Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe

Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe is a fun burger joint located in Emeryville most notorious for being co-founded by Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt. I'm not sure if he still has an interest in this venture, but if the coolness factor amongst the black clothing-clad staff is any indication, I would guess yes. The service can be slow and unengaged, but the food is exactly what it claims to be, tasty diner food with a hint towards farm fresh (only a hint though). They're open until 1 am all week long, one of their greatest features and great news for the east bay, where late night eateries are a rarity unless you like risking your late night life at drive-by Denny's down by the highway. They also offer a great early bird breakfast special if you get there before 9 am. Mon - Fri. It's not on the menu, but on a board by their bar, and has a few specials for around 3 - 4 bucks! Worth dragging your ass out of bed early.

I also appreciate restaurants that make a noble effort to provide vegan and veggie options to my favorite friends, but as a meat eater, I have to say, their burgers ROCK! I might even venture to say they may be the best in Oakland/Emeryville. The burgers range in price from $7.95 - 9.50, and you get to choose between a beautiful baby greens salad or a generous portion of fries included with your meal. Veggie/vegan burgers also available for $8.25.

They serve breakfast all day, and brunch on Sundays, a nice assortment of egg dishes, pancakes and a great tofu scramble. Mon - Fri they feature nightly dinner specials that are the same every week: Mon - Chicken Fried Steak $10.25, Tues - Southern Fried Chicken $9.75, Wed - Meatloaf $9.75, Thu - Mac & Cheese $9.25, Fri - Fish & Chips $10.50. The specials come with soup or salad. There are lots of other dishes, which I would love to list in great detail. Not necessary though, because they have a great website and list their entire menu, which is quite lengthy and varied. Try their chocolate malts, just like grandpa used to get at the five and dime!

VEGETARIANS/VEGANS: This place is great for offering great veggie/vegan options including: Veggie Club Triple Decker $7.50 - three layers of lettuce, tomato, onions, sprouts, roasted peppers, avocado on wheat toast, Crunchy Asian Tofu Salad $8.95 - a generous mix of multicolor cabbages, carrots, romaine, cucumbers, red bell peppers, sprouts, and crispy fried tofu tossed in sesame soy vinaigrette garnished with sliced Avocado and toasted sesame seeds, Portobello Sandwich $8.95 - a grilled portobello mushroom with roasted red bell pepper, grilled red onions and swiss cheese on a Whole Wheat Bun. They have morning star veggie sausage on their breakfast menu.

LOCATION/HOURS: 4081 Hollis Street, Emeryville, CA 94608 (510) 594-1221. Sun - Thu 7 am - 9 pm, Fri - Sat 7 am - 1 am.

Tacubaya - Berkeley

Tacubaya is a taqueria located in Berkeley's Fourth Street district. The owner of the upscale Mexican restaurant Doña Tomas in Oakland co-owns this charming little eatery, and it definitely shows in the tasty menu and the colorful decor.

I've tried just about everything on the menu, and always come back to the tacos, which is why I've listed all of them below. But they have a nice variety of other choices, without being too overwhelming. No six page menus here. No menus at all, as a matter of fact, except for paper take-out menus. They have a large blackboard menu above the register, where you place your order. It is a popular place, so at the busy lunch and dinner hours, there will definitely be a line of people waiting to order. But the staff is very efficient, and it doesn't take long for your hot food to arrive. They hand you your drinks at the counter, along with your silverware, and a food runner brings your food. There's a tip jar at the register, but more of a cafeteria feeling in the service. You serve yourself to water, hot sauce, etc. No enormous salsa bar either, like Cancun in Berkeley. They pour their savory and complicated salsas on each item gingerly here, but with great purpose. But Cholula is waiting for you by the water jug, so don't panic if you need extra heat! They have a nice offering of fresh juices, sodas and beers. They offer (this is great!) Blue Bottle Coffee $2.00 - dripped one cup at a time, and an amazing Cafe de Olla $2.50 - A strong coffee spiked with piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar) and cinammon.

