Walking tour of the Berkeley Hills

Sometimes the best day off is just around the corner, literally. The Bay Area is full of welcoming neighborhoods waiting to be explored more thoroughly – they can offer the chance to slow down and get more in touch with your surroundings, and, if you get in the vacation mind set, a long lunch hour can feel more like summer break minus the airfare.

With so many unique cities and towns surrounding the glistening Bay waters there come seemingly endless opportunities for nearby discoveries. It is easy to fall in love with these neighborhoods, where businesses care about the effect they have on the community, environment and also the local economy. Giving back is easy when you are supporting places that use non-toxic cleaners, or hire locals and provide them with health insurance, or use only organic or even biodynamic ingredients… the list continues.

Here is one neighborhood to begin your locavore’s travels. The featured spots are all within walking distance from one another, and I recommend taking BART or bus to get there.

This luxurious neighborhood teeter-totters on the boarder between Oakland and Berkeley, and even though it is a mere block long, there are some true gems perched in this tidy and rather posh locale. Find Domingo Avenue just off of Ashby Avenue, where it is also named Route 13. (Add to your exploration by visiting Upper Claremont, Rockridge, and Elmwood ‘hoods, all of which are close by.)

Getting there: Street parking is not plentiful in this area, and is metered. Take the BART to Downtown Berkeley and grab AC Transit bus 49 that heads right up Ashby Avenue to Domingo Avenue and the Claremont Hotel. Domingo Avenue is fairly congested parking-wise, and be wary of the heavily enforced 2-hour parking on the surrounding residential streets. There is a pay parking lot at The Claremont Hotel with a valet option.

Claremont Hotel and Spa is the pinnacle of any Upper Claremont experience. The elegant Meritage Restaurant gives dinners the choice of seasonal small plates, each with optional wine pairings, many from local wineries. Chef Josh Thomson looks for as many organic ingredients as possible, and crafts beautiful plates like his famous goat cheese terrine. The view from the window-side tables is just as sensational. Downstairs, the Claremont Spa is waiting. Treatments have been honed over years, like the popular Ayurvedic Rebalancer for which specialists have received advanced training. Herbs and essential oils are wrapped around your body, with warm towels and unique message techniques while the classic Indian treatment of slowly pouring warm oil on your third eye – called shirodara – is carried out. Ecocert-certified Natropathica products are used in many of the facial and massage treatments, which are some of the most effective and sustainable body care products around. Plus, any spa treatment you book comes with the chance to sit in the hot tub overlooking the bay.

Just below the hotel and spa is Domingo Avenue. Start with a trip to Bread Garden Bakery (510.548.3122), known for their salt-rising breads like Danish pumpernickel and white rye. Try a bear claw or a loaf of cinnamon bun bread to go with some aromatic coffee from Peet’s, just next-door. All Peet’s beans are roasted to order at their LEED-certified roastery in Alameda, and delivered within 24 hours to stores like this one. Prices above the fair trade standard are paid to outstanding coffee growers all along the coffee belt.

If you want a real meal duck into Rick and Ann’s, one more door down, for a sit-down meal at one of Berkeley’s favorite family eateries. Fresh-squeezed organic orange juice is a must to go with any of the breakfast orders, like the popular challah French toast or whole grain pancakes. Homemade soups are always a star on the lunch menu. The grilled fish sandwich is a delicious way to savor sustainable, fresh, fish, and mom’s macaroni and cheese is gloriously comforting. As much as possible, this restaurant donates to local children’s organizations. They have also recently participated in charitable events like the AIDS benefit diner Dine Out for Life, and Rebuilding Together Oakland.

Continue down Domingo for inspired shopping at Red Bird, where many of the clothes are handmade (some locally), and then on to Amphora: Berkeley Olive Oil Works, (510.704.9300) where you can taste many great oils and vinegars and buy them bulk, including a couple different types from Livermore’s Crohare Olivina. On the corner is Ellington and French, a boutique gift and home furnishing shop with fascinating window displays and carefully chosen items like high threat-count sheets and milled soaps.

Look out for these traits wherever you eat and you’ll be doing a good thing:

♥ Items with fruits vegetables that you know are in season. Download a free guide to what’s in season in California throughout the year at www.california-grown.com

♥ Items with local ingredients where the farm or source is named on the menu

♥ Daily specials that are based on what’s just been harvested

♥ Local squid, black cod (also called butter fish), mackerel, anchovies, mussels, and tilapia or catfish instead of tuna, swordfish, snapper or shrimp – which are under major environmental threat. Find out more about the Seafood WATCH standards.

♥ Don’t be afraid to ask your server about the origins of menu offerings, or recommendations for what is most local or seasonal

♥ Before you make your purchases, ask if the shop’s locally owned. Many chains send the money you spend out of the community for redistribution, while locally owned businesses keep it in the community

♥ Dive into art and history. Being curious about your surroundings enriches you and your community. It gives you a sense of being on vacation without leaving town, and helps support the attractions that make your home what it is.

♥ Buy local art. There are many restaurants, shops, and galleries who sell reasonably priced art made by locals. Inquire about the art on the walls and you’ll be bringing something truly of-that-place home.

♥ Check where things are made. It’s always good to know the origin, and also how it got into your hands. Many countries have good trade laws with the U.S., others rely on businesses to pay fair trade price or get certifications to ensure a product’s safety, humane-ness, and quality. Lots of things are made in your own community, and those are always great discoveries.

Good Idea

Be a locavore traveler. That means embracing your inner gawker and switching on the vacation mindset eve when you’re on your home turf. A walking tour could lead you to discovering new things… tasting a different olive oil, deciding to take tennis lessons, venturing around the neighborhood and finding a hiking trail. See what’s around the corner!