East Bay Dispatch: Berkeley Gets a Gastropub Too

Proposal info on the left; the plywooded space on the right. [Original photos: Flickr]

Berkeley: The rise of the Bay Area gastropub continues, just a few years behind everyone else. We've already got the new Magnolia in full swing, with promising upcoming projects like Urban Tavern, Mint Plaza and Yoffi also using variations of the term. And now, Berkeley's getting in on the action, with Meridian International Sports Cafe. The project at 2050 University Avenue—dubbed an "exciting gastropub in downtown Berkeley"—will encompass 7500 square feet, including 2000 on an outdoor patio, plus "a virtual theater of televisions." Sure the menu is, ahem, eclectic and uses the local-organic-seasonal buzzwords, but seriously people, not everything needs to be called a gastropub. Bars with good food are still OK. It's prime real estate; the college kids will still like it. Due date: late September, just in time for school/football season.
· Meridian International Sports Cafe [Official Site]
· Gastro-Pub Kitchen Manager (berkeley) [CL]