Rick & Ann's - Berkeley, CA

Rick & Ann’s

2922 Domingo Ave.

Berkeley, CA 94075

Rick & Ann’s has been a Berkeley favorite since it opened in 1989.  The restaurant is small with a mix of indoor and outdoor patio seating.  Located in a somewhat tucked away strip of shops, Rick & Ann’s is in a classic Californian 1950s style building with lots of windows and nice skylights that truly bring the outside in. The décor is simple and the focus is truly on the experience rather than on the small animal paintings on the wall, however for the parties interested in the art, it is for sale. The art seems a little out of place and had I not been paying close attention, I probably never would have noticed it.

Charming setting at the community table

There are just a couple of seats at the bar overlooking the kitchen and the tables are small serving mostly parties of two or four, but an unexpected surprise is a large country-style table in the middle of the dining room.  A community dining table, this offers seating to larger parties without having to wait to have adjacent tables cleared and rearranged and also provides the solo diner the opportunity to engage with the group if desired.  The day I visited I was alone and took the chance of finding good conversation at the community table.  I was seated with a big family and across the table from an older gentleman intently focused on his magazine.  No conversation for me, but that was okay because I was completely taken in by the menu.

As I waited for my order to be taken, I intently read about the history of the restaurant and then tried to decide between the four or five brunch dishes that caught my eye.  The dining room is small, but the kitchen fills the space with heavenly aromas.  Rick & Ann’s menu offers American classics with a twist.  I decided on their signature Erica’s French Toast which consists of challah dipped in orange cardamom batter which can be ordered as a short stack (two pieces) or a regular stack (three pieces).  I’d read good reviews about it on various websites and I was eager to try it before I even set foot in the restaurant.

While I was there one of the Saturday specials also caught my eye – the Scrambled Eggs with New Mexico sausage, sautéed sweet peppers, onions, and jack cheese.  This dish is served with home fries topped with sour cream and chopped green onions and your choice of toast, muffin, or scone.  Having lived in NM for some time I was interested in what this New Mexico sausage might be because I was previously unaware of the fact that we had any particular type of sausage claim to fame.  As it turns out New Mexico sausage is chicken sausage with poblano chile and does not come from New Mexico.  When I asked the manager about it, he said that the brand that sells the sausage has branded is because calling it New Mexico sausage was trendier than it being regular sausage.  Curious about it in spite of the fact that it was a bootleg New Mexico product, I ordered a side of this sausage to give it a try.  

The menu boasts the use of cage and hormone free eggs and has a variety of original menu offered in the “Favorites” section.  The prices range from $5.25 for Favorites to $11 for Saturday Specials.  There are also brunch cocktails offered for around $6 as well as fresh juices, sodas, and unexpected delights like Martinelli’s sparkling cider and gourmet soft drinks.

My food arrived after about 10 minutes and the menu warned that the French toast takes longer to prepare, so I had lots of time to check out the clientele.  It was a nice mix of what looked like UC Berkeley students, families, and retirees.  Everyone was very casual and relaxed, there to enjoy the company and good food.  The man sitting across from me ordered the potato and cheese pancakes that came topped with sour cream and chopped green onions and had a side of apple sauce.  It looked great and had he not dug right in, I would have taken a picture of it!

The French toast was fluffy and moist and practically melted in my mouth.  I was disappointed that I didn’t get the cardamom flavor until close to the end.  I held back on the syrup in the hopes that I could get a hint of the flavor, but it was indiscernible until I got to the end.  The last couple bites were delicious though!

Challah French Toast with a side of New Mexico sausage

The New Mexico sausage did not disappoint – in a word it’s scrumptious!  It was savory and had a hint of poblano, but was more pepper flavor than spicy.  I’m not sure if corn is in the sausage, but there were corn kernels in the bowl that added an element of sweet, cool juiciness that complimented the sausage.  I would definitely order this again.

Rick & Ann’s became an instant favorite and will definitely be revisited on future trips to the Bay Area.  I loved the atmosphere and the menu was creative and left me wishing I were hungry enough to try them all.