They value quality, and use Niman Ranch beef and pork, organic chicken and fresh snapper. Their tacos are prepared market-style, which means a double layer of small soft corn tortillas, topped with moderate amounts of deliciously savory fillings. Each taco is $3.15, and you can choose from Carne Asada - grilled tender Niman Ranch beef with red salsa, onions and cilantro, Al Pastor - spit-roasted Niman Ranch pork that's been marinaded to savory perfection in adobo and topped with a buttery avocado salsa, Lengua - tender Niman Ranch beef tongue with tomatilla salsa, Pescado - fresh snapper, dipped in batter and fried to perfection, topped with a creamy arbol chile sauce, fresh shredded cabbage and cilantro, Pollo - this taco is crispy, and filled with flavorful organic chicken and topped with cheese, cucumber-tomato salsa, and cilantro.

Their menu is simple, but each dish a savory masterpiece. A unique choice is the Fideo $6.95 - angelhair pasta tossed with fresh vegetables, tomato, chiles, and salty cotija cheese. A really nice dish, and unexpected in a taqueria. More traditional offerings include Tortas $6.75 - a delicious combination of shredded pork, grilled onions, avocado and pinto beans, all on a grilled bolillo roll, and Tamal $4.24 - shredded pork in a mole sauce wrapped in cornhusks. They also offer a small breakfast menu, egg dishes, mostly. Their "Huevos Divorciados" (divorced eggs) comes in a vegan option with tofu and is a great dish where there is one piece of tofu (or a fried egg) with a green sauce poured all over it, and another piece of tofu (egg) with a red sauce, hence "divorced". I love this dish, both for it's deliciousness, it's vegan optionness (yes, that's a word, whether I made it up or not), and the colorful contrast.

VEGETARIAN/VEGAN: Their veggie lunch and dinner offerings are few, but they really put some thought into having options for our non flesh-eating friends. Torta Vegetariana $6.50 - black beans, grilled rajas (chili strips), tomato, avocado & cheese (no cheese = vegan) on a grilled bolillo, Tamal de Verduras $4.25 - a tasty corn masa tamale, stuffed with corn, squash, onions, cheese, topped with salsa verde, cream and cilantro, Frijoles con Todo $5.95 - pinto beans boldly seasoned to spicy perfection, fresh tomatoes, onions, chilis, avocado, and cheese (no cheese = vegan) served with small handmade corn tortillas. They offer a nice tostada with mashed plantains, but I couldn't find the price or ingredients in time for this review, but no cheese and it's vegan, and quite delicious. Their Guacamole and Chips $5.75 is vegan, and makes a great appetizer for 2-4, as the serving is quite generous.

LOCATIONS/HOURS: 1788 4th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710 (510) 525-5160. Hours: Mon, Wed-Fri 10 am - 9 pm, Tues 10 am - 4 pm, Sat - Sun 9 am - 9 pm. Breakfast: Mon - Fri 10 am - 12 noon, Sat - Sun 10 am - 4 pm.

El Nuevo Frutilandia - San Francisco

El Nuevo Frutilandia is a small family-owned restaurant located in the heart of the Mission district in San Francisco. They specialize in Puerto Rican and Cuban cuisine. I have yet to have a positive experience there. And from other reviews I've read, I'm not the only one. The service is consistently slow, or non-attentive altogether. The food can take up to an hour to come to the table, whether the restaurant is busy or not. Regardless of how well the chef executed the dishes, after an hour even the most patient person loses their cool.

On a recent visit, I decided to arrive at 11:30 a.m., when they open for lunch. I hoped (wrongly) that being the first customer of the day would insure quick service and fresh food. The waitress brought me water and bread fairly quickly, which wasn't difficult, since I was the only person there. The french bread was nicely toasted, but the butter pats were frozen solid in their little foil covers, always a pet peeve for me. I don't like starting my meal tearing my bread into crumbs trying to butter it. But that was nothing, it gets much worse.

I ordered a Papa Rellena $1.50 - Mashed potato balls stuffed with ground seasoned beef. For an entree I opted for vegetarian (because I was scared) and ordered Yucca al Mojo de Ajo $5.95 - Yucca stewed in a lemony garlic sauce, served with white rice and red beans. 20 minutes later my potato appetizer arrived immediately after I heard a microwave go "ding!" I hate microwaves, but realize they are a normal part of food service. Surprisingly, the potato was warm on the outside, cold on the inside. It had very little flavor, and the tell-tale flavor of refrigeration eclipsed any actual seasoning that may've been present. Another 20 minutes, still no customers, but it was still a challenge for the chef/cook to provide efficient service, even to just one customer.

