Food & Drink - Oakland Restaurant Week Edition

January 2010

Oakland Restaurant Week Edition
January 23-29 more than three dozen Oakland restaurants will be offering special fixed priced menus at $20, $30, $40. For a full list, go to visitoakland.org/restaurantweek

Oakland's Culinary Acclaim

Oakland has has firmly established itself as an up-and-coming culinary destination. Here are just a few comments from food critics from around the country. The San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Bauer recently reviewed Plum, a new establishment from chef Daniel Patterson, praising the restaurant for its simple designs and great flavors. Derk Richardson, senior editor of Afar Magazine, said he ate at Plum twice in the first six weeks of it opening and he couldn't decide which of the 21 items on the menu blew his mind the most. GQ magazine added Oakland's Commis to their list of 10 best new restaurants in America, and the Wall Street Journal highlighted Camino's fireplace cooking as a new trend for the kitchen. National Geographic Traveler recognized Oakland for it's California Spirit, highlighting culinary treats such as Commis, Camino, Penelope and Flora. New York Magazine found Pican, Commis, Lake Chalet and Bocanova to be delectable options in the area. For more coverage of Oakland's restaurants in the news, visit www.visitoakland.org.

Participating Restaurants and Locations

Many restaurants from Oakland's eclectic enclaves are Flora participating in Restaurant Week, from Uptown's new upscale cuisines to Jack London Square's classic destinations. Try Dorsey's Locker in North Oakland, find deals at Oliveto in Rockridge, and in Grand Lake, at Camino and Sidebar. At Jack London Square, enjoy a taste at Bocanova, Chop Bar, Encuentro, The Fat Lady, Kincaid's, Miss Pearl's Jam House, Scott's Seafood and Yoshi's Jazz Club. Blue Oak at Oakland Museum of California, Level 2 at Oakland Marriott City Center and Seison at the Washington Inn will represent the Old Oakland area, with close neighbors Flora, Mimosa Champagne Lounge, Ozumo, Pican and Plum in Uptown. Don't miss Montclair Village's Italian Colors, Monaghan's on the Hill and Montclair Bistro, as well as the Paragon at the Claremont Hotel in Claremont. Stop by Bellanico on Park Blvd. near the hills for more delicious specials. For updates on participating restaurants and locations, go to www.visitoakland.org/restaurantweek

Sample Menus for Restaurant Week

Oakland Restaurant Week participants will be offering several exciting menu items, presenting special combinations of some of their best dishes. For a sneak peek of what's to come, here are a few featured dinner menus:

Miss Pearl's Jam House:

Three course dinner menu for $30 - Choose one from each category

Starters:

- Clam Chowder (with bacon) 0.8409090909090909

- Baby Spinach Salad
- The House Salad
- New Orleans Style "BBQ" Shrimp

- Margherita Flatbread

Main Courses:

- Wild Mushroom Risotto

- Seafood Jambalaya

- Pork Chop "Porterhouse"

Dessert:

- Warm Chocolate Hazelnut Espresso Cake

- Tres Leches Cake

Montclair Bistro:

Four course dinner for $40

First Course:

- Arugula salad with toasted almonds, melted leek and Montrachet cheese quiche

Second Course:

- Chardonnay poached potato chive bisque potato haystack garni

Entree Choices:

- Slow braised lamb shank, with savory Gorgonzola-sourdough bread budding, assorted string beans, and lamb bordelaise cucumber mint salsa

- Pacific salmon and halibut Wellington, with wilted spinach and Pernod truffled Champagne sauce and truffle slices

Dessert Trio:

- Tiramisu - Marsala mascarpone cream

- Lemon curd with berries

- Bread pudding caramel sauce

Blue Oak's Miso-Glazed Salmon Filets

At the Oakland Museum of California's new cafe Blue Oak, celebrated chef Robert Dorsey III presents dishes with seasonal and local ingredients that reflect the many cultures of California.

Ingredients: 0.8652849740932642

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

4 teaspoons Mirin cooking wine

2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons warm water

2 tablespoons white miso (soybean paste)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

4 salmon filets (each 6 to 7 ounces)

2 tablespoons fresh chives

Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees Farenheit. Combine first seven ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a whisk. Arrange filets in a shallow, greased baking dish. Season salmon with salt and pepper and evenly spoon on the miso glaze. Broil salmon 10 to 12 minutes, basting 2 to 3 times. Salmon is done when center is tender and the fish is lightly translucent. Remove salmon to a serving platter and sprinkle with chives.

Oakland Joins CA Restaurant Month

For the first year, Oakland restaurants will be a part of California Travel and Tourism Commission's (CTTC) Restaurant Month, a statewide celebration of California cuisine. More than 20 destinations across California are participating, hosting a week of their chosing during the month of January. This is an exciting time for visitors to come to Oakland and taste many of the acclaimed restaurants firsthand at discounted prices. For more details, visit www.visitoakland.org/restaurantweek.