Chez Panisse, Farm-to-table restaurant in Berkeley, US.
Chez Panisse is a restaurant in Berkeley, California, that offers a daily changing fixed-price menu built around organic produce from the region. The building houses two areas: a formal dining room on the ground floor and a more relaxed upstairs café that allows for a more flexible à la carte choice.
Alice Waters opened the place in 1971 after traveling through France and wanted to create cooking based on fresh, unprocessed ingredients. The work influenced generations of chefs and helped launch the farm-to-table movement across North America.
The name comes from a character in Marcel Pagnol's film trilogy and reflects the Provençal inspiration that guided Waters when she opened. The place helped shape Berkeley's reputation as a center for sustainable cooking, and chefs from many countries come to learn how the kitchen operates.
The restaurant sits at 1517 Shattuck Avenue and requires reservations several weeks ahead, especially for the dining room. The upstairs café accepts bookings for smaller groups and offers more spontaneity in choosing dishes.
Every day brings an entirely different fixed menu determined by the seasonal availability of ingredients from regional farms and markets. Waters also founded the Edible Schoolyard, an educational program connecting students with gardening and cooking.
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