When the waitress brought my plate, sans beans, she explained that the beans were no good (leftovers from yesterday) and she had to throw them out. The new batch was still cooking, and not ready to serve, so she said she was going to reduce the price of my plate. This is one of the worse, and most consistent problem with this place. They often mix up orders, or get them wrong altogether, and don't inform the customer until the food is arriving, already late. They get testy when you show disappointment or want something different from whatever wrong dish they're trying to force on you. The yucca was overcooked, but still had a nice blend of garlic and lemon flavor. The rice must've been spritzed with lemon juice as well, because it also had a fresh lemony flavor. She only charged me $3.50 for the plate, but I would've preferred another option for my protein, because I was pretty carb loaded by the time I left.

I've been there before, and ordered their traditional meat dishes. The service is painfully slow, and the food is consistently inconsistent. They don't offer Arroz con Gandules - Red Rice with Pigeon Peas, which is so common in Puerto Rican cooking. They do offer the pressed Cuban sandwiches, which may be the only thing they get consistently right. I also saw alot of people ordering their chicken soup, which seems really popular as a take-out item. They sold three while I was the only customer that day. The prices are very reasonable, most plates are $8 - $10.

VEGETARIANS/VEGANS: I don't recommend you eat here. They put milk in their smoothies, which is not obvious from reading the menu. Pork was present in a dish I ordered that was supposed to be vegetarian. Nothing is organic and the owner/servers aren't really accommodating when I interrogate them about the possibility of animal products being present in their food.

LOCATIONS/HOURS: 3077 24Th St, San Francisco, CA 94110, (415)-648-2958. Call for hours.

Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese - Berkeley

Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese Cuisine is a restaurant that I successfully avoided going to for about a year or two. Look, I'm not going to lie to you. Every time I mentioned going out for sushi to my Vegan friends, they would beg me to go try this eatery, located on Shattuck, in North Berkeley. I would always say, "yeah, sure" and then ignore their suggestion completely. "Sushi without fish?! Are they crazy?", I would mutter to myself, as I pulled into the Koryo parking lot time and time again.

I was finally forced to go by a vegan friend, who said "C'mon, whattaya got to lose?" If I could eat my words, I would right now, because it was truly one of the best, and most transcendental dining experiences I have ever had. The best way to describe it is that I never missed the fish. Never! They have a wide assortment of completely Vegan options. My favorites were the Kinoko Miso Soup $3.75 - A pungent and savory Miso soup with Portobello, Shimeji, and Eryngll Mushrooms, Tofu, Scallions and Sprouts, served ceremonially in an iron pot. I can't say enough about the amazing flavor of this soup, especially the broth. Wow! There are cold salads with exotic ingredients like Senroppon $5.00 - a cold and tangy salad comprised of Shredded Daikon, Turnip, Cucumber, Carrots, Atsuage Tofu, Radishes, soybeans, Kaiware, Pine Nuts and Soy-vinaigrette dressing, Shira Ae $5.00 - Blanched Spinach and with seasoned Lotus Root, Carrots, Shitake, Green Beans, Tofu, Yams, and Tahini-Tofu dressing. These are just a few of the great salads they offer.

The Noodle Bowls are delicious! Featuring your choice of Udon Noodles - Broad white wheat noodles or Soba Noodles - Thin brown buckwheat noodles, are served in a bowl of light broth, topped with Scallions, Kaiware, and shredded Nori. 8 Hot varieties, and 3 Cold varieties offer a rainbow of combinations $7.25 - $9.00.

I haven't even mentioned the sushi yet! There are too many choices to mention, I could just list the entire menu. But my favorites were the Cha-Ya Roll $6.75 - An incredible roll stuffed with Avocado, Yams and Carrots. Sinfully battered and deep-fried. Served with a tangy house sause. 8 incredible pieces you will definitely fight over! The Summer Green Roll $5.75 - A reversed (rice on the outside) roll with Avocado, Cucumber, Kaiware, and a yummy Sea Vegetable Salad tops it off. Tons of other rolls and sushi delicacies, too many to mention without getting giddy!

Servers are capable and unobtrusive, and the kitchen puts their dishes out with quiet, zen-like efficiency. They've opened a second location on Valencia Street in the heart of San Francisco's Mission district. I'll review that location soon.

