Ohlone cuisine will star at a rare East Bay indigenous restaurant

"A restaurant inspired by the gastronomy of the Bay Area's Indigenous Ohlone people will soon open high in the Berkeley Hills. Located inside the Lawrence Hall of Science, the ammatka Cafe is scheduled to debut for lunch service on Jan. 7, 2026. It's the latest project from Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino, who also run the seasonal restaurant ottoytak on the UC Berkeley campus, which reopens this spring. (Both eateries fall under their Cafe Ohlone label.) ammatka means the dining hall' in Chochenyo, the first language spoken in the East Bay, according to the science museum. The cafe offers a variety of options to satisfy different tastes. Our menu features beverages, snacks and entrees inspired by traditional Ohlone flavors and ingredients."

"Try a brownie made from pattih (pah-tee, chia) flour or a salad with salkiic (sahl-keech, watercress). Young scientists can also enjoy Ohlone tater tots, dino bites' (chicken nuggets) and more kid-friendly options. The menu will highlight food important in Ohlone culture, with an emphasis on seasonality and local resources. A smoked-duck sandwich with Mt. Tam Triple Cream cheese is served with rose-hip jam, for instance."

"Black-sage tea is harvested from the museum's nature lab, and a watercress pesto-ricotta wrap features produce grown at an Indigenous community-learning garden. Admission to the Lawrence Hall of Science is not required to visit ammatka Cafe. Seating is first-come, first-served with no reservations. A restaurant inspired by the cuisine of the Bay Area's Indigenous Ohlone people, called 'ammatka Cafe, will open in January 2026 in Berkeley. It is located inside the Lawrence Hall of Science. Vincent Medina (left) and Louis Trevino are the founders of Cafe Ohlone and leaders of the 'ottoy Initiative. (Courtesy of Lawrence Hall of Science) We want to show the richness and sophistication of Ohlone foods to children and adults alike, from elderflower grown in the hills to sage"

ammatka Cafe will open Jan. 7, 2026 inside the Lawrence Hall of Science in the Berkeley Hills. The cafe is part of Cafe Ohlone run by Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino and takes its name from the Chochenyo word for 'the dining hall.' The menu features beverages, snacks and entrees inspired by traditional Ohlone flavors, emphasizing seasonality and local resources. Dishes include pattih-flour brownies, salkiic salads, Ohlone tater tots and a smoked-duck sandwich with rose-hip jam. Black-sage tea and watercress used in menu items are sourced from the museum's nature lab and an Indigenous community-learning garden. Admission is not required and seating is first-come, first-served.

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