The Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley has launched ‘ammatka, a cafe featuring traditional Ohlone dishes, as part of its ‘ottoy initiative to foster respect for Ohlone culture. The cafe, created by Ohlone partners Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino, opened in February 2026 after delays due to sourcing special ingredients. It offers family-friendly fare under $15, aligning with the museum's goals of equity and social justice.
The Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS), a UC Berkeley-affiliated museum at 1 Centennial Drive in Berkeley, introduced ‘ammatka cafe on its bottom floor in February 2026. This opening is part of the ‘ottoy initiative, launched in 2022, which aims to “foster understanding and respect for Ohlone people and culture.” The word ‘ottoy means “to repair” in Chochenyo, the language of the Ohlone people.
Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino, Ohlone partners who met at a UC Berkeley program to revitalize indigenous languages, spearheaded the project. They first opened Cafe Ohlone in 2018 on the back patio of University Books on Bancroft Avenue, marking the world's first restaurant serving Ohlone cuisine. During the pandemic, after University Books closed, they shifted to food boxes. In 2022, they opened ‘ottoyak outside the Hearst Anthropology Museum, following its de-naming from Alfred Kroeber, who had declared Ohlones extinct.
LHS director Dr. Rena Dorph has championed the initiative since 2022, stating her goal is to “bring awareness of the Ohlone culture, resilience, and presence of the community in Berkeley today to the larger East Bay Community.” The cafe space, empty since the pandemic, now serves Ohlone-inspired dishes like smoked duck sandwiches with Mt. Tam triple cream cheese and rose hip jam, Ohlone salad with East Bay greens, pine nuts, black walnuts, blackberries, and edible flowers, and chia seed pudding. Beverages include elderflower soda and stinging nettle rose bud tea. Prices are capped at $15, with seasonal changes expected, such as blanched stinging nettle pizza in spring.
Delays from the original December opening stemmed from procuring special ingredients like chia flour, black walnuts, and smoked duck, as well as training staff in traditional knowledge. Medina noted the challenge of standardizing recipes passed down without measuring cups, such as Louis Trevino's grandmother Mary Lou Yamas measuring seasonings by palm-sized circles.
The initiative extends beyond the cafe: a native plant garden features Chochenyo signage, a film in the Food Heroes exhibit highlights Medina and Trevino, and an Ohlone Land restoration project sowed 18,000 pollinator seeds. Upcoming is a mixed reality game by Ohlone teens in the Ohlone Science Diplomats Program, where visitors gather virtual acorns guided by an avatar of Medina's 95-year-old Auntie Dottie.
Medina emphasized, “It’s so much more than a land acknowledgement... For Ohlone people, when they come here, they see themselves.” Dorph called it “one of the most exciting and uplifting partnerships,” embodying repair and integration. The cafe operates Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with no museum admission required for lunch.