With Bay Wolf for Mediterranean and decadent duck, Jojo for country French, Ninna for Asian fusion, and inexpensive eateries dishing up Caribbean, Chinese, Italian, and more, Piedmont Avenue has always been a dining destination. But now the street is luring a new wave of diners looking for hip ambience along with good food, as nightspots, restaurants, and gelato parlors pop up like wildflowers. The latest incarnation of Piedmont could go head-to-head with Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto; in fact, two of its newest spots—small-plates César and French takeout Grégoire—were imported straight from the Ghetto itself. Add longtime attractions like indie-film haven Piedmont Theatre, classically over-the-top sundaes at Fentons, and eye-catching shops like Pimlico Place, and Oaklanders can get their kicks without ever crossing the Berkeley border.
While Piedmont is one of the toniest parts of the East Bay, the commercial strip its residents frequent has never had an upper-crust kind of atmosphere; everyone feels at home strolling the avenue. And strolling is the operative word: what with all the new action, hordes of fuming would-be patrons are desperately cruising for one of the vanishingly few parking spots. Isn’t plentiful parking the birthright of East Bay citizens along with the extra sunshine? But if the parking situation is becoming a little too much like San Francisco’s, the scene remains proudly East Bay.
THE GRUB
If you’re going to Dopo, don’t bother writing down the address—just look for the crowd out front. Even Dopo’s recent expansion hasn’t eliminated the wait. This sophisticated Italian eatery serves exquisite food, like squid and smelt fritto misto and virtually flawless pies that impress even hard-case New York pizza snobs. 4293 PIEDMONT AVE.
Nine years is a long time to survive on Piedmont Avenue. The reason China Garlic is still a magnet is simple: good, inexpensive eats. 3941 PIEDMONT AVE.
Only seven months old, Xyclo puts an elegant, modern spin on Vietnamese classics like sugarcane shrimp rolls and bird’s nest noodles. The decor is pleasantly Zen-like, and prices are remarkably reasonable. 4218 PIEDMONT AVE.
Takeout is the name of the game at Grégoire, but there’s a counter and some stools if you can’t wait to get the grub home. While Grégoire Jacquet changes most of his menu monthly, regulars squawk if he tries to give the housemade French fries and crispy potato puffs a rest. 4001B PIEDMONT AVE.
Ninna’s chef-owner is Thai, and his training is French. The results, including lemongrass–chardonnay mussels, redeem the concept of fusion cooking. 4066 Piedmont Ave.
SHOP FRONTS
Your fingers and toes deserve to be as happy as your stomach. Polish on Piedmont inhabits a hexagonal space defined by Japanese lanterns that look more like hot air balloons than lighting fixtures. A spa manicure (with hand massage) costs just $24. 4319 PIEDMONT AVE.
If you have a yen for Lithuanian cheese or Latvian black bread, the Euromix Delicatessen is the ticket. 4301C PIEDMONT AVE.
At News Hunter, a newspaper and magazine store that doesn’t genuflect to the mainstream, you’ll find esoteric poetry zines and other obscure journals along with O, the Oprah Magazine and Elle. 4184B Piedmont Ave.
For high-end tchotchkes, Pimlico Place is a hugely amusing joint jam-packed with Bakelite demitasse spoons, compacts, and deco pieces; gorgeous jewelry; decorative pillows; vintage Italian glass chandeliers; and more. 4125 and 4135 PIEDMONT AVE.
HANGOUTS
The fabulously fashionable tapas bar born in the Gourmet Ghetto recently opened its first satellite location, César Piedmont, a major addition to the hood’s nightlife. The impeccable martinis and other serious cocktails go down well with pork and rabbit pâté. 4039 PIEDMONT AVE.
How does Gaylord’s Caffe Espresso thrive just steps from Starbucks? By making the best (and prettiest) lattes in Northern California. 4150 PIEDMONT AVE.
WHAT IT COSTS
…to rent: $1,050 a month for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment plus that all-important parking space at 3952 Harrison St., four blocks from Piedmont Avenue.
…to buy: A two-bedroom, one-bathroom home with a two-car garage just off Piedmont for $619,000.
THE TALK
“It’s always been busy,” says Christina Metcalfe, manager of J. Sahadi Jewelers (4206 PIEDMONT AVE.), “but parking is becoming a serious problem.” Even drivers with good parking karma have been known to start screaming by the sixth circuit. And with Kaiser Medical Center due to break ground on new buildings in 2007, some fear it’ll get even worse.
Still, the HMO has long ensured a steady flow of patrons to the avenue. In the late ’90s, when it looked as if Kaiser might move its hospital, a small panic swept local merchants. Kaiser says not to worry that its expansion will make Piedmont’s parking woes worse: lots of parking for patients and employees is part of the plan.
ON THIS SPOT
In 1916, three years before superstar architect Julia Morgan began work on Hearst Castle, she designed the handsome red brick Fred C. Turner Stores between 40th and 41st streets on Piedmont (Grégoire is one of the shops there now). She also did the Gothic and Romanesque Chapel of the Chimes crematory in Mountain View Cemetery while plagued by inner-ear troubles that made it hard for her to walk a straight line but not, apparently, to design magnificent crematories.