Rick & Ann's Restaurant

I’ve only tried this place for breakfast so far but it was a lovely experience. The food tasted great and the workers were very nice. I’d love to try their lunch menu!

My favorite East Bay cafes for working during lockdown - #4, Rick and Ann’s

One of my favorite places to work during lockdown is the seating area outside Rick and Ann’s. I usually pretend that I’ve just had an expensive game of tennis at the Claremont Hotel and am doing some Important Work before I hop into my hybrid SUV (sometimes it’s an imaginary Tesla). Other times, I put on a blond wig, baseball cap and shades and pretend that I’m Taylor Swift on a low profile retreat at the Claremont. I might sing or hum a little bit of Invisible String as a finishing touch to that completely plausible scenario. Seriously though, it’s a great place to hang out and there’s a very peaceful vibe – so please don’t all turn up at once!

I originally used to get a coffee from Rick and Ann’s and a pastry and slice of pizza from Fournée. After a while I realized that Rick and Ann’s pastries are pretty darn good too! Plus, they have a different selection every day, providing a nice change from the (admittedly awesome but 6000 calorie) chocolate almond croissants from Fournée. I recommend R&A’s scones and muffins and also items like the pecan bar if you have an especially sweet tooth. Then I discovered the vegan burrito – it’s $7.50 for one of the healthiest and tastiest burritos that I’ve ever had – packed with zucchini, potatoes, black beans and spinach.

There’s a lot of seating in that area – both shady and sunny – and free Wi-Fi from Peet’s if you need it. I’ve also been to several work events that were catered by Rick and Ann’s and can vouch for their other dishes – it’s hearty comfort food made with good ingredients.

I’m also giving the Rick and Ann’s 4/5 “green stars” for social and environmental impact, based on this:

• R&A’s have spent more than three decades making healthy food using local ingredients.
• Reasonably good selection of vegetarian and vegan options (try the vegan burrito!)
• They’re doing a good job at minimizing waste during lockdown. Cardboard containers and compostable utensils, if you need them (although you should be bringing your own utensils at this point, one year into lockdown).
• When we’ve had R&A catering, there’s also a good effort made to avoid unnecessary waste.
• They really seem to treat the staff like family – you can look up a story on Berkeleyside (Oct 2020) that describes R&A’s financial troubles – like many businesses, it’s under serious financial strain during lockdown. Though it all, Ann has stood by her staff. Support them if you can – get the pancakes if you’ve never had them or stop by for a pastry. The pantry and pastry counter is open even outside of their regular mealtimes.

If you’re still not convinced, consider that Steph and Ayesha Curry were regulars!
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