One weekend can turn into over a week of Blog material – can you imagine what one week away to any destination could turn into?

In our family, all goodbyes must end and be punctuated by a food memory.

On E’s Bday, we brunched downstairs (she slept on our couch) at the hotel restaurant which is aptly named FIVE as in five stars, I imagine.  Executive chef Stephane Tonnelier and Sous chef Andre Arroyo man, arrange, create and execute a diverse menu, befitting of   any acclaimed fine dining in Berkeley.

FIVE is located adjacent to the lobby of Hotel Shattuck Plaza, newly renovated, two blocks from the edge of campus and on the corner of a BART station (not that it mattered when the strike was on).  It (FIVE) is in its own right, a destination bistro.

One can order the usual French toast, eggs benedict or pancakes for brunch or just as well order a chorizo omelet, smoked salmon or a bacon,spinach, fontina cheese omelet.  Also, being brunch, one could chow down on a burger, turkey club, fettucini with vegetables, asian meatball sandwich with pickled carrots, daikon, cilantro, sriracha aioli or a prosciutto mozzarella panini with oven roasted tomatoes, piquillo pepper, basil aioli, arugula and garlic chips.  There were twelve typical breakfast choices and ten solid lunch options.

My daughter elected to savor the duck confit hash with poached eggs (I had no idea she liked them served that way), confit duck legs, marble potatoes, caramelized onions and hollandaise for her birthday pick.  If I wasn’t vegan this week, I would have picked this.My husband chose the vanilla yogurt parfait with blueberry jam, granola and fresh berries.And I had to ask them to switch out, please, the cream with soy milk as they cooked my steel cut oats (so as to remain vegan) with golden raisins, cinnamon, brown sugar and a bowl of fresh berries. And a birthday surprise finale of sweet proportions!  Warm Homemade Banana Bread with ice cream, banana slices atop brittle, whipped cream, and swirls of caramel and chocolate sauce.Farewell to over indulging and hello to strict noshing!!!