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Venus

Item: Venus
Author: Tom Molanphy

Cuisine: American, California

Price Range: $

10Best Says

This respected and popular restaurant has a well-deserved reputation, especially when it comes to breakfast or brunch. Whether you're an "eggs and bacon" type or a pancakes person, Venus has got you covered. Fresh fruits and veggies play a role in many breakfast dishes, as do homemade sausages and breads. There's even a vegetarian tofu scramble that will knock your socks off – it's brimming with mushrooms, peas, cauliflower, and other good things. Dinner is a surprisingly enchanting affair, replete with innovative salads, succulent roasted meats, and unusual sides. And everything is organic and free-range, to boot. Superlative location right on always happening Shattuck Avenue.

Address:

2327 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704
510-540-5950

Hours:

Mon: 8am-2:30pm
Tue-Fri: 8am-2:30pm,; 5pm-9pm
Sat-Sun: 8am-2:15pm,; 5pm-9pm

Website:

venusrestaurant.net

EXPERT TIPS BY: Tom Molanphy
San Francisco Local Expert

Berkeley's Best Breakfast: "Try the Venus Benedict: homemade english muffin, topped with two poached eggs, sliced tomatoes, spinach & hollandaise sauce."
Berkeley's Best Brunch: "For the adventurous, try the Indian Brunch, which includes curried carrot-zucchini-parsnip pancakes, akoori scrambled eggs, mango aioli, handmade chapati and banana raita."

Best for Berkeley's Best Breakfast Because: Not only a great romantic option for dinner, Venus serves a killer breakfast, too.
Best for Berkeley's Best Brunch Because: Venus is an excellent option for those in Berkeley who don't want a standard, traditional brunch.

Breakfast
- Breakfast Entrees
  
  Warm Poached Egg Salad
  
  2 poached eggs, wild mushrooms, tomatoes, scallions & goat cheese on mixed greens, served with toasted ciabatta & tapenade ($10.00)
  
  Chicken Sausage Scramble
  
  eggs scrambled with chicken sausage, mozzarella, roasted red bells, caramelized onions & fresh basil served with homefries with sour cream & toast, biscuit, morning glory muffin or corn tortillas ($10.50)
  
  Country Breakfast
  
  2 eggs (any style), homemade biscuit, & homefries with sour cream ($8.00)
  
  2x2x2
  
  2 nantucket flapjacks or french toast with pure maple syrup, 2 eggs (any style) & 2 of your choice of homemade pork sausage patties, applewood bacon, chicken sausage links or soy sausage ($11.00)
  
  Harajuku Tofu Scramble
  
  marinated tofu, wild mushrooms, cabbage, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, snap peas & spinach, in a soy-ginger sauce served with homefries & wheat or sourdough toast ($10.00)
  
  Venus Benedict
  
  our homemade english muffin topped with 2 poached eggs, sliced tomatoes, spinach & hollandaise sauce, served with homefries with sour cream ($12.00)
  
  Butternut Squash Scramble
  
  eggs scrambled with roasted butternut squash, shallot, kale, cauliflower & gruyere served with mixed green salad & toast, biscuit, morning glory muffin or corn tortillas ($11.50)
  
  The Two-Egg Sandwich
  
  2 over medium eggs with cheddar cheese, chipotle mayo, lettuce, tomato, & grilled onions on toasted wheat or sourdough ($7.50)
  
  Classic Biscuits and Gravy
  
  2 over easy eggs on a homemade biscuit topped with creamy pork sausage gravy, served with green salad ($12.50)
- Omelettes
  
  Royale
  
  applewood bacon, vermont cheddar, chipotle crema, avocado, tomatoes & scallions ($11.00)
  
  Farmer's
  
  broccolini, zucchini, spinach, grilled onion, mushrooms & Laura Chenel goat cheese ($10.50)
  
  Ham
  
  ham, gruyere, spinach, tomatoes, green bells & scallions ($10.00)
  
  Ranchera
  
  cheddar & mozzarella cheeses, chipotle crema, avocado & spicy homemade salsa ($9.50)
- Griddle & Brittle
  
  Luxury Flapjacks
  
  with Valrhona dark chocolate & fresh raspberries ($8.50)
  
  Challah French Toast
  
  ($10.00)
  
  Nantucket Flapjacks
  
  ($8.50)
  
  Cashew-Almond-Poppy Brittle
  
  over yogurt with kiwi, papaya and berries ($8.00)
  
  Lemon-Ricotta Hotcakes
  
  with lemon curd and fresh blackberry syrup ($10.00)
  
  Gluten-Free Pancakes
  
  ($10.00)
Lunch Menu
- Salads and Such
  Homemade Soup & Salad
  
  with Semifreddi's seeded baguette ($9.50)
  
