Ohlone cuisine will star at a rare East Bay indigenous restaurant

""'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 šalkiič (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."

""We want to show the richness and sophistication of Ohlone foods to children and adults alike, from elderflower grown in the hills to sage for the tea that's grown in the Outdoor Nature Lab at the Lawrence," Medina said in a statement. "Building up a respect for the food and traditions goes a long way to building up respect for Ohlone people.""

A 'ammatka Cafe will open for lunch service Jan. 7, 2026, inside the Lawrence Hall of Science high in the Berkeley Hills. Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino will operate the cafe under their Cafe Ohlone label; they also run the seasonal 'oṭṭoytak restaurant on the UC Berkeley campus. The menu highlights foods important to Ohlone culture, emphasizing seasonality and local resources, with items such as pattih-flour brownies, šalkiič salads, a smoked-duck sandwich with Mt. Tam Triple Cream and rose-hip jam, and black-sage tea harvested from the museum's nature lab. Admission to the museum is not required and seating is first-come, first-served. The cafe is part of a UC Berkeley program called the 'ottoy Initiative.

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