My favorite place in Berkeley: Skates on the Bay

Ok, Ok, so it also happens to be the only place I have ever gone in Berkeley, but with a place like this, who needs another?

A few years ago, I came to California for a business trip. While I was out and about, looking for a scrapbook store to purchase some local memorabilia, I asked the local store owner to point me in the direction of a place I could eat some good seafood, some good wine and a great view. She pointed me to Skates on the Bay, a wonderful restaurant on the Berkeley Marina. I have never forgotten the place, it was so wonderful, the view, the food, the ambiance, the wine...

My roommate is retiring from the Air Force and this is her last week in town, we decided this deserved a splurge and made our way to Berkeley, hoping to recreate the good memory of years ago.

With trepidation, we made our way into Skates on the bay and it did not disappoint.

It really is an unassuming place from the parking lot of the Marina, just a quiet restaurant until you step in and see the view.

All while enjoying your dinner (and there is not a bad seat in the house), you can view the sailboats enjoying the bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco and Oakland skylines. And a wonderful place to view the sunset, as you sip some delicious wine off their decent wine list

The worst thing about the experience is deciding what to eat. I enjoyed a filet with Crab Oscar while my roomy enjoyed the Haddock special. We munched on some scrumptious crab and artichoke dip and a delicious salad. I had a wonderful cab and she had a moscato blend that was out of this world!

We decided it was a special occasion, so we also ordered the bread pudding, which was made from carrot cake and served with a wonderful orange sauce which tasted fantastic along with the flight of Graham's port (a 10 yr, 20 yr and 30 yr port). You can taste the amazing difference in the ports as they age, this was a great experience in itself.

After dinner, we walked on the pier, just to walk off some of the calories and soak up the salty air. This place would make a wonderful date night, dinner and wine with a view and a lovely handheld walk on the water.

Sadly, the pier has declined over the years, covered in graffiti and the fishermen line the place at sunset, trying to catch that magic hour. We saw one guy catch a little shark while we were there,

If there is one word that I could use to sum up my evening at Skates on the Bay, it is nostalgia, I found myself transported to past days, that really had nothing to do with California or the food, wine or view, but it was a nostalgic night and was a cathartic reprieve from the every day.

ADDRESS: 100 Seawall Drive Berkeley, CA 94710 PHONE: 510-549-1900 Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 4pm-6pm Late Night Happy Hour: Mon-Thur 9:00pm-10:30pm	HOURS:
	Lunch:	Monday thru Friday 11a –3pm
	Weekend Brunch & Lunch: Saturday & Sunday 10:30–2pm
	Dinner:	Monday thru Thursday 5pm–9:30pm Friday 5pm–10pm Saturday 4pm–10pm Sunday 4pm–9pm
	Lounge:	Monday thru Thursday 3pm–10:30pm Friday & Saturday 3pm–11pm They do get full, so I recommend you visit the website and book a reservation before you go! Sunday 3pm–10pm