Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [195]
Where to Eat
Note that Meritage ★★★ in the Claremont Hotel, on the border between Berkeley and Oakland, is listed earlier in the Berkeley section.
EXPENSIVE
Bocanova ★★ LATIN AMERICAN Bocanova bills itself as a “Pan-America Grill.” Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve never tasted food this good south of the border. The new Jack London Square restaurant, with stellar waterfront views, can be best described as a roller coaster for your taste buds, as you’ll twist and turn, dip and ride over a plethora of flavors—many of which you might never have heard of before. When you see ingredients you don’t recognize on the menu—and you will, I assure you—don’t hesitate to ask the knowledgeable servers for tips.
The menu is divided up by preparation: the Pantry, the Raw Bar, the Garden, the Freidora, the Stove, the Ovens, La Plancha, the Grill. Starters like Dungeness crab deviled eggs in chipotle aioli; walu crudo with mango, papaya, and rocoto pepper; and halibut ceviche are all staples. Main courses run the gamut of pork tenderloin with pineapple and chili sauce, Peruvian marinated chicken, and Kobe-style bavette steak with chipotle sauce. The sweet potato and chipotle gratin, as well as the Parmesan cauliflower au gratin are must-order sides to pair with the rest of the perfect cooked-to-order meal. Don’t forget to wash it all down with one of the Latin American–style cocktails, such as a Pisco sour. The roasted banana cake with cream cheese ice cream and cashew brittle at the end of the meal is the cherry on top.
55 Webster St. (on Jack London Square). 510/444-1233. www.bocanova.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $12–$36. MC, V. Mon–Fri 11:30am–3pm; Sat 11am–3pm; Mon–Thurs 5–10pm; Fri–Sat 5–11pm; Sun 5–9:30pm; brunch Sun 11am–3:30pm.
Oliveto Cafe & Restaurant ★★★ ITALIAN Opened 20 years ago by Bob and Maggie Klein, and now under the helm of executive chef Paul Canales (who has been with the Kleins for 11 years, working his way up through the ranks in the kitchen), Oliveto is one of the top Italian restaurants in the Bay Area (and certainly the best in Oakland). Local workers pile in at lunchtime for wood-fired pizzas, simple salads, and sandwiches served in the lower-level cafe. The upstairs restaurant—with suave neo-Florentine decor and a partially open kitchen—is more elegant and packed nightly with fans of the mind-blowing house-made pastas, sausages, and prosciutto. Oliveto has a wood-burning oven, flame-broiled rotisserie, and a full bar which sports a high-end liquor cabinet. An assortment of pricey grills, braises, and roasts anchors the daily changing menu, but the heavenly pastas, pizzettas, and awesome salads offer the most bang for your buck. Still, the Arista (classic Italian pork with garlic and rosemary and pork jus) is insanely good, and no one does fried calamari, onion rings, and lemon slices better than Oliveto. Tip: Free parking is available in the lot at the rear of the Market Hall building.
Rockridge Market Hall, 5655 College Ave. (off the northeast end of Broadway at Shafter/Keith St., across from the Rockridge BART station). 510/547-5356. www.oliveto.com. Reservations recommended for restaurant. Main courses cafe $2.50–$12 breakfast, $4–$8 lunch, $12–$15 dinner; restaurant $13–$16 lunch, $13–$29 dinner. AE, DC, MC, V. Cafe Mon–Fri 7am–9pm; Sat–Sun 11:30am–10pm. Restaurant Mon–Fri 11:30am–2pm; Mon–Thurs 5:30–9pm; Fri–Sat 5:30–10pm; Sun 5–9pm.
Oliveto.
Plum CALIFORNIAN When Plum opened in 2010, it arrived to much fanfare. By the time it was 6 months old, it had already been named one of the best restaurants in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle and covered by every national travel magazine to pass through town. And not without cause. Its design, while aesthetically