A Table Worth Building

After one of the coldest Bay Area summers in recorded history, the sun finally showed up—and so did you.

Sunday’s supper felt like a breath of fresh air. The mood was relaxed, curious, and open. Our goal was to share some of our own culinary stories and create a space where guests could do the same with each other. That kind of mutual exchange has always been at the core of Berkeley Supper Club, and it came through clearly this time.

The sweet sungold pelati popped perfectly on the crostini. The gazpacho was clean, bright, and refreshing. The burekas and crudo hit the mark and made the most of peak summer produce. The anchovies—served with Meyer lemon—brought me back to Naples, where I studied abroad as a kid. It felt personal to share something like that through food. The stone fruit and heirloom tomato salad with stracciatella was a hit, and even though the pizzas ran late (we know), they were well worth it. We finished with labneh/fig tiramisu and peach pavlovas.

There was one table of ten—lots of new folks—that stood out. Many hadn’t been to one of our events before but came open and left connected. That’s the kind of community we hope to keep building. A friend from middle school showed up with her fiancé—two weeks newly engaged. And Seamus and Aliza from the Cultured Pickle Shop swung by to help with FOH. People were generous—with their time, their patience, and their offers to support future events.

It was a gargantuan effort: a new space, a larger scale, and a few last-minute staff cancellations. This wasn’t our biggest dinner—but it stretched us the most. After the Berkeleyside article, it felt important to open things up and welcome more of the community in. We’re glad we did. But we also tried to do it with far less infrastructure than last time, and it showed.

Going forward, we’re planning to scale back just slightly: fewer guests, more intimacy. We want both our team and our guests to feel grounded and cared for in the process. There’s a lot we’re still unpacking, and we want to make sure we continue to improve the experience as we grow. We’re grateful for everyone’s patience and willingness to help support us.

Big thanks to Sujan, Rubin, and Rubina at Tipsy Yeti for making space for us. To Donna and Charlie at Pizzaiolo for the dough. To The Cultured Pickle Shop and A Fork Full of Earth for their continued support. And to our volunteers—none of this happens without you.

— Alon