I know this seems like a string of rave reviews, but I can't really say many negative things about Range either. For us, the whole experience was positive, and we will definitely be back again.
We had reservations on a Friday evening, and had a good time walking from the BART stop looking for a small restaurant, that ended up being fairly large inside. We liked the sleek interior, with the mirrors and wood accents in the back dining room. The bar also looked like a fun place to enjoy your meal, although it was cramped like the rest of the place. We also enjoyed the paintings they were displaying when we were and asked about the artist on our way out - her name is Leslie Andelin - and they had information ready to distribute, which we appreciated.
Anyway, the food (clearly more important than the art) was great. We started the meal with the appetizer special, which that day was a housemade ravioli served in a butter and chive sauce. It was simple, but heavenly. Also fattening but worth every calorie. We devoured it and wished we had ordered two.
Our entrees were great - I ordered the braised lamb with a fava bean puree and barley. The lamb came out sliced, arranged over the puree and was cooked to my specifications. The meat was flavorful, tender and overall, very yum. I really enjoyed the barley with the lamb as a contrast in texture as well. Dan ordered the Dayboat Scallops with pancetta and leek puree and while he was worried that he wouldn't be satisfied with them, he still remembers them a couple of months later, which tells you something. They were pan seared but not overdone or crispy, and so were delicate but not falling apart. Apparently, quite the tasty dish.
I had been eagerly anticipating dessert since we arrived, as I had read several raves about the Meyer lemon pudding cake. So, when the dessert menu arrived, all we really had to decide was if Dan was going to get anything (as we have already learned, I do not share well). He ended up ordering the ice cream puffs, which were sadly not memorable at all. We can't even come up with what flavor the ice cream was. Honestly, it's not that important, as the pudding cake lived up to everything I had read about it. TO. DIE. FOR. It comes out as a very moist dessert, with two layers - one layer of pudding and one layer of cake. It's nice and tart, while being very sweet and light. It was honestly one of the best non-chocolate desserts I've had in a long long time.
Something else of note - I don't honestly remember our server. This could mean that he was helpful without being intrusive, or not very responsive. Reading reviews from around the time we were there, it could be either. Honestly, you should just try it for yourself. And save room for dessert.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Wood Tavern
Before I get into this, you should know that I am basically just waiting for an opportunity to go back again.
The evening we went to Wood Tavern, we were celebrating an anniversary of sorts and in order to go on this specific date, I had made the reservation a few weeks in advance. Of course, that day, something horrific and unexpected took place with the potential to derail our plans. When we called Wood Tavern to let them know that we wouldn't be making our reservation because I wasn't able to get away from work, they simply let us know that we could come later that evening and would 9 PM be OK? Let's just say that their response wasn't what I had been expecting. Very very happily, we were able to enjoy our evening, albeit a little later than we had anticipated.
The feel of Wood Tavern is masculine with it's polished wood and copper accents, and yet warm at the same time. It is a small place, and can be pretty loud, but overall, it feels like a high quality neighborhood joint. Besides the response we had received over the phone, when we walked in, everyone was incredibly welcoming. We were seated almost immediately, and the server came over just as fast. He was great with recommendations through the whole meal, and pointed us toward some great dishes. Additionally, he kept our (my) cocktails flowing.
We intended to split two appetizers - the crispy pork belly and the yellowfin tartare. Sadly for Dan, as soon as I bit into the pork belly, there wasn't much chance that I was going to be doing any sharing. It was served perfectly - hot and crisp - set over frisee and egg, and made for an amazing start to the meal. The tartare was plated wonderfully, and was light and refreshing. I don't think his appetizer blew Dan away like mine did, but it was still well done.
I followed up my pork appetizer with a pork entree...which our server reassured me wouldn't be a problem, as the two dishes were not similar. I had my doubts, but he was right. I never got overwhelmed or tired of the taste, as they were very different preparations. The pork chop I ordered was absolutely huge, and I don't think I finished half of it. I attribute some of that to the fact that it was served with a sauce that I felt was a little too heavy and sweet for pork (it seemed like it would have been great on lamb chops). But, even so, it was a well prepared and I enjoyed the rest of it the next day.
