As you read here about this time last year, Berkeley Dog was putting the finishing touches of its first store in Mission Viejo. Now, the wiener stand–which is supplied and endorsed by Top Dog in Berkeley, itself a local legend the way Pink's is here (but perhaps with less hype)–is planning its third store for Irvine to open in the summer, across from UC Irvine at the University Center. There's also a location in Brea.
]
With this development, which our astute friend and commenter JB spotted and tipped me on, Berkeley Dog seems to fulfill the same purpose as the real Top Dog: to be within walking distance of thousands of hungry collegiate stomachs. And its sausages have already gotten a passing grade from a professor, our resident blogger Professor Salt, a.k.a. Shuji Sakai. Click here to read his review.
Also planned for University Center is the yin to Berkeley Dog's yang, a fast-casual place called Salad Republic.
Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.