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Cheap Eats

For East Bay Cheapskates Dining on Alexander Hamilton

photography by Pat Mazzera

The 10-dollar bill is one of only two U.S. monetary notes not to feature a president. It depicts, instead, a former secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton, who was killed in a duel by then Vice President Aaron Burr in Weehawken, N.J., of all places. In Weehawken, there are probably plenty of dining establishments that honor Hamilton's memory-consciously or not-by offering meal choices for under 10 bones. But in the East Bay? Um, I don't think so. Not so many. But with a little effort, some great culinary deals can be found.
Here we live on an earthquake fault, and we pay through the nose to do so. But it's so worth every penny. The diversity, the progressive attitudes, the plain out-thereness of everyday life in Oakland-and its surrounding cities-are enough to draw out even the most reclusive of recluses, and the cheapest of 'skates. What follows are 15 best bets for a sampling of the under-$10 eats available in a variety of neighborhoods, within a minimum of paces. We've got cheese steaks, bliss burgers, injera, pho, fried chicken and fish tacos from many neighborhoods. Take that, Weehawken.
And your friend and mine, Alexander Hamilton, can foot every one of the bills. No pistols at dawn required.

Café Colucci

The Drill: North Oakland boasts many Ethiopian restaurants, the majority of them on Telegraph Avenue. But Colucci is the hangout, largely because of its vast vegetarian menu, but also because it's slightly less expensive than its neighbors.
The Thrill: At Café Colucci, most entrees are less than $10 and feed more than one. A hearty appetite could take down the delectable sega tibs (lean beef in rosemary and vegetables) for $8.95, wash it down with some water and be done with it. But more miserly diners can share plates and use their savings to sip on honey wine or Ethiopian hot tea.
Top Bill: The subtly delish flax seed frappe, when available, is a nutty, nourishing shake that could easily be breakfast.

6427 Telegraph Ave., (510) 601-7999.

for more, pick up a copy of Oakland Magazine today.

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Pho Hòa Lão

The Drill: On first glance, this seems like just one of many Vietnamese restaurants in the stretch some call Little Saigon. But Pho Hòa Lão stands out for its speedy service, large size and generous portions.
The Thrill: Traditional pho (beef or chicken rice noodle soup), plus other kinds of meats and noodles, for remarkable prices. The regular bowls cost $5.40 and will feed the average appetite just fine; the extra-large ones, priced at $6.80, could keep a linebacker pretty darn happy. (There are also medium bowls for $6.25.)
Top Bill: There are some things on the menu that may be less palatable to Westerners (pork blood, for instance) but straight-up well-done flank pho (No. 11) is a tasty but traditional choice; also, numbers 29 through 31 (the three sizes of mì) will satisfy seafood lovers with shrimp, squid, slices of fried fish cake and fish balls (no, not like that), plus chicken, pork and egg noodles in place of the usual rice ones.

720 International Blvd., (510) 451-6888.

The Cheese Steak Shop

The Drill: Transplanted East-coasters will freak over this franchise, started in 1982 by expat Philadelphians. The original SF store begat a Berkeley store, which begat more than a dozen outposts from Suisun City to San Jose. Though some other Philly cheese steak shops bastardize their sandwiches with Swiss cheese, this chain sticks to tossing its thinly sliced steak with the tried-and-true provolone or white American (but passes on the traditional Cheez Whiz, thank heavens).
The Thrill: Rolls imported from Amoroso's Baking Co. in Philly and sweet and hot peppers from the City of Brotherly Love as well. And there is nothing on the menu that costs more than a $10-spot-most 15-inch sammiches cost $9.49, and you can actually do lunch for a Lincoln, if you can make do with a 7-incher and a small soda.
Top Bill: This may seem obvious, but, um, the cheese steak. Sure, they've got chicken sandwiches, vegetarian specials and an Italian hoagie, but it's just never a good idea to go to a place named after a specific food and order something else. Finish up with a Tastykake dessert, also imported from the brotherland.

3308 Lakeshore Ave., (510) 832-6717.

Additional locations throughout the Bay Area.

