"If your lunchtime routine is sitting at your desk with a granola bar and a couple of Babybels, Tarocco belongs on your radar. It’s a counter-service Mediterranean salad spot in West Berkeley with a minimalist, plant-filled interior that vaguely reminds us of Dakota Johnson’s serene Hollywood home. The menu changes daily, but expect to see things like turmeric roasted cauliflower, grilled cabbage with green goddess tahini, and glass noodle salad with kumquats and mint, all of which are so bright and fresh you’ll think a farmer’s market exploded on your plate. Pick two or three, add a protein like herb-poached chicken or a boiled egg, and go to town. At $21 for a trio of salads (plus $3-5 for an added protein), this probably isn’t a place you’re swinging by every day. But next time you’re in the market for a lunch that doesn’t come wrapped in red wax, know that Tarocco is here for you." - Julia Chen
