If you want something a bit sweet and cool to smooth out the spicy accents of the deeply flavored gumbo at Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen in downtown Berkeley, you could go for the "swamp water."
For those unfamiliar with Louisiana cuisine, the menu explains that swamp water is half lemonade and half unsweetened iced tea. "Watch out for the alligators that sometimes lurk on the bottom," the menu advises.
The menu glossary also helps diners distinguish gumbo from jambalaya and hush puppies.
With New Orleans Dixieland jazz playing in the background amid the airy, brickwalled restaurant, a curious Patch reporter asked a friendly tattooed waitress what the most popular dish on the menu is.
"For entrées, it's definitely the fried chicken," she replied.
Angeline's is located at 2261 Shattuck Ave., across the street from the Berkeley Public Library.
