Restaurants in Hayward

Notes of roasted garlic, pesto, and feta intertwine with fresh pastas, seafood, and veal, launching aromatic dispatches from Zeytini's kitchen. Beneath the steam floating off simmering wine sauces, Mediterranean influences slip onto plates to introduce hummus, meat kebabs, or grilled fezzes. The dining room’s red and gold draperies cinch together against canary-hued walls, and paintings of the Italian countryside preen beneath arched wooden frames. Warm breezes tug at diners lounging beneath periwinkle umbrellas on the outdoor patio, and a clay-tile awning hangs over guests perched at the bar and protects them from Bacchus' efforts to rappel into drinks.

For 15 years, I.B.’s Restaurant has dished out hearty breakfast and lunch fare prepared with high-quality meats and fresh produce from local farmers’ markets. Made-to-order meals greet lunchtime diners, who can consume a choice of eight hot hoagies, Niman Ranch hamburgers topped with a dollop of chili or avocado, and grilled cheesesteak sandwiches made with lean Angus beef. Alternatively, early-rising appetites fuel up for a long workday or month-long hibernation behind the copy machine with a menu of three-egg omelets and scrambles, pancakes and french toast, and breakfast sandwiches, as waking eyes adjust to the cheerful primary colors of I.B.’s dining room.