Gregoire (Berkeley, CA)

One of my all-time favorite spots in Berkeley is Gregoire, a French | New American gourmet sandwich shack with some of the most innovative and interesting [and decently priced] sandwiches I've ever had.  Before you become skeptical, I feel I should probably mention that their innovation doesn't take away from the deliciousness at all, and for one who doesn't particularly go for sandwiches, this place is my go-to.  For a tiny 'restaurant' located near a residential area, the flavor they offer is to die for.  C'est incroyable!

I was first introduced to this place, I think, by an old high school friend who attended the same university as me back in the day.  Even though I lived in the furthest possible dorms from this place, all the way on the other side of campus (ugh!), I did make a good number of trips to Gregoire, just to get a taste of their delicious sandwiches on a monthly-changing menu.

Cod Spinach Salad with Candied Walnuts

Over the years, Gregoire has become my signature place to take visitors, along with Ici, so I have pictures across several trips.  As I mentioned, they have a changing menu, so some of what I had is probably no longer on the menu, though they do recycle similar seasonal recipes.  Their sandwich menu caters to a wide variety of palates, as they often offer at least five different meats or seafood [as well as vegetarian], which range from a purely savory to a slightly sweet sandwich or salad.  They also serve soup, sometimes French onion- quite appropriate for a French 'restaurant.'  I put restaurant in quotes, because they are more of a take-out place with limited seating, so diners often just sit on the curbside to munch on their sandwiches.

For those who have never been, I would recommend their popular Potato Puffs ($4.5) to start.  They've gotten a bit smaller over the years, but still taste just as good!  Also, it might be smart to order online beforehand and to keep the group limited to maybe five people tops, if you plan on grabbing a seat on site.

Potato Puffs

Most everything changes on the menu by a bit, but most everything that I've had has been outright delicious!  There has been one sandwich that was a bit too rich for me, but most have been a good balance of spices, veggies, and whatever choice of meat.  I've had a spinach salad with cod and candied walnuts, as well as lamb on lavash.  The best sandwich I've had at Gregoire was a breaded cod sandwich that had the perfect white sauce that was nothing like the typical tartar mayo, but I never managed to find it on the menu again.  Either way, I can almost promise a gratifying meal upon every trip to Gregoire, and talking about this place makes me miss it even more!

Lamb and Feta on Lavash

Steak with Mozarella on Sourdough Baguette

With that said, I've never actually eaten here for dinner, but I'm sure it would be just as delicious! Just a bit pricier (not compared to Australia).

Price: ~10 USD per item | $-$$
Rating: 4.5/5

Gregoire (website)