  House Salad
  
  mixed lettuces, carrot, radish, apple ($6.00)
  
  Soup, Salad and Half Sandwich
  
  with lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard and cheddar, choice of ham, avocado, or grilled chicken ($11.00)
  
  Today's Homemade Soup
  Cup: $3.50
  
  Bowl: $6.00
- Sandwiches
  
  Chavo
  
  grilled chicken breast, avocado, applewood bacon, white cheddar, chipotle mayo, lettuce & tomato on grilled sourdough with mixed green salad or homefries with sour cream ($11.00)
  
  Cuban Pork
  
  slow roasted pork, gruyere, sweet pickels, chipotle mayo, lettuce & tomato, on grilled sourdough with mixed green salad or homefries with sour cream ($13.00)
  
  Squash & Shroom
  
  roasted squash, mushrooms, spinach, apple slaw, manchego & cilantropumpkin seed pesto on grilled whole wheat with mixed green salad or homefries with sour cream ($10.50)
- Lunch Entreés
  Sierra Bow Trout & Warm Kale Salad
  with roasted butternut squash, red cabbage, carrot, shallot & black garlic & basil vinaigrette
  
  $15.50
  
  Veggie Version With Broccoli And Shaved Manchego: $12.50
  Grilled Chicken & Citrus Salad
  
  balsamic glazed Hoffman chicken, sliced cara cara, blood orange, avocado, red onions & pistachios, on little gem lettuce with a mandarin rose vinaigrette ($13.00)
  
  Lamb Tagine
  
  stewed with Morrocan spices, almonds, golden raisins, cauilfower, asparagus, mushrooms & spinach, served over Lundberg organic brown rice ($15.50)
  
  Harajuku Stir Fry
  soy-ginger marinated tofu, wild mushrooms, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, zucchini, snap peas & Lundberg organic brown rice
  
  $10.50
  
  With Hoffman Chicken Breast Instead Of Tofu: $12.00
Dinner Menu
- Main
  
  Today's Soup
  
  inspired, local, farm fresh ($7.00)
  
  Artisan Cheese Plate
  
  from Berkeley's Cheese Board Collective, served with jam & glazed walnuts ($13.00)
- Small Plates
  
  Grilled Summer Squash
  
  romano beans and romesco sauce ($6.00)
  
  Sherry Sage Mushrooms
  
  shiitake and oyster mushrooms, fried sage, garlic ($6.00)
  
  Twice Baked Cheese Soufflé
  
  with an heirloom tomato salad ($7.00)
  
  Butternut Squash Gnocchi
  
  roasted chestnuts, brown butter, sage, parmesan ($10.00)
  
  Lamb Kofta Kebab
  
  spiced ground lamb skewers served with tzatziki ($7.00)
  
  Venus House Meatballs
  
  Marin Sun Farms beef & pork, fresh roasted tomato sauce ($8.00)
  
  Seared Calamari
  
  cherry tomato vinaigrette, mixed greens, shaved fennel ($9.00)
  
  Roasted Baby Back Ribs
  
  housemade barbeque sauce, cole slaw ($10.00)
- Salads
  
  Coke Farm Heirloom Tomato Salad
  
  mesclun mix, avocado, shallot and red wine vinaigrette ($11.00)
  
  Curly Kale Salad
  
  bing cherries, ricotta salata, fried almonds, cider vinaigrette ($12.00)
  
  Frog Hollow Apricot Salad
  
  little gems, pink peppercorn coated goat cheese, candied pecans, honey lavender vinaigrette ($12.00)
- Full Plates
  
  Zucchini "Pappardelle"
  
  fresh corn, snap pea, cherry tomato, spring onion, pesto, creamy polenta ($17.00)
  
  Butternut Squash Napoleon
  
  layered butternut squash, spinach, shallots, ricotta and parmesan cheese with a pistachio and saffron cream ($18.00)
  
  Rock Cod Fish & Chips
  
  garlic and rosemary crispy potatoes, housemade slaw, remoulade ($14.00)
  
  Local Catch of the Day
  
  grilled asparagus, forbidden rice, basil and mint gastrique ($22.00)
  
  Hoffman Farm Piri Piri Chicken
  
  mashed yukon golds and wilted kale ($18.00)
  
  Slow Roasted Pork Sandwich
  
  gruyere, sweet pickle, cole slaw, chipotle mayo, mustard, served with mashed yukon golds or mixed greens ($13.00)
  
  Marin Sun Farms Lamb Tagine
  
  aromatic Moroccan stew with brown basmati rice, butternut squash, zucchini, carrot, almond, and golden raisins ($20.00)
  
  Marin Sun Farms New York Strip Steak
  
  vanilla bean and coffee crusted, with mashed yukon golds, grilled summer squash and treviso, herb butter ($24.00)

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