The Other Critics

Boer Impressed With Belli in Berkeley; Hirsch Is Pleasantly ‘Surprised’ By Bubble Lounge

Belli Osteria
Belli Osteria Photo: Courtesy of Belli

Nicholas Boer provides the Chron’s review of Belli Osteria, the new ravioli-focused restaurant in downtown Berkeley. He’s impressed, overall, with both the ravioli and the service, and says that several of the secondi plates are “excellent” too, including the duck and a charred lamb loin. He finds that first-time chef-owner Paul Oprescu needs to work on his consistency, however, and found some dishes less great during lunch service. All in all, he gives them a respectable two and a half stars. [Chron]

Over at Examiner, Jesse Hirsch checks out the new menu at Bubble Lounge, which comes courtesy of Bob Petzold, executive chef at Bocadillos and chef de cuisine at Piperade. He’s “surprised by the classiness” of the crowd at the North Beach-adjacent champagne depot, walking in expecting “leopard print and Ke$ha.” And he’s also surprised by the quality, and the diminutive size, of Petzold’s “French tapas” dishes. He likes the little twice-baked potatoes with truffles, the deviled eggs topped with salmon roe, and the phyllo- and prosciutto-wrapped hearts of palm. But, seeing as this is still a spot meant for drinking, “there was an air of the inconsequential to much of the food.” [Examiner]

Boer Impressed With Belli in Berkeley; Hirsch Is Pleasantly