Alice Waters Opens Bar Panisse
Alice Waters just opened Bar Panisse on Berkeley's Shattuck Avenue, featuring dishes like butter beans with braised Swiss chard and marinated chèvre. The menu reflects Waters' signature farm-to-table ethos in a more relaxed setting than her famous Chez Panisse. This marks a new chapter for the pioneering California cuisine chef.
Bar Panisse is located at 1515 Shattuck Avenue, directly next door to the famed Chez Panisse, creating what some are calling a "campus Panisse." The space was previously occupied for over 20 years by the beloved Spanish tapas bar, César. The decision not to renew César's lease in 2022 to make way for the new bar sparked protests and petitions from loyal patrons. This opening marks Alice Waters' first new Berkeley establishment since Café Fanny, which closed in 2012. The new, more casual bar, which seats 50 and takes no reservations, is seen as an expansion of the Chez Panisse brand, which has been a Berkeley institution since its founding in 1971. The bar's chef is Amelia Telc, with experience from Tartine and New York's Mission Chinese Food, while Dylan O'Brien of Prizefighter in Emeryville is consulting on the beverage program. Chez Panisse is widely credited as a pioneer of California cuisine and the farm-to-table movement, emphasizing fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced organic ingredients. This philosophy, which was revolutionary when the restaurant opened, was inspired by Waters' time in France and a desire to create an alternative to fast-food culture. The restaurant built a network of direct relationships with local farmers, ranchers, and dairies, a practice that continues today. Over its more than five decades, Chez Panisse has become a culinary institution with a significant impact on American dining. In 2001, *Gourmet* magazine named it the Best Restaurant in America, and it has been consistently ranked among the top 50 restaurants in the world. Waters herself has received numerous accolades, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the James Beard Foundation. The "alumni" of the Chez Panisse kitchen is a who's who of the culinary world. Chefs like Jonathan Waxman, Suzanne Goin, and David Tanis all spent time working under Waters, going on to open their own acclaimed restaurants and further spread the philosophy of California cuisine across the country. Beyond the restaurant, Alice Waters is a vocal food activist. In 1995, she founded the Edible Schoolyard Project, which aims to connect students with the origins of their food by creating gardens and kitchen classrooms in schools. Her belief that "eating is a political act" underscores her advocacy for sustainable agriculture and a "slow food" approach to eating.
