New Italian Restaurant next to Sea Salt

[DogGone Hungry]

Does anyone know the name of the new restaurant that opened up on San Pablo next to Sea Salt? I think it's the same owners.

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Sea Salt
2512 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94702

[chocolatetartguy]

A friend and his wife had a pizza dinner there 2 Sundays ago and he said that the lunch we had from the Sorabol stand in the Emeryville public market was at least as good. We both enjoyed that lunch.

[TopoTail]

I'm not a big fan of Paisan's pizza, but am very happy to have it in the neighborhood. Went to one of their Wednesday night prix fixe dinners a few weeks ago and it was a ridiculously good meal for the price.

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Paisan
2514 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702

[Robert Lauriston]

Finally got around to trying Paisan last week.

Polpette di Baccalà, house made salt cod croquettes with garlic aioli 7.50: tasty though a bit dry. Nice bar snack.

Asparagus Salad with applewood smoked bacon, hardboiled egg, frisee, mizuna, mustard seed vinaigrette 8.25: fine, though the elements didn't particularly come together, and it was hard to get a little of everything in one bite.

"Molto Aglissimo" pizza with roasted garlic, roasted green garlic, fresh chopped garlic, spring onion, parmesan, fontina 13.75: nice flavors, crisp crust somewhat reminiscent of Cheese Board.

Cannelloni al Forno, house-made pasta stuffed with ricotta, spinach, basil & percorino with truffled besciamella & tomato sauce topped with wild black trumpet muchrooms 12.00: pretty good.

Not in the same league with Dopo or Pizzaiolo, but no serious complaints, and the prices seem a bit lower. Really good cocktails and maybe the largest selection of grappas in the East Bay.

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Paisan
2514 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702

[Scott M]

"Not in the same league with Dopo or Pizzaiolo" or even Marzano.

That is why it was one and done (ie. went once and never went back) for me.

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Pizzaiolo
5008 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609

Dopo
4293 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA 94611

Marzano
4214 Park Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94602

[Robert Lauriston]

The food was good enough that I'd go back, which was not the case with the one meal I had at the College Marzano.

Looking at early reports on the place, I think they've maybe gotten their act more together:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6578...

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Paisan
2514 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702

[mariacarmen]

i have to agree with Scott M. nothing egregious, but not worth the prices, even at lunchtime, which is when we went. i can't even remember what we had - it was early this year... sorry, this is not helpful. just knew i wouldn't be going back, with Pizzaiolo in the (nearby) nabe.

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Pizzaiolo
5008 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609

[vinoareni]

I completely agree with Scott. If you want a great pizza go to Pizzaiolo. The pizza at Paisan was very amateurish. Besides the wine at $30 was what you buy from Trader Joe for $5

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Pizzaiolo
5008 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609

Paisan
2514 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702

[Robert Lauriston]

Trader Joe's has a $5 Lagrein?

[nicedragonboy]

It's supposed to be a Pizza place isn't it?

[evacarleton]

We went back to Paisan (second time) last night and it was lovely. We sat at the bar and shared a margarita pizza and a roasted chicken half. The chicken was crispy with a wonderful garlic flavor (that explained what wonderful garlic whiffs I had gotten when I drove by the other day). It came with crispy polenta cubes and very flavorful tomatoes. At first the combination looked odd but it worked out great. Oh, and for dessert we had an almond tartlett - yummy, yummy. The place is very easy going, we love the long bar, and most of all that we can walk there from our house.

[Robert Lauriston]

Paisan. Same owners as Sea Salt / T-Rex / Fonda / Lalime's / Jimmy Bean's.