Nine months after opening, Evergreen Caf\u00e9 is comfortably settling into its identity as a community hub. Alongside colorful photos of crowded toasts, cookies and giant jars of preserved citrus, co-owners Stacie Frederick and Sara Rahimian post regular notices about upcoming event nights.<\/p>\n
To date they\u2019ve hosted local artists and musicians, a Bring Your Own Book Club, vermouth tastings and more. Evergreen participated in Berkeley Restaurant Week and served free drip coffee on Jan. 30 in support of the general strike that day.<\/p>\n
Acting as their spokesperson, Rahimian discussed Evergreen\u2019s origin story with me. A longtime Berkeley resident, she used to drop by Bartavelle after yoga for its Persian breakfast\u2014until the mother-and-son team of Suzanne Drexhage and Sam Sobolewski closed the coffee and wine bar. Rahimian heard that the owners planned to sell the business.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got to meet the owners, and we bonded almost immediately around community,\u201d she recalled. \u201cAnd these unique spaces that Berkeley has that create a sense of neighborhood and connection.\u201d<\/p>\n
Frederick and Rahimian met as coworkers at a startup. For years they shared the same dream of owning and running a caf\u00e9 in Berkeley, but the dream went unspoken. \u201cWe talked about everything under the sun, and neither of us had verbalized it,\u201d Rahimian said. When Rahimian said she was done with tech, they brainstormed and researched the practicalities of running a caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n
Neither Frederick nor Rahimian had operated a caf\u00e9 or restaurant. But as tech alums, they had experience working long days while managing large teams on multi-year projects. \u201cHaving a vision for something that\u2019s five years out is something we actually are very practiced at,\u201d she said. Evergreen started quickly and unexpectedly, but as \u201cvery systematic people\u201d it wasn\u2019t an impulse buy.<\/p>\n
In their initial vision, Rahimian said, their business model included a caf\u00e9 that would be \u201can available community space for local artists, for community gatherings, for different people who can\u2019t necessarily afford the full brick-and-mortar infrastructure but have beautiful things to offer.\u201d But the dishes they planned to serve would be just as crucial to the caf\u00e9\u2019s success or failure.<\/p>\n
The co-owners are creative partners who run things equally and with different roles. Frederick is responsible for the scones and the baking. Typically, Rahimian puts the food together five days a week. \u201cI run the kitchen and Stacie runs the business operations, finance,\u201d she said. \u201cEvery recipe, we develop together.\u201d<\/p>\n
I dropped by Evergreen shortly after it opened last summer. The memorable dish for me was a Greek whole grain levain toast ($13) made with cultured butter, a feta spread, sliced cucumbers, one jammy egg, a preserved lemon vinaigrette and honey. It was thoughtfully plated, elegant and tasty.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we want to present is really delicious food that highlights what\u2019s beautiful about living in the East Bay and this part of California,\u201d Rahimian said. Evergreen serves local Highwire Coffee. \u201cWe really want to feature what people are doing in food here,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They\u2019re also taking advantage of the fact that the Acme Bread Company is a neighbor. But they balance out carbs with dairy, proteins, fruits and vegetables. \u201cYou\u2019re not going to feel like you went out for a heavy meal,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can feel like, \u2018Oh, I had a really nourishing breakfast or lunch.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Rahimian grew up in a Sacramento neighborhood that had once been a walnut orchard. Five mature trees remained in their yard, and they harvested all of the walnuts as a family.<\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up with my great aunt and grandmother and others going to the market, buying all sorts of beautiful produce and cooking,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Frederick, too, grew up in a family that enjoyed feeding people delicious food. Even though their professional backgrounds weren\u2019t in the restaurant industry, Rahimian said it was part of their upbringing and home life. \u201cWe\u2019re teaching ourselves that formal training over time,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evergreen Caf\u00e9, 1621 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. Open Wed-Sat, 8am to 2pm: Sun, 8:30am to 2pm. Instagram: @evergreencafeberkeley<\/a>.<\/p>\n