Café Rouge is located on 4th street in Berkeley, where boutique stores and gourmet shops thrive in a span of two blocks among an industrial area of the city.
It's a sustainable, organic-inspired restaurant like many you would find in the Bay Area -- especially Berkeley, with many gourmet establishments carrying on the tradition of California cuisine by following the footsteps of Chez Panisse owner Alice Waters.
Café Rouge blends Mediterranean and American dishes, focusing on fresh meat and house-made charcuterie. Next door is a gourmet grocery, which seems to spill over onto the restaurant as you can see the butcher's counter towards the back with their glistening, succulent rotisserie chickens in constant rotation.
I've only ever ordered the Rouge Burger in all the times that I've been here. Why?
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| Rouge Burger, $13. An extra $.50 for the grilled red onion. |
First off, the burger itself is a thick mound of freshly ground beef. The first bite is startling as it's literally "hot off the press." The scalding hot juices ooze out with your first attempt to bite and you'll have to hold back, which makes it even more enticing. I had mine with a generous slice of grilled red onion -- the burger itself comes plain, but you can add toppings for an extra $0.50-$1.50.
All the elements of the dish, from the touch of pickled onion to the perfectly toasted roll to the tasty natural-cut fries, came together nicely.
Location:
1782 Fourth Street
Berkeley