 

GRÉGOIRE

The Drill: Sensational and sustainable takeout for bupkis. When chef and owner Grégoire Jacquet opened his Berkeley location in 2002, it was an instant hit. Now there's a tiny Oakland location, with just enough counter space to make everyone eating in there feel like one big family. One big, lucky, gourmet family.
The Thrill: The lunch and dinner menus change monthly, with everything prepared from scratch using seasonal, organic, free-range, locally grown and sourced ingredients. You can easily do lunch (entrée, small smoothie) for a Hamilton, and it's even better when you share two dishes with a friend (which, during dinner, you have to do to in order to stay on budget, but again, it's more fun that way).
Top Bill: Crispy potato puffs, seven or eight per order, for $4.25. They're always available, priced the same for lunch and dinner, and beneath the scrumptious batter beats a heart of carb-tastic heaven.

4001B Piedmont Ave.,
(510) 547-3444;
2109 Cedar St., Berkeley,
(510) 883-1893.

Mama Buzz Café

The Drill: Considered by many to be the locus of Oakland's current hipster culture, the Buzz is a laid-back and unique place to dine. Eat at the counter or take your meal into the gallery to see that month's art installation, or, in the evening, whatever free event is happening. If the day is nice, read the paper in the newly spruced-up backyard with the regulars.
The Thrill: Full disclosure-I live with one of the owners. But even without my occasional discount, I could eat under 10 bucks at the Buzz thrice daily. For breakfast, a bagel concoction and double latte; for lunch, a sandwich or the soup of the day with an Italian soda; and for dinner, one of the rotating comfort-food entrees (chicken tortilla casserole, pesto lasagna, etc.), side salad one buck extra. Break the bank and have a glass of wine, or choose from the draught beers and a half-dozen bottled or canned varieties.
Top Bill: Order the Gourmet Ghetto sandwich (no longer on the menu, but you can still ask for it by name), but, instead of getting this delicious mess of veggies, cheddar cheese, walnuts, olive oil and vinegar on the traditional bagel, order it on the far stabler sourdough. And don't forget to check out the bathroom, redone regularly by local artists.

2318 Telegraph Ave., (510) 465-4073.

 

Kotobuki/Long Life Japanese Restaurant

The Drill: As cheap dates go, you can't beat sushi. The best way to eat under $10 at Kotobuki is to share your food, and sharing sushi is an intimate, elegant experience (provided you know how to work your chopsticks). And this sushi comes with miso soup and a small salad, so you can get your Hamilton's worth, no problem.
The Thrill: Kotobuki does vegetarian particularly well, and vegetable-only items are sorely underappreciated by the average sushi diner. Charm your date by ordering some tangy ume maki (plum paste and cucumber, six rolls for $2.75) and an oshitashi appetizer (boiled spinach with sesame sauce topped with fried soy bits, a healthy portion for $3.50).
Top Bill: Whatever's fresh. Adventurousness always impresses, so ask your server what the freshest thing at the sushi bar is, and then order it, regardless of whether or not you've had it before.

3920 Piedmont Ave., (510) 658-3119.

 

Mariscos Sinaloa

The Drill: Taco trucks are, by design, mobile; it is therefore hard to pick a favorite, since they could often pull up anchor and move on. Mariscos Sinaloa stays put in the parking lot of the Sinaloa empire, which means it shares space with a regular-issue taco truck and a walk-up window restaurant. Mariscos is the truck in the back-not the one on the corner of International and 22nd Avenue, but rather the one close to 22nd Avenue. There's also a covered seating area.
The Thrill: As the name suggests, Mariscos specializes in seafood, and for $1.25 per fish taco, you can become a specialist yourself. And don't limit yourself to the tacos-Mariscos also does a bang-up job on its ceviche tostada, which features fish, shrimp and plenty of cucumber, and costs only $3.50.
Top Bill: The altar in the back. While you're waiting on your order, walk past the Mariscos truck, past the tents selling flowers, DVDs and baseball caps (depending on the season), and peek through the screened-in and padlocked windows set into the cerulean blue brick structure; inside you'll find three different tributes to Catholic tableaux saints.