Our waiter surprised Dan by recommending the roast chicken dish without hesitation, mentioning that he doesn't like to go out and order something that he could make at home, but that the chicken was good enough to have out. The dish came out with a half chicken, and was juicy and flavorful - definitely better than we would have made at home. We were impressed. It also came with some great potatoes and a sauce that only made everything taste better.
As dessert lovers, we always anticipate the end of a meal, but dessert that night was the low point of our meal. The chocolate cake with hazelnuts was...chocolate cake. Sadly, nothing particularly special or memorable.
That being said, as soon as I can get a reservation to go back (it's pretty tough right now) I will be. For well prepared meat dishes, good drinks and welcoming service, this is my new favorite place.
The evening we went to Wood Tavern, we were celebrating an anniversary of sorts and in order to go on this specific date, I had made the reservation a few weeks in advance. Of course, that day, something horrific and unexpected took place with the potential to derail our plans. When we called Wood Tavern to let them know that we wouldn't be making our reservation because I wasn't able to get away from work, they simply let us know that we could come later that evening and would 9 PM be OK? Let's just say that their response wasn't what I had been expecting. Very very happily, we were able to enjoy our evening, albeit a little later than we had anticipated.
The feel of Wood Tavern is masculine with it's polished wood and copper accents, and yet warm at the same time. It is a small place, and can be pretty loud, but overall, it feels like a high quality neighborhood joint. Besides the response we had received over the phone, when we walked in, everyone was incredibly welcoming. We were seated almost immediately, and the server came over just as fast. He was great with recommendations through the whole meal, and pointed us toward some great dishes. Additionally, he kept our (my) cocktails flowing.
We intended to split two appetizers - the crispy pork belly and the yellowfin tartare. Sadly for Dan, as soon as I bit into the pork belly, there wasn't much chance that I was going to be doing any sharing. It was served perfectly - hot and crisp - set over frisee and egg, and made for an amazing start to the meal. The tartare was plated wonderfully, and was light and refreshing. I don't think his appetizer blew Dan away like mine did, but it was still well done.
I followed up my pork appetizer with a pork entree...which our server reassured me wouldn't be a problem, as the two dishes were not similar. I had my doubts, but he was right. I never got overwhelmed or tired of the taste, as they were very different preparations. The pork chop I ordered was absolutely huge, and I don't think I finished half of it. I attribute some of that to the fact that it was served with a sauce that I felt was a little too heavy and sweet for pork (it seemed like it would have been great on lamb chops). But, even so, it was a well prepared and I enjoyed the rest of it the next day.
Our waiter surprised Dan by recommending the roast chicken dish without hesitation, mentioning that he doesn't like to go out and order something that he could make at home, but that the chicken was good enough to have out. The dish came out with a half chicken, and was juicy and flavorful - definitely better than we would have made at home. We were impressed. It also came with some great potatoes and a sauce that only made everything taste better.
As dessert lovers, we always anticipate the end of a meal, but dessert that night was the low point of our meal. The chocolate cake with hazelnuts was...chocolate cake. Sadly, nothing particularly special or memorable.
That being said, as soon as I can get a reservation to go back (it's pretty tough right now) I will be. For well prepared meat dishes, good drinks and welcoming service, this is my new favorite place.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Ubuntu
Well, I missed the New York Times article that named Ubuntu the 2nd best restaurant in the country, but I did hear enough buzz about it that a couple of months ago, we made a mid-week trip to Napa to get away and try it out. Trying to explain the concept on the way was enough to make Dan a little wary - I think he automatically assumed he would have to be eating a second meal after dinner, as man can not fill up on vegetables alone. When we arrived, I also explained that there was a yoga studio on the upper level. That fact, combined with the many statues throughout the restaurant did nothing to disspell the assumptions that he had built up on the drive.
However, throughout the meal, the food was both delicious and surprising. We started with their fried sunchokes, which came served with a chunky romesco dipping sauce. They were a wonderful starter, and surprisingly light for being fried. We enjoyed them slowly, finishing them up with our entrees.