VEGETARIANS/VEGANS: I did hear from my most militant of all vegan friends that they use white sugar, which is granulated by being tumbled with bone chard. Feel free to interrogate just to be sure. And give them what's what, if they are in fact using the stuff. They advertise VEGAN quite proudly on their menu, so I'd be surprised if they let any suffering slip through.

LOCATIONS/HOURS: 1686 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, California 94709 (510) 981-1213. Call for Hours. There is often a wait, so go with plenty of time to spare.

Koryo Sushi - Oakland

May 17, 2007 - I wrote some very nice things about this restaurant when I first posted this review last year, see below. Sadly, after my last three experiences, I will never go back. Service is just too slow and careless. I can't stand sitting and being ignored without even being given a menu for twenty minutes, three times in a row. Sorry homies.

Koryo Sushi Japanese Restaurant & Sake Bar is a fun place to eat sushi, and the best part is, they're open really late! This is a great neighborhood sushi bar that is tucked away in a tiny strip mall that also features a Korean restaurant by the same name, and an Internet Cafe that is also open late-night.

Great food and great Sake (or Beer!) are what's in store for you at this local eatery. The service is always efficient, and the sushi chefs experienced, and the quality consistently good. To top it all off, the prices are very reasonable. Usually, budget prices and good sushi don't happen within the same establishment, but this sushi bar definitely pulls it off. They have all the requisite Make Rolls, Sushi and Sashimi. A colorful menu of Designer Rolls dominates the back couple of pages of the menu, and I find the illustrations quite helpful when trying to decide what to order. Stand-outs for me are the Soft Shell Crab Make - Deep-fried Soft Shell Crab, buttery Avocado, crunchy sprouts, an incredible and delicious value at only $5.00, and the Rock & Roll Make - Sweet and tender Eel, buttery Avocado, crisp Cucumber and tangy Masago, also a value at $5.95.

A wide variety of cooked dishes including: Chicken, Squid, Beef, Salmon, Seafood, and Mackerel Teriyaki Dinners, Tempura, Katsu - Fried breaded Beef, Udon Noodle Soups, and Bento Plates with a staggering assortment of choices $9.95 - $17.95.

Don't stuff yourself too much, because you'll want to leave room for dessert! Ice-cold Mochi Ice Cream Balls in assorted flavors - Chocolate, Coffee, Strawberry, or Green Tea Ice Cream are a fun finish to a great sushi experience.

VEGETARIANS/VEGANS: Order with confidence! The helpful staff will steer Vegans away from all animal products, and there are tons of exotic veggie sushi options to choose from. Be sure to request no Bonito fish flakes, as they tend to sprinkle them on what would otherwise be vegan, like the Oshidashi - Steamed Spinach with sesame sauce, and Agedashi or Steamed Tofu - A Deep-fried Tofu in a sweet sauce, or a Steamed Tofu in a spicy sauce. Don't forget to order the Veggie Gyozas, crispy and savory deep-fried vegetable dumplings.

LOCATION/HOURS: 4390 Telegraph Avenue, #G, Oakland, California 94609 (510) 594-0661. NO LUNCH SERVICE. Tues - Thurs 5:00 pm - 1:30 am, Fri - Sat 5:00 pm - 2:30 am, Sun 5:00 pm - 11:30 pm, Mon CLOSED.

Cafe Eritrea D'Afrique - Oakland

Cafe Eritrea D'Afrique is my favorite Eritrean restaurant in Oakland, and not only because it's the closest to my location. I usually order the veggie combo, but the stewed meats are also excellent. The Veggie Combo, $9.95 per person, is a combination of 7 stewed dishes: Shiro - A puree made from seasoned garbanzo beans, Birsin - Seasoned Split Lentil Stew, Hamlee - Collard greens with a house dressing, Phool - Egyptian fava beans cooked with tomato, bell pepper and onion, Potatoes - Stewed potatoes in a rich sauce, Humus - A blend of garbanzos, Salad - Green salad with a tangy dressing. There are a wide assortment of stewed meats in rich gravies for about $10 per plate: Kulwa - Beef cubes fried in spiced butter with garlic, onion, pepper, Alicha - Tender Lamb chunks stir-fried in mild curry with seasoned butter, Derho (Zabhi) - Spiced Chicken Stew cooked with seasoned butter, hot spices, served with boiled eggs, yogurt or cottage cheese. House Samplers are available, a combination of selected meat and vegetable dishes combined on one plate.