2138 International Blvd., (510) 535-1206.

Arizmendi Bakery & Pizza

The Drill: There are other locations, on Lakeshore Avenue and in San Francisco, but the newest Arizmendi in Emeryville is the jewel in the collective's crown, with nothing but the freshest local and seasonal ingredients combined on pizzas in unexpected but always harmonious ways.
The Thrill: This is frou-frou California pizza that'll make even your Uncle Ray-the one from Rockaway Beach-smile, with a different vegetarian concoction available every day. Two slices for $4, plus a funky organic soda or house-bottled strawberry or mango smoothie for a buck or two more. 'Nuff said.
Top Bill: Seasonal pastries and breads and pizzas made with of-the-minute ingredients like wild mushrooms, leeks, artichokes and squash. Also, the pizzas with walnuts are out of this world; check the day's offering at www.arizmendi-bakery.org/pizza_schedule.html before you go.

4301 San Pablo Ave., Emeryville, (510) 547-0550.

 

ITAL CALABASH

The Drill: The dining area of this downtown Oakland restaurant is no bigger than a hallway. But there is no healthy food in Oakland that you can get faster. It's all vegan, but tastier vegan you won't find anywhere. They call it "vegetarian soul food," and "ancient food for man and woman." You'll call it instant lunch-break karma.
The Thrill: The lunch special, from 11:30 a.m. till 3 p.m., costs $8 and gets you Osho's Bliss Burger (a flavorful, homemade tofu patty on a whole wheat bun with a dairy-less and mild Cajun sauce), the smoothie of the day and your choice of fried (but not overly greasy) plantains or salad with a delicious, gingery dressing. You can add soy cheese or barbecue sauce for 50 cents, avocado for 75.
Top Bill: The No-Meat Treat is a "high-protein meatless substance" whose name belies its succulent charm; it costs $7, is simmered in a mellow, tomatoey curry and comes with a salad. If you want to go a bit above Mr. Hamilton's budget, the Treat goes really well with any of Ital Calabash's nearly 20 varieties of smoothies (some of which, like the Morning Booster, are meals on their own).

1405 Franklin St.,
(510) 836-ITAL (4825);
3031 Adeline Street, Berkeley,
(510) 848-ITAL (4825).

Cactus Taqueria

The Drill: In Oakland, taco trucks are as plentiful as the stars in a clear night sky. And though not all offerings are created equal, some of them are quite good. But sometimes you want your burrito sustainable-style, and for this, Cactus has got your back, with Niman Ranch beef, hormone- and antibiotic-free poultry from Fulton Valley Farm and some seriously funky salsa choices (I prefer the pineapple).
The Thrill: There's nothing on the menu over $10; the tacos come in soft (for those bred on the above-mentioned taco trucks) and hard (for those who cut their teeth on Taco Bell), and the burritos are generous (if not as generous as they used to be).
Top Bill: The burritos with mole-pollo con mole verde (green sauce of roasted pumpkin seeds and tomatillos) and pollo con mole rojo (a red sauce of tomato, roasted chiles, ground nuts and just a touch of Mexican chocolate)-are rich and hearty. And the burritos come with free chips, unlike everything else.

5642 College Ave., (510) 658-6180;
1881 Solano Ave., Berkeley, (510) 528-1881.

Home of Chicken and Waffles

The Drill: Co-owned by the son of the original Roscoe's House of Chicken 'n Waffles in LA, the Oakland version is just different enough to escape a lawsuit, but the family member-named combinations and starchy sides are just the same enough to charm. The twist is that the local shop is prettier ... and better. Not to mention that it's open till midnight during the week and till 4 a.m. on weekends.
The Thrill: Many of the combinations on the menu come in under $10, though you may have to go over your budget if you want a drink (either from the restaurant or the bar next door). Order à la carte to get the most bang out of your buck-and to get exactly what you want.
Top Bill: The macaroni and cheese. The waffles are delicious, but you'd be a fool if you skipped the mac and cheese; once you finish your portion, you're bound to want more of this extravagantly comforting side. Tastes like there's a little sour cream in there-mmmmm.

