Bay Area Restaurant Review: Bette's Oceanview Diner, Berkeley

Travel down Fourth Street in Berkeley and it is hard to miss the heavy pedestrian traffic thick with families, people walking fancy made up cross bred dogs like charpenchadoodles and boutiques as diverse and unique as Berkeley itself.  There you’ll find a variety of high end quality yet everyday casual dining. Berkeley in general is known for the energy and uniqueness of its people but this section has a slightly different buzz. On the weekends, the majority of that buzz seems to swarm around Bette’s Ocean View Diner.

So...there is no ocean view but this cozy 1950s style diner with a pin up calendar personality that serves a good old fashioned strong cup of coffee that doesn’t cost $5 a cup. Come early, and don’t show up too hungry because there is at least an hour wait for a table. Experienced Bette’s patrons know that the doors open at 6:30 and will start lining up at 6:00 A.M. or earlier to get a prime place on the wait list. With so many standard choices at breakfast, it can be hard for an eatery to stand out amongst the masses in early morning cuisine but Bette’s reputation promises and delivers for the most important meal of the day.

If there are pancakes in heaven they use Bette’s recipe. You have probably seen their scone or pancake mix in stores before and there is little question why these buttermilk babies are touted as the best in the bay. An unusual treat is the soufflé pancake, flavors like seasonal fruit, banana rum, apple brandy or chocolate swirl, this soft fluffy treat is baked in the oven and rises slightly like a decadent soufflé. Winning many awards and accolades for their pancakes and scones, you can say they wrote the book on pancakes. Really…you can say that because they did. They wrote The Pancake Handbook full of recipes, tips and ideas for their fans.

Everything from the counter seating, the checkered tile flooring and the host Manfred reflect the hustled yet friendly energy of this neo-vintage eatery. My wait for a table was an hour, and well worth the wait when the specials for the day included a chanterelle mushroom and caramelized onion omelette served with home fries and a dollop of sour cream. All of their omelletes are served French style, very soft in the middle and whipped into a light almost custardy texture. Bette's omolette menu also includes choices like fresh herb and cheese or avocado with salsa and sour cream.

A menu item quite foreign to California is their home made scrapple. Scrapple, indigenous to the eastern states, is an eclectic mash up of scrap pig parts mixed with buckwheat flour and seasonings. This loaf of pig trimmings is then sliced, fried and served with poached eggs, grilled tomatoes and toast to make up their Philadelphia Breakfast. Just like the rest of America, those New Englanders are very creative with their spare pig parts.

In addition to house made chorizo and the best chicken apple sausage I have had at any restaurant, you’ll find all of your breakfast favorites. They also serve lunch, I have yet to try anything from the menu but I’d bet a dollar to the hole in a doughnut that the lunch dishes are pretty damn good too!

Next door is Bette’s to go, think homemade pizza by the slice, sandwiches and salads. They also have a display case full of the fluffiest, prettiest desserts and hands down the best key lime pie and I’ve been to the Florida Keys so that makes me officially authorized to say so! Pick up a package of their pancake mix on the way out for a taste of Bette’s best at home.

Recommendations:

Soufflé Pancake

Any pancake on the menu

Two eggs any style with Chicken Apple Sausage

Coffee