A famous gourmet restaurant in Berkeley that was heavily damaged by a fire in March is reopening its doors today after a lengthy repair project.
Chez Panisse, owned by renowned chef Alice Waters, will serve meals to the public again after a March 8 fire that caused an estimated $200,000 in damage when electrical equipment malfunctioned under the porch of the building at 1517 Shattuck Ave.
A statement on the Chez Panisse website says that the upstairs cafe could have opened earlier, but the decision was made to keep the entire building closed to expedite the completion of the repairs.
“We feel very fortunate to have such a passionate and motivated community behind us, and extend our thanks to the many individuals and businesses who have so generously offered their support in the cleanup and restoration process,” the statement said.
Reservations can be made up to a month in advance at Chez Panisse, which opens its upstairs cafe for lunch at 11:30 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays and the downstairs restaurant at 6 p.m. on the same days.
More information about the restaurant can be found online at www.chezpanisse.com.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
