When you step into Brian's place, it's like stepping back into classic Berkeley! He is a real person with a real place. Everything about the space is authentic, it's small, an old Berkeley building, creaky hardwood floors, old-school bathroom and kitchen, and tastefully decorated with an eclectic variety of ethnic and cultural art . Brian is very health-conscious, yet he is very open to all styles of cooking and food preparation in his space, basically his main interest is to make sure that his guests feel that they are welcome and at home. The dishes are well worn and appreciated, Possibly unintentionally curated as an artistic statement in and of themselves, or maybe just gifts or special treasure finds. Anyway, those dishes together with a cozy kitchen table can make even the most exhausted traveler feel renewed again.
The entrance to the guest area is through a great worn out backyard that people can hang out in for an impromptu picnic or jam session, and every afternoon that we were there there was an incredible jazz saxophone player Who offered up sublime sound for a few hours, just being inspired by the neighborhood atmosphere or whatever else was on this incredible musician's mind. Brian is a gracious host, with the perfect balance of being involved and attentive, while basically letting his guests just do their own thing. He himself is very involved in his work and his music, and is incredibly knowledgeable about both and about his native Bay Area. He embodies the essence of mellow, without it being a cliché. On the other hand, he is also incredibly patient . I stress this because I am a very outgoing and extroverted person who talks way too much and my traveling partner and I are both older and we had some significant medical issues which he was incredibly considerate of. Not to mention that he was a true gentleman in helping us with all of our luggage up the narrow stairs, which was indeed a difficult task for us!
Brian's spot is located About four or five blocks west of the Ashby BART station, and there is plenty of street parking available .