Valentine’s Day 2026

MoJo’s day date was a leisurely urban stroll through Berkeley. Our signature walks blend food and experience, where new discoveries meet familiar favorites. A perfect day with my favorite guy.

Cafe Brusco➡️elichi and co➡️downtown stroll to Berkeley Public Library➡️Normandy Village➡️Rose Garden➡️Codornices Park➡️Roast and Toast for booza➡️Cheeseboard Collective for cheese, pizza and green chutney.

Deets:

We started with lunch at Cafe Brusco, the downtown corner cafe is the first bagelry I’ve ever seen to offer mix-and-match, open-faced halves. We tried the classic and fancy fresh and boy, chefs Gerad Gobel and Alexis Rorabaugh of nearby Rose Pizzeria season the hell out of their bagels: top and bottom. Be ready for long lines and linked seating. They have great coffees too. The filter coffee is the bomb!

Onwards for a karak chai and a cortado at Elaichi and Co., a cafe that cares more about chai than coffee. And guess what the Co-owner Muhammad Joyo calls himself? “Mojo!” So, of course we had to go. It’s a really nice space with “chai-fi” instead of wifi and punny wall decals, a prayer space and rotating wall art featuring local artists. I’d highly recommend the karak chai and kaju date cookies that are served warm.

After having satiated our palates, we had to (for those of you who know Joe “had to!”) stop at the Berkeley Public Library, where you can peruse the latest fiction and get yourself a library card to it’s independent library system.

A short walk from there is Normandy Village. Built in 1927 near UC Berkeley, it is a designated historical landmark defined by its whimsical storybook architecture. Designed by William Raymond Yelland, the complex features "topsy-turvy" roofs and hand-carved gargoyles inspired by rural Northern France. While originally envisioned as a mixed-use European market, zoning restrictions preserved it as a quiet residential enclave and a famous filming site for Mrs. Doubtfire.

Our walk from Normandy Village to the Berkeley Rose Garden is my most favorite. I love the beautiful houses, large with sweeping views of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate, Sutro Tower and downtown SF on one side, Marin on the right and the Oakland cranes on the left. Each home and their gardens are unique and so, so aspirational. This part of the walk is uphill.

The Berkeley Rose Garden sits like a terraced amphitheater in a small canyon, a Depression-era WPA project completed in 1940 that somehow still feels like a secret despite being everyone’s secret. From the upper pergola, you get views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge —the kind of sweeping panorama that makes you feel like you’ve earned something just by walking uphill. The roses bloom hardest in mid-May, when the terraces cascade with color, but honestly, I prefer it when it’s a bit scruffier, when you can sit on a shaded bench and watch the bay glitter through the gaps. Codornices Creek feeds an ornamental pool at the bottom , and the whole thing feels serene.

We took a different path back via Euclid street and ended up on Shattuck at Roast and Toast for their famous booza, a stretchy Arab ice cream. My fav is the cardamom rose and pistachio, and all the three toppings😉 pistachios, phyllo dough, and rose petals.

Then we strolled down Shattuck towards Cheeseboard collective, stopping at a few art galleries and stores. Our last stop was a pizza pick up—today’s flavor was a simple Margherita (bummer!) and then walked back to our car and ate at home.