Less than a year after his original two-and-a-half-star review, Michael Bauer returns for an update at Berkeley’s Gather, only to give it two and a half stars again. It seems an odd choice, returning so soon, but perhaps Mr. Bauer had to make sure he wasn’t missing something, after Esquire named chef Sean Baker Chef of the Year in 2010, and Food & Wine subsequently lauded the vegan “charcuterie” board as one of the best dishes of the year. Bauer writes that the menu has shrunk, from six entrées down to four, with two still being vegetarian, one being a burger (“not the best but a very good example”), and one being a chicken dish he calls “OK.” The salumi platter is gone, and he notes that the vegan charcuterie went from five items to four. He sounds downright lukewarm about the food this time around, but, he notes thankfully, “The message of organic and sustainability is there, but perhaps a little less strident.” [Chron]
