#94704

Hi Everyone – I’m on another road trip to photograph America’s abandoned theaters. This time I’m traveling up the west coast of the United States. Keep checking back over the next week for more updates!

View from the back of the auditorium.

The UC Theatre originally opened in 1917 in Berkeley, California. It closed in March 2001, and was designated a landmark the following year. Plans are…

Gather

2200 Oxford Street Berkeley, CA 94704 (510) 809-0400

http://www.gatherrestaurant.com/

Price: $13 (includes fries and a small side salad)

Eater: Charlie

Date: 11/6/2010

I had been to Gather for brunch before and really enjoyed my overall experience; the food, the ambiance, and the company, so you could imagine my excitement as I ordered their Prather Ranch burger with Sierra Nevada cheddar. The folks I was with were kind enough to hold off on ordering until 11:30am, so I could order the burger off the weekend lunch menu which began at that time. I was really hungry, really salivating and really looking forward to this burger.  I ordered the burger medium rare/rare, basically to hedge against being served something other than pink throughout the interior. The food took longer than anyone had expected, but nothing too obscene and I was feeling pretty good with my coffee and Bloody Mary (see below). After lifting the perfectly toasted Acme bun and revealing the beautiful set of accouterments to myself, I took to cutting the burger in half: I could not wait to see the shades of reds and pinks only a carefully cooked piece of cow could display. As I cut through the burger and pulled the two halves apart, I noticed something odd, the burger was brown throughout! No majestic shades of pink or red. Were my eyes deceiving me?! No. They were not. This type of egregious error is borderline acceptable at an institution like Urbun Burger or True Burger. At a restaurant that fancies itself as, well, fancy, this type of error is unconscionable. Needless to say, I was disappointed. So disappointed, in fact, that I've failed to muster my trademark wit and humor in this post, and therefore disappointed you, my readers, as well...the real true travesty. By the transitive property, Gather has disappointed you! In the future, I will most likely give Gather a chance at redemption, but this outing was a bust. The burger was a'ight, but fell way below expectations.

Size: 1/3 lbs.

Ranch: Prather Ranch

Accouterments: Sierra Nevada cheddar, caramelized shallot-tomato sauce, aioli, garden greens, fries

Type of Beef: Cow

Beer with Burger: No beer, but I had a "seasonal" Bloody Mary that was interesting, if not delicious! Check out this list of fresh ingredients: Tomato Juice, Ginger, Horseradish, Herbs, Cayenne, Chili Oil, and Beet Juice...and the requisite celery stalk and salted rim. The beautifully deep redness of the Bloody Mary is not done justice in the photo below.

Beer Selection: A small but very unique selection, with no beer more than $6! 3 or 4 bottled beers and about the same amount on tap.

Ambiance: A nice large space in downtown Berkeley with an outdoor space when the weather is agreeable. A newer decor with a rustic feel. There's also an impressive open kitchen.

Blake’s on Telegraph 2367 Telegraph Avenue Berkeley, CA 94704-1615 (510) 848-0886 http://www.blakesontelegraph.com/

Eater: Charlie

Price: $8.75

Sooo, I found myself drunk this past Sunday after watching some pre-season football. What? I need to get in shape for the regular season too! Don’t judge. Anyway, I was drunk and hungry and as I’m want to do in these situation, I found a place to gorge myself. Blake’s was close and I heard they had a decent burger so, naturally, I couldn’t resist. As I scanned the menu to see what sort of dead animal I wanted to stuff my face with I noticed this little disclaimer that stated (something to the effect) that ALL burgers are cooked medium rare unless otherwise instructed. This was an encouraging sign. Stay tuned for the punch line. I ended up ordering their half-pound burger – that’s 8ozs to all you stat heads out there -  “Big B Style” or something similar to that stupid name. Basically what this meant was that in addition to receiving the standard toppings: tomato, lettuce, and red onions, I also received “healthy” toppings of Blue Cheese and Bacon. Like Megan, I typically don’t like piling on the toppings, but I thought this combination had promise. The bacon had just the right amount of crunch, but there was far too much blue cheese on this burger. Oh, and my burger was brown throughout. Oh well. I live to fight another day

Size: Half-pound Accouterments: Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onions, and pickle with a side of fries on Kaiser role. Most of their produce is sourced from local farms although not from any single farm. The bun is brought in from Bordenave’s Bakery in San Rafael. Ranch: Niman Ranch Beer with Burger: Anchor Steam (San Francisco, CA)