Alfresco Eats
’Tis the season for outdoor eating BY Jeffrey Edalatpour
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s the Omicron tide arrives on our shores, dining indoors might not be at the top of our to-do list this month. Atmospheric rivers notwithstanding, there are plenty of outdoor mall or mall-like settings to grab a bite at on the way to a Tennessee Valley or Marin Headlands hike. If you’re starting a northward journey from the East Bay, Berkeley’s 4th Street (fourthstreet.com) is an ideal stopping place for shopping, morning coffee and morning buns.
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Although the 4th Street Bagel shop closed down during the pandemic, Bette’s To Go toasts them up with the usual fixings, including lox. By noon, they’ve usually sold out. In case that happens, turn your attention to their egg-filled breakfast sandwich, frittata or in-house selection of pastries. Bette’s also sells plenty of caffeinated beverages, too, but there’s a Peet’s Coffee across the street if you’re after a second or third cup. Tacubaya, a nearby taqueria, has set up a small area with seating outside. But
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those who venture to the tables further out in the courtyard will have to take their orders to go. It would be a shame to miss out on Tacubaya’s chile relleno, always filled with seasonal ingredients, but it’s much better on a plate than as takeaway. The deli inside Market Hall Foods, and Pollara Pizzeria, also face out on the same shared courtyard. Holiday gift shopping is less stressful on 4th Street than it is in a great big mall. To start, Builders Booksource is a small, but well-stocked, bookstore that carries other categories of reading
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