As we waited for our entrees, we asked our server what she would recommend from their wine list to go with our meals. While she was relatively knowledgeable and helpful, she sent over their sommelier. Unfortunately, he was less help than she had been. He was seemingly very nervous, and didn't seem to have a great grasp on their wine list, having to go retreieve one and refer to it when we asked different questions. All this for one glass of wine! At least at the end of it all, it was a nice glass and complmented my heavy dinner.
I had ordered their signature cauliflower in a cast iron pot - talk about flavorful! For me, this dish was way too creamy and had an overwhelming parsley taste. However, it was unlike anything else I had ever had with it's different tastes and textures, and I would be willing to try it again in it's different interpretations throughout the year. When it got to be too much for me, we simply switched entrees, as Dan was all too happy to finish mine. I was likewise very pleased with his Egg with Robuchon potatoes that came just as described with slices of thick toast, and a fantastic sauce. Honestly, I could have licked the sauce off that plate, but off course we were in too nice a restaurant for that - and I hadn't had nearly enough wine to embarass myself.
I didn't mourn over the entrees being done for too long, because dessert was on the way. Or so I thought. The different phases of a meal here take a little longer than most other restaurants I've visited. Luckily, they more than made up for it when they did arrive. We shared the cheesecake in a jar with sour cherries, and their chocolate souffle with toasted marshmallow and graham cracker ice cream. The "cheesecake" is light and fluffy, not nearly as heavy and filling as "real" cheesecake, with an overall sweet but slightly sour flavor. The presentation in the jar is lovely, and the portion is not stingy. The souffle is heavenly - and the marshmallows and ice cream are great little bites to break up the heavy chocolate flavor. One of my pet peeves is items that are mentioned in the description of a dish that are little more than garnish when the plate is put in front of you - that is not the case here.
All the dishes at Ubuntu are creative, and intricately prepared. And even though we didn't have a single bite of meat while we were there, we both left stuffed. It's definitely worth a try - but come with a willingness to try new flavors, as you might not recognize a lot on the menu.
However, throughout the meal, the food was both delicious and surprising. We started with their fried sunchokes, which came served with a chunky romesco dipping sauce. They were a wonderful starter, and surprisingly light for being fried. We enjoyed them slowly, finishing them up with our entrees.
As we waited for our entrees, we asked our server what she would recommend from their wine list to go with our meals. While she was relatively knowledgeable and helpful, she sent over their sommelier. Unfortunately, he was less help than she had been. He was seemingly very nervous, and didn't seem to have a great grasp on their wine list, having to go retreieve one and refer to it when we asked different questions. All this for one glass of wine! At least at the end of it all, it was a nice glass and complmented my heavy dinner.
I had ordered their signature cauliflower in a cast iron pot - talk about flavorful! For me, this dish was way too creamy and had an overwhelming parsley taste. However, it was unlike anything else I had ever had with it's different tastes and textures, and I would be willing to try it again in it's different interpretations throughout the year. When it got to be too much for me, we simply switched entrees, as Dan was all too happy to finish mine. I was likewise very pleased with his Egg with Robuchon potatoes that came just as described with slices of thick toast, and a fantastic sauce. Honestly, I could have licked the sauce off that plate, but off course we were in too nice a restaurant for that - and I hadn't had nearly enough wine to embarass myself.
I didn't mourn over the entrees being done for too long, because dessert was on the way. Or so I thought. The different phases of a meal here take a little longer than most other restaurants I've visited. Luckily, they more than made up for it when they did arrive. We shared the cheesecake in a jar with sour cherries, and their chocolate souffle with toasted marshmallow and graham cracker ice cream. The "cheesecake" is light and fluffy, not nearly as heavy and filling as "real" cheesecake, with an overall sweet but slightly sour flavor. The presentation in the jar is lovely, and the portion is not stingy. The souffle is heavenly - and the marshmallows and ice cream are great little bites to break up the heavy chocolate flavor. One of my pet peeves is items that are mentioned in the description of a dish that are little more than garnish when the plate is put in front of you - that is not the case here.
All the dishes at Ubuntu are creative, and intricately prepared. And even though we didn't have a single bite of meat while we were there, we both left stuffed. It's definitely worth a try - but come with a willingness to try new flavors, as you might not recognize a lot on the menu.
