STANDARD FARE >

I want to eat at Standard Fare every single day. The best part is that, hypothetically, I actually could. That’s because unlike a lot of restaurants people tend to fawn over, Standard Fare is both relatively affordable and relatively healthy. I could return again and again for a thick slice of frittata, blackened in a cast iron, or a sandwich, potentially turned into a salad — each containing all kinds of delicious fermented, pickled, pureed and crunchy goodness that taste much better than they sound. I don’t know of any other restaurant that can make me feel genuine excitement over a carrot and collard greens sandwich.

The breakfast and lunch menus change daily, but they’re always short, simple and a reflection of Berkeley. Naturally, the food comes from a former Chez Panisse chef, Kelsie Kerr, and carries a similar dedication to sourcing, seasonality and produce-forward eating. The other cool thing: Too often, this sort of food is equated with many dollar signs. Standard Fare’s unusual setup keeps it accessible. First of all, it’s super tiny. Like, a few-stoolsalong-a-counter tiny. But there’s room outside, and on rainy days, Kerr sets up extra tables in a barren hallway — the restaurant is in a warehouse full of fellow food businesses like Third Culture Bakery. As such, it’s counter service, but the daily entree — perhaps milkbraised pork shoulder over polenta or crispy fried sole with fermented daikon aioli — always looks far more composed and elegant than you’d expect from a place that shouts your name when it’s ready. That’s also part of the fun. Those few stools along the counter are pressed right up against the spacious kitchen, where a diverse team often chats and laughs while slicing carrots and tossing lettuce. I only wish it were open for dinner. Order: Any sandwich ($12.25 vegetarian/ $12.75 omnivorous), frittata ($6.25), daily lunch special ($15.75 or so). For brunch on Saturday, the sticky bun ($4.50) is a must.

2701 Eighth St., Berkeley. 510-356-2261 or www.standardfare berkeley.com. Breakfast and lunch Mon.-Fri., brunch Sat. No reservations. Credit cards accepted.

— J.B.