The Butcher’s Son Vegan Delicatessen & Bakery

Cozy Italian restaurant in North Berkeley with great service! There was a good selection of pizzas, salads, and pastas. The interior is on the smaller side with a cozy feel. My friend and I ordered a combo pizza and the norma pasta to share and we both had enough left over to take home. Didn’t feel like it was especially unique or a “wow” factor, however.

The food here was soo delicious!! We ordered the Ancient Grain Cheese Cannelloni and the Pennoni alla Norma (with Pennoni subbed for a very nice, soft Tagliatelle). The crepes in the Cannelloni were just the right amount of crispy, the Sheep milk ricotta had a very nice unique flavor, and the tomatoes were so well cooked and flavorful. Everything worked together so well! And the eggplant in the Pennoni alla Norma literally melted in your mouth leaving just the flavor of pure eggplant goodness. Paired with a very nice tomato garlicky sauce, and the very soft pasta noodles, it was also a very comforting dish. My girlfriend and I were both very impressed with both dishes! The serving sizes were also enough to leave us very filled after both dishes, and the prices were appropriate for the quality and amount of food. Being vegetarian, I was very happy to see the wide variety of vegetarian options as main entrees on the menu. At many places, I've found that the vegetarian options are basically the non-vegetarian options with meat removed, but the vegetarian options here all felt like very complete and intentional meals designed to be had as is. The service was also phenomenal. Our waitress was very nice and was patient in giving us recommendations. And at the end, one of the other ladies gave us a very passionate and interesting lesson on the history of Sicilian cuisine and how it is influenced by so many different cultures!

I had thought we went to Lo Coco's to get the Lasagna, because it's the best in Crazy Town! I had to do a favor for my pal Tuba Joe Greenfield...the favor was taking his 40 year old sister, Tootie out to lunch! On a date! Jeez! Why do I always get stuck in the mud! Well, I picked up this gal up in El Cerrito and told her we're going to Lo Coco's Italian Restaurant ..because the Lasagna is Amazing! Anyway...we call Joe, Tuba Joe because he weighs in at about 300 pounds, and I'll tell you what, his sister Tootie is a cool 350 it was all she could muster to get into the truck. We got on our way to Lo Coco's and tells me she's a Vegan! I thought she was joking...she wasn't, and then she started telling me what she expects me to eat while we dine together. Well, I told her straight up..Look, I can take you home or I can drop you off at the feed and grain store and you can get a bale of alfalfa. I took her home, and called Tuba Joe and he laughed for 10 minutes. Anyway...that tubby Tootie had me all spun around and backwards, so much so.. I thought I was at Lo Coco's having Lasagna, and it's a good thing it was such an Amazing Lasagna because it made the day perfect. 5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