Our Visit To Bay Wolf Restaurant. Oakland

Some meals are so delicious or so surprising you want to share them with everyone. Since I can't share my previously eaten dinner, I thought about posting a Restaurant Review. We are spending a long weekend in Oakland with my lovely sister-in-law and her equally lovely husband who have lived in the bay area for over 20 years. We try to come up here at least once a year but never come as often as we would like. Northern California and especially the bay area are so seductive. I can see why people move here: the food, the cool weather, the cosmopolitan and somehow European feel, the beatiful old houses instead of mass housing developments, the food. Hmm, did I say that one twice? Yes, the food! Last night my sister-in-law tells my husband to take me out to dinner while they watch our girls. We pour thru food magazines and see tons of interesting restaurants and my sister-in-law proceeds to share even more suggestions, some a bit farther afield in neighboring areas, but still
very many in a short drive here in Oakland. Amazing to have so many tasty choices, not a one a mass homogenized chain reataurant! (Have I blogged yet about the dismal crappy food options in my little hometown of Simi?) My sister-in-law even called around and found us a last minute reservation! My only regret was that a number of places that sounded delicious were closed on Sundays and out of the running.

Eventually, on the advice of my sister-in-law, we settled on Bay Wolf, right here in Oakland, with a reservation within 30 minutes. We arrived almost on time (with a bit of a delay for us spoiled So Cal residents as we searched for a parking spot on the street). The restaurant was sort of unassuming with a neat covered patio as you enter, almost fully enclosed, and a more traditional space behind. We opted for inside since it was stinking cold tonight! They led us immediately to a small table for 2 in the corner, which sounds kind of cramped but was actually pretty nice (fairly quiet and private and plenty of room for 2). The service was prompt and I never waited long for a water refill or for anything.

The menu selection was seasonal and limited, but I had some difficulty deciding what to order which is always a good sign. They have some appetizers but also some dishes that can be ordered as a small plate or a dinner portion.

We settled on the Early Girl and shell bean salad with arugula, manchego cheese and basil vinaigrette for my starter and my husband ordered the Duck liver flan with grilled Acme bread, cornichons and and olives. I must say I love me some duck liver and the flan was delish and not flan-like (which was good because I pictured me some duck liver egg custard). It was smooth, creamy and full of flavor with some lovely peppercorns for some spice. It came the the olives and cornichons and also some red pickled onions (I think they were pickled). The Acme toast was wonderful too and perfect for spreading with liver. The real surprise was the salad, however. I am not a big veggie person although I was in the mood for salad tonight, BUT this salad was delicious and I wanted to lick the plate the basil vinaigrette was so scrumptious. The tomatoes were fresh and flavorful. The greens were tasty. The beans and the manchego cheese. Wow it all just came together beautifully that it was on
e amazing salad. (I have to add that my other observation was that this was the first meal with my husband where I thought both of our dishes were the best. I am usually pretty judgemental and leave the restairant thinking my dish was better than yours or his dish was way better than mine!)

For our main courses, I chose the Goat cheese-stuffed peppers with black beans and rice, avocado and salsa fresca and my hsuband went with the Slow-cooked coriander-scented pork roast with grilled escarole and sherry. I thought the peppers were spicy and delicious which is pretty high praise considering I don't really like goat cheese! They were packed with flavor. I just wished they had more of an acid component and think if they had put more salsa fresca on the plate it would have been perfect. My husband loved his pork and said it was cooked perfectly. I thought it was flavorful and very tender for a big slice of pork.

We were both stuffed and decided we would only get dessert if something on the dessert menu thrilled us so we did order the Bittersweet chocolate soufflé cake with Earl Grey crème anglaise and chocolate sauce. Unfortunately, I wish we had passed. Frankly, something with souffle in the title should be warm and lovely and fluffy, but what showed up was a very nice flourless cake. I am over flourless cakes. I did not feel this dessert was worth the calories I ingested or the exercise I will have to do to work it off!

However, the rest of the meal was fabulous and I would highly recommend Bay Wolf to anyone near Oakland. You can check out there website at: http://www.baywolf.com