I think just about everything comes with a healthy serving of Injera bread. Not only a bread, but your eating utensil! Often described as spongy, this sour bread is traditionally used to scoop up the meat or vegetable stews. It is served in a basket on the side, but also as the tray liner upon which the stewed dishes are artfully arranged in a circle, with the salad in the middle. I like to use the salad lettuce as scoops too, lest my belly burst when my meal is gone from eating too much of this delicious, but very filling, flat bread!

Their prices are a few dollars lower at lunchtime, but I don't notice a difference in portions. Always fresh, and the servers are beautiful and very friendly. It sometimes takes a while to get your giant steaming platter of delicious food, but it's definitely worth the wait because it is so obviously prepared with care and love!

VEGETARIANS/VEGANS: I think there are plenty of veggie-friendly options offered here, but I think that vegans should definitely ask before they order. Seasoned butter is often included in dishes that would otherwise be vegan.

LOCATION/HOURS: 4069 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, California 94609 (510) 547-4520. Call for hours, but I'm pretty sure they are open until 11 pm most nights.

Pyung Chang Tofu House - Oakland

Pyung Chang Tofu House is a family-owned restaurant specializing in traditional Korean dishes. This is one of my favorite restaurants in the world. Located in a building that looks like it should be offering up Bavarian fare, and outfitted inside with huge tree-trunk tables and benches, you might be surprised to find savory traditional Korean food being served up, instead of bratwurst boiled in beer.

The mainstay of the menu is a spicy soft-tofu stew called "Soon" served sizzling-hot in traditional black clay bowls. There are eight varieties of this stew, differentiated by the meat options. I have tried both meat and veggie versions, and have to say that I found the "vegetarian option (perhaps not really veggie, because it may have fish broth) to have the most savory-flavored broth. " Other items include huge bowls of pork back stew (!) served sizzling on a hot plate. There is white rice, or stone pot rice, which is a crispy almost burned rice that is quite tasty. The Korean customers are served a mysterious broth at the beginning of their meals. I have yet to discover what it is, or why I never get any, even when I beg for it. The staff look at me like I'm a poor ignorant fool (in this instance, very true), smile at me, and continue to ignore my pleas. The menu is meat-intensive, and not for the faint of heart.

Tiny plates of assorted Kimchees are ever-present, mostly vegetarian, and the portions are generous and filling. I wish I spoke Korean, so I could get more detailed information about ingredients. I'm ashamed to say that I don't have any Korean-speaking friends, otherwise I would drag them there and force them to get me details details details!

Rumor has it that the owner teaches golf lessons (herself a former pro golfer) out of her basement, but I have yet to see it for myself.

VEGETARIANS/VEGANS: BEWARE! The veggie items on the menu may not be vegetarian. If you're strict, this may not be the best place for you, unless you speak Korean and can ask all the right questions in the native tongue. The fried Mung Bean Cakes and the mostly vegetarian Kimchees are the only things I've seen that may be a safe bet. But I would feel better knowing for sure that there are no fish products in those items, before I order.

LOCATION/HOURS: 4701 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA 94609 (510)-658-9040. Call for hours. Cash and Credit Cards accepted.

Three stars granted, not so much for poor food quality, but frustrating inability to communicate. Service is slow.

Elve's BBQ & Soul Food - Oakland

Elve's BBQ & Soul Food is a tiny little eatery that features home-style soul food. Is there any other kind? The more well-known and so-called soul food houses in the area could take some lessons from the ever-present owner and namesake of this cute little hole-in-the-wall.

Elve dishes up classics like Fried Catfish, Smothered Chicken, BBQ Ribs, and many more delicious plates, with an even mixture of pride and generosity. The half-order Fried Catfish Sandwich is a generous serving of Catfish, with your choice of two sides. I always opt for green salad and french fries. The salad is crisp and fresh chopped romaine (no mixed baby lettuces here), with a creamy ranch dressing and shredded cheddar(request on the side, as these are applied quite generously). His french fries are shoestring, crispy and fried to perfection. There are numerous other more soul food-themed side dishes to choose from, including Baked Beans, Greens, and Red Beans & Rice, to name a few. The breading on the catfish is where Elve really shows his seasoning skills. All that food for only $6.95 makes me wonder what a full order is like!