Nopa
We tried Nopa one night we had tickets to head to a concert at the Independent - even though we weren't really sure what "urban rustic food" really was. Because we had an early reservation (6 PM - when they start dinner service), our table was on the upper loft level, overlooking the entire restaurant. We had a great view of the communal table, the long bar, the open kitchen, and could see out the windows, which are too high for diners to see out of on the lower level. We instantly liked the atmosphere - the painted mural on the wall, the high ceilings, the shiny dark wood, the dishcloths that serve as napkins, the waiters that weren't in white buttondown shirts and aprons.
Our server came up quickly to ask for our drink order. I ordered a pretty mainstream liquor, and was surprised to hear that they didn't carry it (Bombay). He suggested a local subsitute (Gin 209) that I loved so much that it now has a permanent place in our liquor cabinet at home (even though it can be challenging to find). The cocktails were fantastic throughout our meal, and our server continued to be just as knowledgable.
The chef did send out an amuse, although I don't remember it nearly as clearly as the appetizer that we shared. Our salad was more than enough for two people to share as a starter and was crisp, fresh and covered with heavenly thick cut, house-cured bacon. Our entrees came out piping hot - baked pasta and the infamous pork chop. In all honesty, upon arriving and scanning over the menu, nothing had jumped out at my tastebuds. But the pasta was very good - creamy and savory, cooked until the cheese was crispy on top. It was definitely satisyfing - but it didn't win the best pasta dish award. However, the pork chop was another story. It was enormous and somehow Dan found the room to finish it all. It was incredibly juicy, perfectly done and came out on a plate of greens and plump white beans.
Somehow, after all that protein and all those carbs, we had room for two different desserts. The churros with Mexican chocolate sauce were terrific - the churros were light, crisp and cinnamony. I thought the sauce was a little heavy for them, but Dan ate them up. On the other hand, he thought my mexican coffee ice cream sandwich was a little rich, but I loved it. I will admit, it was too frozen to eat for at least about 5 minutes, but after I could get my teeth through it, it was a great end to the meal.
I do very much appreciate their reasonable prices (you'll find several entree choices under $20) and fact that their entire menu is available until 1 AM. While there are plenty of places I'd like to go before I make a point to return, I have a feeling that we'll be back (if for no other reason than to try their hamburger that looked fantastic going by).
Our server came up quickly to ask for our drink order. I ordered a pretty mainstream liquor, and was surprised to hear that they didn't carry it (Bombay). He suggested a local subsitute (Gin 209) that I loved so much that it now has a permanent place in our liquor cabinet at home (even though it can be challenging to find). The cocktails were fantastic throughout our meal, and our server continued to be just as knowledgable.
The chef did send out an amuse, although I don't remember it nearly as clearly as the appetizer that we shared. Our salad was more than enough for two people to share as a starter and was crisp, fresh and covered with heavenly thick cut, house-cured bacon. Our entrees came out piping hot - baked pasta and the infamous pork chop. In all honesty, upon arriving and scanning over the menu, nothing had jumped out at my tastebuds. But the pasta was very good - creamy and savory, cooked until the cheese was crispy on top. It was definitely satisyfing - but it didn't win the best pasta dish award. However, the pork chop was another story. It was enormous and somehow Dan found the room to finish it all. It was incredibly juicy, perfectly done and came out on a plate of greens and plump white beans.
Somehow, after all that protein and all those carbs, we had room for two different desserts. The churros with Mexican chocolate sauce were terrific - the churros were light, crisp and cinnamony. I thought the sauce was a little heavy for them, but Dan ate them up. On the other hand, he thought my mexican coffee ice cream sandwich was a little rich, but I loved it. I will admit, it was too frozen to eat for at least about 5 minutes, but after I could get my teeth through it, it was a great end to the meal.
I do very much appreciate their reasonable prices (you'll find several entree choices under $20) and fact that their entire menu is available until 1 AM. While there are plenty of places I'd like to go before I make a point to return, I have a feeling that we'll be back (if for no other reason than to try their hamburger that looked fantastic going by).
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