How Indigenous Berkeley Restaurant Space Cafe Ohlone Reimagines a World Centered on Sustainability and Culture | Eater SF

"I visited the new ‘oṭṭoy at the Hearst Museum of Anthropology (University of California, Berkeley) and found a space intentionally designed to reflect Ohlone culture on unceded Ohlone territory: a collaboration between the museum and Cafe Ohlone’s founders that showcases the East Bay landscape and natural elements while honoring older craftsmanship. Terremoto’s landscape plan uses native plants and local design, and Bay Area Redwood built the furniture and ramada from reclaimed wood sourced within 50 miles, reflecting the restaurant’s ethos of locality and sustainability. Tables feature wood joints (no metal), curly wood tabletops that highlight a wavy grain, and chairs carved from whole tree trunks; the ramada was created as a place for Ohlone elders and its posts bear laser-etched names of Chochenyo language speakers followed by a verse and English translation (one post, for example, includes a cousin’s name with the phrase “I’m grateful for my future”). The space—handmade, tactile, and non-uniform in its natural edges—has been embraced by the partners’ families and stands as a source of pride, reflecting a refined, living Ohlone aesthetic that values natural material, subtlety, and functionality." - Dianne de Guzman