Best Italian Food: Gypsy’s Trattoria Italiano
With at least three consecutive years as a Best of Berkeley winner, Gypsy’s Trattoria Italiano once again makes it out on top – to nobody’s surprise. We all know that it’s hard to resist the nostalgic smells of garlic and late-night pasta runs freshman year while walking down the oft-traveled Durant Avenue. The power of Gypsy’s is real. All it takes is one to-go order of steaming lasagna for you to suddenly be surrounded by friends who would otherwise remain in their studying bunkers.
For all those students who are pinching their pennies, this self-declared Trattoria offers a relatively inexpensive splurge for a supremely satisfying meal-perhaps the first real one you’ve had time for in days.
By the time this article is published, I will actually be in Italy (yeah, I couldn’t help but drop that in there. Don’t hate me … too much). Do I in any way expect the quality of Berkeley’s best Italian to compare to the real deal? Absolutely not. Yet Gypsy’s offers everything us college students need: consistency and comfort at a cheap price. This fall when I order my steaming hot plate of linguini clams, I’ll know that I am truly home. No wonder Gypsy’s continues to be our go-to favorite.
-Leslie Toy
Best Place to Watch a Movie: Shattuck Cinemas
Berkeley is blessed with a surfeit of movie theaters, and more often than not your selection might depend on what’s playing where. But if you just feel like catching a flick, Shattuck Cinemas has the nicest accommodations of anywhere around. It’s run by Landmark Theatres, which means the movies there are, roughly speaking, arthouse fare, but there is usually enough of an assortment showing on the 10 screens to suit varied tastes.
Recently, though, the theater has implemented changes to distinguish itself further. Two of the auditoriums substitute the typical rows of fold-down seats for a mess of couches, chairs and loveseats. And the theater now has the Lot 68 Lounge, which serves beer, wine and cocktails, with a selection of (somewhat pricey) food items. Some evening film screenings are restricted to 21+, so moviegoers can top off a tasty beverage during the show.
Among the other accessible options, Shattuck Cinemas is the classiest pick for a night at the movies in Berkeley. With the added bonus of Landmark’s student discount, it’s clear why Shattuck was voted Berkeley’s best.
-Sam Stander
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