I have to say that the last time I went to the Sunny Side Café, I was disappointed in the service, so I was curious to see if things had changed.
Well, for one thing, it’s no longer the Sunny Side Café—it’s called Sunny Side Up. It was closed last week for some remodeling and reopened with the new name. We asked our waitress what had changed, and she said the kitchen had been renovated and it was under new ownership. Not having studied it closely before, I couldn’t say for sure, but I think it’s the same décor and menu. And when I investigated online, I saw the Sunny Side Café website advertising their Berkeley restaurant on Oxford and announcing that their Albany location would be reopening as Sunny Side Up.
But if the ownership changed, why would it still be on the former owner’s website?
In addition, on the wall hung a sign proudly proclaiming to have been voted East Bay’s “Best Belly-busting Brunch” in 2010. But why would the new owner leave up an award given to the former owner? Another mystery to solve…
I decided to order breakfast when I saw orange French toast on the menu (even though this journey is supposed to be lunching down Solano). Dave ordered a hamburger and home fries (or “home fires,” which 
is how they were listed on the menu). And this was the first lunch spot I’ve reviewed since my daughter Kylie came home from college for the summer, so she joined us and chose the tofu scramble.
The service seems to have improved. My latté came quickly, and we were all served glasses of water (my favorite kind—tall and icy). Our food arrived within ten minutes, and more than one waitperson checked in on us to make sure we had everything we needed.
My orange French toast was mighty tasty and one of the more reasonably priced items on the menu. Dave said his hamburger was fine but not as good as Barney’s and more expensive. His home fries, however, were quite tasty—crispy without being overcooked. (I admit to stealing more than one bite.) Kylie was excited by the look of her tofu scramble, which was a bright golden hue interspersed with colorful veggies. Alas, her hopes were dashed. It wasn’t bad, but it just wasn’t that flavorful. She dubbed it “satisfactory and filling.”
The color of Kylie’s dish prompted a discussion on the proper way to pronounce turmeric. I suppose it is one of those words that I see in text but rarely hear in conversation, so I’ve always said “tur MERR ick.” Kylie and Dave both say “TOO mer rick,” which is apparently the correct way. Learn something new every day…
The ambience is friendly and homey, with wheels and fake flowers in sconces hanging on the walls and decorative plates displayed along with frying pans. And the bathroom décor was cute—so cute I took pictures, which I don’t normally do in the loo.
Overall? On a beautiful day, I wouldn’t mind taking advantage of their outdoor seating and having some of that orange French toast again…
The View from a Berkeley Optimist 