In 1996 Marsha McBride (Donald, Thomas, John Leslie, John) opened Café Rouge on 4th St in Berkeley.
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She was named one of top the 10 new Chefs by Food and Wine Magazine.

Marsha is credited with launching a movement toward more sustainable butchery practices, a return to artisanal charctuerie techniques, and influencing a nationwide trend of butchery-driven restaurants.

Her recipes have appeared in Gourmet, Bon Apetit and Food and Wine.

Executive Chef Rick DeBeaord, has been with her during most of the adventure.

She bought lamb and goat from a McBride cousin's (Donald, Janet, Dan, Jeanne) McCormack Ranch Natural Lamb and Goat in Rio Vista.

Over the years, Cafe Rouge had been active in spreading the gospel of butchering, holding monthly classes, hosting Slow Food events and spawning a new generation of butchers and charcuterie experts.

Marsha is “most proud” of that legacy. “There was nobody else” combining butchery with a restaurant when she started. “I can kind of credit myself for doing something.”

She sold the restaurant in 2016 telling the Mercury News, in a familiar refrain from local restaurateurs, "It’s steadily more difficult to find [good] people. I’m worn out."

McBride’s influence still reverberates in the local industry. Owners of the Fatted Calf and Local Butcher Shop, as well as Analiesa Gosnell at Clove & Hoof, all trained under her at one point during the last two decades, says SFGate.

Menu

Old web pages -  Feb, 2012;  July, 2014;  Aug, 2015;  Aug, 2016

Links:
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Berkeley's 20-Year-Old Cafe Rouge Calls It Quits: SFist

Return to the McBride Page.