El Patio

"One of Berkeley’s most underrated restaurants, this half-Mexican, half-Venezuelan spot might serve the Bay Area’s best arepas. El Patio’s classic reina pepiada (or “curvy queen”) comes so shockingly overstuffed with shredded chicken that it resembles a small tower, or a football, more than it does a sandwich. But what a sandwich it is — the outer surfaces of the corn cake griddled until they’re crispy, spotted brown, and unbelievably fragrant; the chicken tender and abundant, tossed with avocado that has been mashed into a pale green dressing of sorts. The wonderful thing is the contrast, in every bite, between the coolness of the filling and the warm crunch of that griddled shell." - Luke Tsai