La Note- French Country ~ November 2002
The worst-kept secret in Berkeley, little La
Note is jam-packed by 11 every morning, and for good reason. Eating
breakfast here in undoubtedly one of the best ways to rise and shine
in the Bay Area. Who knows what chef-owner Dorothee Mitrani-Bell does
to that coffee, but it’s magnificent- deep brown and creamy and
served in a wide ceramic bowl. The food that follows is every bit as
noteworthy: the emmenthal cheese and ham (make that fromage et jambon)
omelette is fluffy and fresh, the cinnamon French toast (er brioche
pain perdu) is thick and soaked in orange water batter, and the homefries
(no French, just homefries) are perfectly garlicky. Lunch and dinner
service also boasts a menu full of fine, Provencal selections, and you
probably won’t have to wait an hour to get seated.