I have a course on my college transcripts that always brings a smile. The class was part of a summer program for teachers through the Education department at UC Berkeley. The official name listed is "Eating your way through history." In reality it was a food history class that could easily have been offered in any History department. The professor was a food historian by the name of Bert Gordon.
On the surface the picture that emerges is one of teachers in summertime loading up of units while eating in restaurants. Sure there were visits to restaurants but in fact, this was one of the best classes (I'm a history major too) I've ever taken. We researched the history of recipes, and looked at food iconography in art museums. We met over a table with chefs from various backgrounds and cultures, we presented ideas, images, historical events, and of course tastes of everything under consideration.
In the end, the topics under consideration ranged from the Minestrone soup made by a woman who began each day making a pot of it on a farm to the contents and politics of Gatorade. In the end, one very important thing I learned is that any restaurant, from those with Michelin stars to the fast food joint in your neighborhood, cannot be successful unless it's comfortable. People like predictability and they want to feel comfortable. That does not necessarily mean the comfort of the seating or the background noise, although those are important, but rather the overall atmosphere of the place.
With that in mind, I began to reach back and think of some of the places I recall that met these criteria. Places that may or may not still exist. Sometimes the name lives on, but what is under it might not be the same.
Angelos: North Hollywood, Ca. the quintessential non-pretentious Italian restaurant. Perfect for a 19 year-old to take his date. Affordable, good pizzas, red/white checkerboard table cloths. Nice lighting and soft music.
Las Cazuelas: Houston, Texas. Neighborhood authentic in the barrio of North Houston. Homemade soups, soft tacos, hardworking staff. Norteno music.
Texas BBQ: I'm not sure this place had a name. It's been 50 years but people found there way there because it was a bright Turquoise blue house. Ribs, chicken, grits, red soda water, Pearl, Jax, and Schlitz beer. A jukebox with only Little Milton or BB King records. Really, nothing else. Houston's 3rd Ward.
The Long Green Cafe: On San Fernando Road in the 1960s. A really long counter and a few booths. Ex army cook who could multi-task like none other. Huge, thick, French fries in a brown paper bag. Burgers and specials. Truckers eat here. All eat well.
Juna's- A Berkeley staple down in south Berkeley's industrial section. Still going strong. Chips and salsa delivered as you are seated. Busy...super busy, except for those summer afternoons when school is out and you wander in for Guac and chips and a few Coronas or Tecates. Ideal for a lazy afternoon.
Brennan's- Iconic Berkeley hofbrau that was. Cafeteria style sandwiches and plates. Love the Chinese turkey slicer who yells "Turkey prate" 100 times a day. Irish coffee well made. You sit where you can; maybe next to a softball team, a recent graduate, Cal students taking a break, or families, traveling salesmen, or Berkeley's anachronistic Fraternities/Sororities.
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