THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED LOCATIONS Bacheesos Awards

THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED LOCATIONS Bacheesos Restaurant Review:

EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW LOCATED AT 246 GRAND AVE., OAKLAND, CA. A tall-windowed, lofty-ceilinged, woodsy chalet-shaped space that originally housed an IHOP now sports Turkish rugs, bright faux flowers and a vast bill of fare that spans southern Europe and most of the Middle East. Classics include hummus, tabbouleh, dolmas, moussaka, linguine, Kobe beef shish kebab and baklava. But by all means try some of the less-familiar items, such as maust (herbed yogurt), basturma (Turkish cured beef) and khoresht baademjan (saffron-spiked tomato-eggplant ragoût, served with lamb shank or vegetarian). Bacheesos low-priced lunch buffet is one of Berkeley's best-kept secrets: half of its many items are vegetarian (lasagna, cabbage rolls, salads, stuffed peppers) and half involve meat (kebabs, meatloaf, grilled chicken), with enough soup, sides and desserts to please everyone. On or off the buffet, the house-made rice pudding is unsettlingly not very sweet. A mellow ambience invites diners to linger; this and the old IHOP structure's spaciousness make a refreshing switch from the tense, dense, privacy-challenged restaurant atmosphere that is all too common these days.