46240 Sun May 28 01:42:43 -0700 2006 2 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 229504 I read a lot about how quick the service is at Inn Kensington. Nothing prepared me though. I ordered a mushroom and cheese omelet. The server walked back to the kitchen and placed the order. He walked back to my table with a cup of coffee and a glass of water. He walked back to the kitchen and immediately picked up my omelet. I’m suspecting something like Bewitched here. The chef twitches his nose and voila – hot omelet with sautéed fresh mushrooms and perfectly melted cheese, warm and comforting home fries and two warm house-made buttermilk biscuits. And the thing is, you don’t get the feeling of being rushed. It is just efficient … REALLY efficient. The server smiled as he watched my jaw drop. It was a good omelet and at $6.75 a major deal. The potatoes were skin-on with herbs mixed in and a bit of sour cream on top. Two large, lovely, light biscuits were very nice with the house-made jam. Another choice is the house-made whole wheat bread. It is a nice restaurant, nothing fancy, but pretty and pleasant with large windows looking out on the street. The artwork on the walls is for sale and ever-changing. Very child friendly with lots of families and the servers fussing over the babies. I’m beginning to believe the ‘k’ in Kensington stands for kids. EVERYPLACE is very child friendly. The prices are very good ($3.50 mimosas). The food is seasonal. Sign up on the email list for their menu for that month (menu@innkensington.com). Breakfast offerings are basic- eggs with breakfast meats, omelets, scrambles and buttermilk waffles. From what I heard at another table the corned beef hash is supposed to be very good. The fanciest dish on the breakfast menu was a corn-cilantro pancake wrapped around salsa fresca, avocado and feta cheese. It is served with black beans. Lunch is basic too - soup of the day salads sandwiches and a few entrees. Sandwiches this month are served with either a green salad or red cabbage-feta cheese cole slaw. Entrees which cost from $6 - $8 come with salad or soup. This month’s most interesting items were Moroccan-style deep fried lemon-ginger chicken, grilled marinated pork loin topped with chutney and East Indian curried chicken in philo dough. Dinner prices range from $10 - $17. The most expensive item was the grilled rack of lamb topped with apple-mint yogurt sauce and served with saffron couscous with pine-nuts. The calzone and the burger come with a choice of soup or salad. The a few other entrees this month that looked good - Maple roasted half chicken served with roasted red potatoes, roasted garlic and steamed vegetables $12.75. - pan roasted fillet of beef topped with crushed peppercorn blend and brandied crème fraiche served with garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables - tamarind roasted baby pork ribs with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. There is also a specials board. No credit cards. However they will take checks. Inn Kensington Restaurant 293 Arlington Avenue Kensington, Ca 94707 510 527- 5919 Hours: Breakfast Mon – Fri: 7am – 2:30 pm Sat – Sun: 8am – 3 pm Lunch Mon – Fri: 11:30 am – 2:30 pm Dinner Mon-Sat: 5:30 pm – 9:30 Here's a brief mention in the East Bay Express. When they wrote " He is the fastest chef in town -- he can do your breakfast in under sixty seconds." I assumed that was just an exaggeration. Nope. Not in the slightest. Magic. Link: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/bestof/award.php?oid=oid:18919&section=oid:17195&year=2004 Sun May 28 01:42:43 -0700 2006 0 rworange 1 229546 Sounds like they're back on form. I lived in Kensington from 1980-88, right next door to the First Unitarian Church of Berkeley (which was never called the FUC of Kensington..;-) I started eating there when they opened until I moved out of the East Bay. I have fond memories of their biscuits and omelets. I went back a number of years ago (~10?) and the biscuits were like lead sinkers. I haven't been back since. However, it's not too likely I'll drive 40 miles on a Sunday morning for breakfast so they'll probably remain a fond memory. Mon May 29 00:24:22 -0700 2006 229504 0 Larry Stein 1 3064829 link Wed Oct 24 18:40:42 -0700 2007 229504 10264 rworange