Surrounded by Oakland with the opportunity to block Berkeley’s view of San Francisco sits Emeryville: 25 years ago an industrial town noted for crooked politics whose motto could have been “where the bog meets the bay.” As Emeryville has evolved into the, gulp, center of East Bay retail, so too has evolved the Townhouse, a once crooked place that has also gone straight.

The Townhouse was a seedy local hangout known for bar food and bar fights. Dark, dank and gray on the inside, the Townhouse was more of a place to avoid than enjoy despite the slim picking of establishments in the area. But as Emeryville welcomed the development of condos and mega-retail that both Oakland and Berkeley resisted, the bog town became a boomtown. The Townhouse polished up its image, as well.

Now a bright and open eatery with a nice bar on the right and tables outside, the Townhouse is hip in a town known for card rooms and mudflats. The Martinis are skillfully made from the selection of high quality vodkas and gins. The entrees are outstanding and reasonably priced, with pasta and risotto dishes particularly memorable. Daily specials are available. The wine list is solid and the calamari is a great starter.

Lunch and dinner are served, and the atmosphere is very casual and a bit on the loud side. The semi-open kitchen is bustling in the back and adds to the excitement.

The Townhouse is in the middle of a block of warehouses and can be easily missed. That coupled with a small parking lot that is almost always full and street parking spaces that are hard to find requires that you give a little extra time if trying to meet a reservation.

I read in an airplane travel magazine (all right, American Way) that Rebecca Romijn-Stamos was born in Berkeley. Believe me, I never saw her there but suffice it to say, no one ever filled out a pair of jeans and Birkenstocks in that town better than she did. She sited her favorite place in the East Bay as the Townhouse. I just wonder if she meant the old one or the new one.

– D.M.