Chefs at Babette, the Former Berkeley Art Museum Cafe, Debut New Location | Eater SF

"After nearly a decade running a cafe inside the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, Joan Ellis and Patrick Hooker have reopened Babette in a San Pablo Avenue storefront at 2033 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley. They renovated the former Lanesplitter Pizza space and its outdoor area with a new brick patio, heating lamps, and string lights, keeping bread and pastries and the popular pistachio cake made in-house, plus a soup of the day and the salads that were customer favorites now on the dinner menu. Thanks to the pizza ovens left behind, they offer five pizzas alongside a few rotating entrees, such as yogurt-marinated chicken thighs in a Georgian plum sauce served with saffron rice, eggplant, sour cherries, and scallions. During the soft opening they have limited hours while hiring staff, offering casual coffee and in-house pastries Wednesday–Friday mornings and a dinner menu through the weekend, with a brunch coming in late June featuring rice bowls, a bacon, egg, and cheese on house-made brioche, and a Mediterranean-style bagel platter with house-smoked fish. The restaurant currently pours natural wines like Olivia Brion and six local beers on tap and plans to add a liquor license and cocktails in the fall. After many career changes—from a wholesale bakery to private chefs to running a museum cafe—the owners say they still love cooking and hope this standalone location lets their food reach a broader audience; consult their Instagram or website for the latest hours during the soft open." - Dianne de Guzman