Summer Kitchen +bakeshop — Restaurant in Berkeley

Updated 12.21.23 - Immediately after the first review, the manager reached out to me and asked about my experience. I was extremely surprised at how much care was given to the case and that it seemed like my feedback was taken seriously. After having a heartwarming conversation with the manager, I was convinced to give their restaurant another go.

FF to 12/21 - I finally visited the establishment. It was quite busy and you could feel the holiday atmosphere. Every staff member I interacted with was a delight. Recommendations on different baked goods were given, and everyone had a smile.

Two lunch entrees were ordered along with two baked goods. All food items were thoroughly enjoyed. After this more recent experience, I will definitely be back. Thank you Summer Kitchen & Bakeshop!!!

Original Review - Definitely mixed feelings during this visit. I typically will visit a place a couple times before making an assessment, but the final interactions with their staff was extremely off-putting, and we will not be returning.

This was my first dining experience here, and a friend and myself arrived around 6:35 PM. A steak sandwich and salad were ordered along with 2 glasses of wine were ordered. As we finished paying, we were advised that they were closing at 7:00 pm. We were told to take a seat and that food and beverages would be brought over to us. The young lady taking our order was extremely friendly and pleasant.

We took a seat outside. In about 8 minutes, our wine was delivered. Our food was dropped off at 7:00 pm. My friend and I ate and were engaged in conversation... as is typical when dining out with a friend. Around 7:30, a young gentleman made a comment they were closed. We apologized and said we would hurry. He also made a snarky retort stating "yeah, that's why they delivered the food at 7." insinuating that 30 minutes was far too long to be eating a meal. My friend looked at me in disbelief and questioned if he she heard correctly. At that point we decided to leave. As I walked past the door, the young man was noticed inside with his hands in the air and muttering something to his co-worker.

Whether he was continuing his rant directed at us or not, that's what it seemed like. Based on our interaction with this staff member, neither of us would be returning. While we recognize everyone wants to finish their work day, there was no need for his comments and poor attitude. This situation could have been handled very differently. A simple check in stating they were closing up would have been taken pleasantly. Unfortunately, due to this final interaction with this staff member, neither of us will be returning. This is disappointing because I can see why this place has great reviews. There's a lot of charm, it's cute, and is a great casual dining option.

While I was not expecting a fine dining experience, I do expect a much better attitude from any associate. We were not being rude to him at all. What also irks me about the situation is that a tip was given at the time of purchase. As much as tipping culture is getting out of control, this reinforces the belief that tipping is now expected for doing absolutely nothing. I apologize to those in the service industry that actually try, but these experiences (which come up far too often now a days) is becoming a common occurrence. I do understand that this is a one off experience, and I do hope that others have a much different one...

Chefs Charlene Reis and Paul Arenstam have a knack for combining the seasonal local organic ingredients into fantastic well rounded dishes that are up to the expectations of Berkeley food snobs but with the warmth and welcoming atmosphere of communal cooking and gathering.

We have two smaller kids and are coming here for years because the simple but ever-changing menu has always a surprise and tasty treat for both parents and kids. The gourmet pizza, made to order in the warming open fire brick oven, has a delectable tomato sauce that breathes fresh Italian herbs and extra virgin olive oil into the thin crackling crust. This month's "Organic Brown Beech Mushroom, Leek, Truffle Tartufata, Burrata Pizza" was an exceptional explosion of flavors and textures that complemented and balanced each other well, never sassy, and always bringing a smile to my face. Even seemingly simple dishes like "Organic Spaghetti with Hearst Ranch Meatballs" are wondrous concoctions that melt on your mouth into buttery bites of delight. The delicately grilled arctic char with zesty olive tapenade and changing sides is always a keeper, too. All meats are grown in a humane manner and are free of hormones and antibiotics, and all dishes are free of trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup. We sometimes just take some of the delightful picnic provisions like the curried chicken salad or the Orzo pasta salad with roasted peppers, feta cheese, and pickled onions up into Panoramic Hill to watch the sun set over the bay.

It's always good to ask the pleasant and patient staff at the counter for a recommendation, especially with the changing local wines. Or sit directly at the kitchen counter and chat with Paul and his cooks about food, cooking, how to select kale, or how to get the freshly made Caesar salad dressing so smooth and scrumptious.

Good places become great if owners work exceptionally hard to transform an inner vision into heartfelt reality, and Charlene's and Paul's modern interpretation of the classic idea of summer kitchen is...

One of the best restaurants in Elmwood (4.5/5 green stars) It’s so easy to walk right by Summer Kitchen without even noticing it. It’s a narrow shopfront with just a few tables outside and it’s easy to miss as you ponder ice cream and other offerings from neighbors. Well, take it from me – forget ice cream and get a baked item from Summer Kitchen instead! Or try a pizza, or an egg salad sandwich – possibly the best egg salad sandwich you’ll ever have. But if you are limited for time, try one of the fresh fruit pastries (galette) – they seem expensive at $12 but they are big enough for two and totally worth it!

I’m giving Summer Kitchen 4/5 Green Stars for social and environmental impact. The positives are obvious – most of the ingredients are organic and locally sourced. Everything is made from scratch and there is transparent sourcing of the meat and fish (Mary’s free-range chicken, etc.). There are a reasonable amount of vegetarian options and you can definitely find some vegan dishes too (salads, sandwich, pasta). Summer Kitchen could make the biggest environmental impact by scrapping beef from the menu – replacing it with plant-based alternatives, ideally. Beef has a carbon footprint of around 10 times that of chicken and over 100 times that of pea protein, on average. If everyone one the planet ate 1 lb. of beef per week (the US average), total greenhouse gas emissions would increase by one third! I’ll write a post illustrating all of this soon on the Green Stars Project.

So I really appreciate that Summer Kitchen makes more effort than the vast majority of restaurants on improving sustainability so that’s my suggestion for the biggest opportunity for improvement –...