444 Embarcadero, (510) 836-4446.

Smart Alec's

The Drill: Telegraph Avenue is made for UC Berkeley students, and Smart Alec's is made for their budgets. The healthy fast food at Smart Alec's is worth reliving your student (and/or hippie) days pushing your way past spare-changers, coeds and hipster retail drones.
The Thrill: The entire menu is under $10, easy. In fact, the most expensive thing on it is the Superior Chef Salad, a massive portion featuring edamame, corn, garbanzos, sprouts and hard-boiled egg slices that's topped with a choice of meat, cheese, veggie patty or tofu. It's $6.62 and generally provides leftovers for later.
Top Bill: There are some serious contenders for top-bill honors at Alec's, but the award would have to go, equally, to the air-baked "smart" garlic fries (topped with mounds of fresh, minced garlic), the mango tango smoothie (pricey but tasty) and the tofu and avocado sandwich.

2355 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley, (510) 704-4000.

Shan Dong Restaurant

The Drill: There are some beautifully appointed Chinese restaurants in downtown Oakland, their chandeliers glistening, soft carpet muffling the subtly but carefully attending footsteps of many a monkey-suited waiter. Shan Dong is not one of those places. One wall is mirrored, and there's a square, classroom-style clock on the back wall, but the décor at this hole-in-the-wall stops right about there.
The Thrill: Very little on the regular Shan Dong menu runs more than $8, and just one thing tops $10. Special lunch dishes are around $6.50, and the Special Price deal gets you five dishes for three Hamiltons, enough to feed three or four hungry bellies, easy. And Shan Dong delivers free to downtown.
Top Bill: Though Shan Dong isn't technically a dim sum joint, the boiled dumplings-plain pork special ones; vegetarian style; beef- or chicken-filled; and pork with leeks or cabbage-are the specialty of the house. At around $6 for a plate of 10, you can't afford to skip them, even though these take a little longer to prepare than the other dishes. Also, the house black bean sauce is scrumptious no matter what it's dressing.

328 10th St., (510) 839-2299.

HABIBI RESTAURANT

The Drill: OK, so, here's the wild card in the miserly munches bunch-should you be in Fremont, it would behoove you to pop into the Irvington Shopping Plaza and sup at this unassuming little Lebanese joint, staffed with family and bursting with flavor. It's part diner, part deli, all based on traditional recipes from the old country.
The Thrill: Though the entrees and specials all start at over 10 bucks, the sandwiches and salads-falafel, pepper steak, tabouleh, etc.-are reasonably priced ($4.59 to $5.99) and generously portioned. Add a side of crisp, thick-cut, perfectly golden fries for just $1.99. And Habibi serves green or raspberry chai that, though it comes as powder in a pouch from Big Train Chai, tastes delicious and goes well with the Lebanese spice family. (Traditionalists can order Turkish coffee, beer or wine.)
Top Bill: The juicy chicken mishwee sandwich comprises half of a barbecued chicken breast, tomato, lettuce and creamy garlic sauce in a pita-just bountiful enough to fall apart before you get to the end.

3906 Washington Blvd., Fremont, (510) 659-9600.

In-N-Out Burger

The Drill: In-N-Out is the only fast-food chain to have gotten an unequivocal thumbs-up in Eric Schlosser's eye-opening book Fast Food Nation. The privately owned (i.e., not publicly traded) franchise boasts that not one of its kitchens features a heat lamp, microwave or freezer. Not sure how they keep the real ice cream cold without a freezer, but ... those shakes sure taste awesome.
The Thrill: In-N-Out doesn't advertise much, and its simple menu has probably been the same since the first one opened in 1948. The lack of bells and whistles keeps the chain's prices preposterously low, considering the quality offered. Never mind the Hamiltons-a five-spot could do you just fine.
Top Bill: The In-N-Out "secret menu" features a number of special combinations that you can ask for at the counter. The friendly staff (this is not a joke-In-N-Out must treat their employees very well) will nod knowingly when you ask for "protein style" (lettuce instead of a bun), grilled cheese (not on the menu) or the popular favorite "animal style" (choice of burger cooked in mustard and topped with all the usual stuff, plus pickles, extra sauce, and grilled onions).

8300 Oakport St., (800) 786-1000.

Additional locations throughout the Bay Area.