first.
The menu is huge and displayed up on the wall. I had difficulty finding the oatmeal, due to the glare of a 
badly placed spotlight, but it was there. I asked if it was cooked in the microwave but was assured that it was cooked in a pan, so I went for it ($2.95). I also order a fruit salad (3.95). Tom ordered Huevos Con Chorizo (not sure of the price but about $7).
(Again, click on the thumb for a larger version.)
The seating was different. No booths. White linen talecloths with a sheet of glass on top. Underneath each one were colorful soccer posters and every table was different. All the chairs were made out of bamboo and had cushioned seats. Out on the patio were twelve plastic tables and chairs.
The rest of the decor was bright and cheerful. Big colorful pictures on the walls plus painted plates, plaques, hanging bunches of ceramic fruit and even a wonderful black sombrero with silver decoration. Most impressive were two large, intricate, tiled mosaics.
The food was served to our table pretty fast - well we were the only customers by now. The oatmeal arrived on a large, blue, ceramic plate in a wide, shallow, round, plastic bowl with cinnamon sprinkled on top. Sugar, raisins and milk came in small plastic pots. There was not enough milk so I had to ask for more. The fruit salad came in an identical bowl to the oatmeal and contained cubes of green & orange melon and apples with slices of bananas and strawberries. It was a large portion. Tom’s Huevos, with its rice, refried and black beans with a flour tortillas, looked truly Mexican. My oatmeal was so-so but Tom was well impressed with his, so the reputation of Cafe Durant is well founded.
One word of caution, do not use the restroom - it’s pretty disgusting. To get to it you have to walk through the kitchen. When I told Tom he commented that it was part of the charm. Yeah right.
Conclusion. If you are up for trying something different and you like Mexican food, this is the place for you.
Note from Tom: Bette’s is much better. Not Mexican but wonderful scrambled eggs.
July 26 2008 03:48 pm | Breakfast Log
