Vibrant and Vegetable-Loaded Bagels Rule This New Berkeley Favorite | Eater SF

"A fast favorite for locals, this bagel-, pastry-, and coffee-centered spot (with a wine program) opened in September 2025 and gives mortadella a moment to shine: the open-faced Brusco layers Calabrian cream on your choice of bagel, fluffed pistachio-riddled mortadella, and a dash of honey to temper the cream cheese, while the closed-bagel Cal-Ital pairs mortadella and Calabrian cream with burrata, turkey, ham, and avocado. Go with the season: there’s a seasonal bagel on every menu—fall brought Flirty Fig with fresh figs; this winter, Sneaky Persimmon with thinly sliced fuyu persimmon and a hit of sumac. Since half and whole bagels are offered, the move is to split the difference and order two different half-bagels to explore more—maybe a classic smoked salmon number alongside the seasonal vegetable option, or the avocado-laden Fancy Fresh. Bagel sandwiches aren’t all there is to sample at Cafe Brusco. The coffee menu spans standards and not-so-standard specials like a fennel-orange latte or a shakerato, and there are wines by the glass, bottles to-go, or you can open one in the shop for a $10 corkage fee. As an insider tip, it’s one of the few places to regularly offer pastries from the popular East Bay pop-up Good Luck Bakery, available Wednesday through Saturday." - Dianne de Guzman