I've tried the pork ribs, which were tender, succulant and smothered in a BBQ sauce that was the perfect combination of spicy, sweet, and tangy. The Smothered Chicken is stewed down to falling-off-the-bone tenderness, and literally smothered in a tasty brown sauce. There are Fried Chicken specials starting at $3.99 - leg, thigh w/fries up to a 20-piece family-style portion - 5 thighs, 5 legs, 5 wings, 5 breasts w/lg potatoes, lg slaw. He also cooks up $1.00 value menus for the neighborhood kids and poor starving artists, Chili Dogs, Tacoes, Fries and more! Something for everybody and always fresh and affordable!

VEGETARIANS/VEGANS: The owner assured me that veggie/vegans can order the French Fries - cooked in vegetable oil in a seperate fryer from their fried chicken/fish, Yams, String Beans, Russian Potatoes, or green salad - comes with cheese and ranch dressing (vegans can request no cheese on salad, and oil & vinegar for dressing). The Red Beans & Rice and the Greens include Beef, so don't order those!

LOCATIONS/HOURS: 3214 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, Oakland, CA 94609, (510) 655-9500. Call for Hours. Cash/Credit accepted. There are two tiny tables and a jukebox if you opt to eat-in, but take-out is best for larger parties.

Sofrito - Oakland

SOFRITO IS NOW CLOSED, but for those of you who missed out, read 'em and weep, or just drive to San Rafael to "Sol Food" which offers delicious Puerto Rican food that is superior to anything Sofrito ever did. SOFRITO is located in the heart of Fruitvale and features authentic Puerto Rican food. Authentic is the key ingredient being served up by the friendly and efficient staff at this little gem of a restaurant. Blink and you might miss it's tiny storefront. Luckily, the owners have painted a huge Puerto Rican flag on the entire facade, just in case you were under the mistaken assumption that this was yet another of the numerous Mexican and Salvadorean restaurants that pepper the area. The owners are a pair of brothers who worked formerly at Whole Foods, and also did a catering business for a while at the Berkeley's Farmer's Market, before opening this restaurant location.

I have been here many times, and have enjoyed everything I've ordered. They have a refreshingly simple menu, featuring three specific specials per day. Among the classic dishes that would make abuelita proud are: Carne Guisada $7.95 - Stewed (to perfection!) beef in a thick brown gravy, with potatoes and carrots, Bacalao Guisado $8.95 - Stewed Salted Codfish in a red sauce with bell peppers, onions and potatoes, Pollo al Horno $8.95 - Whole Free-range Chicken, seasoned with Sofrito and baked until golden. I also love that they offer organic coffee, and coffee beans for purchase.

These and their other daily specials include your choice of Arroz Blanco con Habichuelas - white rice with deliciously seasoned pink beans or my personal favorite, Arroz con Gandules - Red Rice and Pigeon Peas. You also get a generous portion of either Platano Maduro - Sweet, fried Ripe Plantains or Tostones - Crispy, fried Green Plantains. I like to ask for a little of both, but you can substitute a fresh green salad instead.

All of the food tastes exactly like the Puerto Rican food I grew up eating in the Bronx a million years ago. What that means is that it is really really good, and tastes just like Grandma cooked it herself right on the island. The classic Sofrito seasoning is an aromatic mixture of tomatoes, onions, garlic, sweet red chili peppers, cilantro, and achiote (annato seeds), which imparts the bright yellow color to the islands rice, soups, and stews. It was a perfect name for the owners to pick for this restaurant, because you can smell it when you walk in, and you can taste it in just about everything you order. And it tastes very good!

VEGETARIAN & VEGAN FRIENDLY! Order the veggie plate, and enjoy a platter of rice (your choice of red or white) with those delicious red beans, plantains and a green salad. All that for only $6.95! This veggie platter does not have any animal products and vegans can order with confidence. They also have delicious fruit smoothies, and do a nice breakfast daily (served until noon).

LOCATION & HOURS: 3451 International Blvd, Oakland 510-533-3840. Tues. - Thurs. 10:30 am to 7 pm, Fri. - Sat. 11 am to 9 pm, Sun. 11 am to 6 pm, CLOSED MONDAYS. Cash/Credit accepted. Eat-in or Take-out.