SAN MATEO – Acqua Pazza Ristorante

Despite the suburban setting, the spirit of servers and food is authentically Italian at San Mateo’s Acqua Pazza. Owned by three Rosano brothers (out of nine children!) from Naples, they brought their Mama’s own recipes from Italia, as well as technique learned at Naples’ Scuola Albergheria and Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Vong in London.

Amalfi Coast photography lines the hallway and the dining room surroundings are clean and crisp in shades of deep blue.

The red sauce in a Zucchini Parmigiana starter ($10.95) is textbook delicious from their Mamma Carmela’s recipe. Half Moon Bay zucchini keeps it local, with plenty of meltingly good Buffalo Mozzarella.

Gnocchi Gorgonzola ($14.95) is also their Mamma’s recipe, a fine rendition of what is one of my most beloved Italian dishes. Cherry tomatoes cut the rich, heavy cream sauce, the overall effect happily fattening.

Vitello Milanese ($18.95) is a classic rendition of veal scallopini pounded flat, breaded and in a lemon dressing. A heap of arugula salad atop it added a healthy aspect. Even if it wasn’t the best rendition of the dish I’ve ever had, it worked.

A Bellini ($8.50) was a refreshing sparkling wine starter, though I can’t help but lament the common use of peach nectar instead of fresh peaches, which is less common but tastes significantly better. House wines are affordable ($6.50) and generous, served in a little carafe – easily two glasses worth. Whether Chardonnay, Chianti or Cabernet, they did the trick, as did a straightforward Affogato for dessert.

Hints of Italy live in the streets of San Mateo…

OAKLAND

Encuentro – One of three owners behind this new-ish Oakland vegetarian is Millennium exec chef, Eric Tucker, long a standard-maker in vegetarian cuisine. The food here is inventive, even if portions are tiny.

Just a few blocks off Jack London Square, the high-ceilinged space is modern and airy, though a little stiff (as is service, in some ways), but the setting highlights bright dishes like Panzanella Salad ($9) with roasted celery root, beets, Gorgonzola, pine nuts, winter greens and crispy bread cubes.

A mere whiff of a bite, there’s two pieces of Bruschetta ($5) available with different toppings. I was won over by Avocado, Cilantro, Black Salt & Olive Oil Bruschetta with an addictive chili jam.

Just added to the menu that day, I found  Maple Mustard-glazed Tempeh “Bacon” Sandwich ($9) surprisingly comforting: warm, on the softest of wheat rolls. For one skeptical of fake “meat” substitutions (there just is no substitution for the real thing), this didn’t taste anything like bacon but was a worthy sandwich nonetheless. Stuffed Prunes ($4), with either goat cheese or macadamia nut pate, were good but didn’t stand out as much as other dishes.

A highlight was a  Rich Truffled Mushroom Pecan Pate ($11). The portion is delicate (read: small), but mini crostinis, grain mustard, sweet prune jam, and caper berries accented a lush pate that was almost smoother and more crowd-pleasing than some meat pates I’ve tasted. This dish showcases what is special about Encuentro that you can’t find elsewhere.

An interesting wine pairing came in the form of a toasty, crisp Irish Monkey Chardonnay ($7 a glass), made in Davis, CA, of all places, with tasting room/offices in Oakland.

SOUTH BAY

Cafe Gibraltar – After a day of poetry and walks on the beach in Pescadero and Half Moon Bay, dinner at Gibraltar is a relaxing finish, idyllically perched with ocean view and breezy, Mediterranean menu. Service is effusive, even if there was an awfully complex pile-up and wait getting a number of tables seated at the front door.

The space and crowd feel a tad suburban, but Moroccan tables on the far wall with pillows, floor seating and separate curtains, add a little intrigue to the dining room. The fresh, pleasing food is served in larger portions than expected, so order accordingly. Even with “light” crudo and seafood dishes, I was stuffed and would have ordered less if I’d known.

Bisque de Crevettes ($9) is a creamy, rich shrimp bisque seasoned with apples, sweet onions, dill and white wine. The shrimp nearly melt with tenderness and dill plays a dominant role. Ahi Tuna Crudo ($15) was generously portioned: a row of delicate, flash-seared ahi with an avocado salad that was too heavily drenched in a lime/ginger/habanero dressing.

Fairing better is Ahtapot Salata ($16), a Turkish beauty of a dish with plump octopus and calamari, grilled, then sautéed with chile, garlic, herbs and lemon, mixed with red onion, tomatoes, watercress. I tasted harissa-like spices and marveled at the meaty heft of the seafood. On the Moroccan front, they cook a lovely Tajin B’il Hut ($24), served in a proper tajine, with large cuts of Hawaiian blue snapper baked in a wood oven with olives, potatoes, baby onions, preserved lemons and tomatoes (I didn’t taste the lemons). Atop couscous and in a chermoula broth, it’s one of the great tajine dishes in the Bay Area.

With a nice wine list offering a number of zippy Portuguese or Alsace whites to accompany all that seafood, I left satisfied, though maybe not as impressed as years of raves about this place led me to believe… at least until I ate warm house bread dipped in sweet, aged basalmic and olive oil.

BERKELEY

• Gather – Yes, it’s local, sustainable, organic (even the spirits, wine and beer). Though that’s happily typical in the Bay Area, I venture to say that Gather, open only since December, already operates like a hardly “typical”, fully-realized restaurant. In a large, rounded corner room, the bustling, open space is in full view of the kitchen, a muted showpiece in the center of activity. It’s casual, holistic and chic, all at the same time.

Cocktails stand out with organic spirits (like Papagayo rum), without sacrificing craftsmanship and taste. Portions are small but classically so, in the proper sizes cocktails once were served. Greg’s Pisco Sour ($10) is served in a champagne flute with Square One cucumber vodka, Marian Farms pisco, lemon, lime, with shaved hibiscus over the top of egg white foam.

Humo Dulce ($12), 4 Copas tequila, Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal, lime, pineapple gum syrup, captures the proper smokiness of the mezcal and doesn’t play it sweet. Wines and beers are local and organic, from Bay Area south to Santa Cruz, north to Wine Country and Mendocino.

Not your typical grilled squid dish, Monterey Bay Squid ($12), on Forbidden black rice, with aioli, mint, chili, bacon, is a sumptuous small plate with layers and warmth. All I can say is “wow” for 28-month House-Cured Ham ($13) with grilled Castelfranco, marinated crescenza, cardoon-walnut salsa. The crescenza cheese is warm and melting over a delightful, thinly sliced ham, prosciutto-like, ribboned with fat. One of the best dishes here.

The piece de resistance is Vegan “Charcuterie” ($14)… and this comes from a decidedly non-vegetarian. As soon as this artwork array of vegetables come out on a wood slab, you know you’re about to experience something unique. If only veggies were always this flavor-packed, we’d eat them without complaint. Completely worth the price for a vegetable extravaganza. On the platter was:
- Heirloom carrots, green garlic confit, mint, English pea-tarragon puree
- Grilled asparagus, almond-pepper puree, Spanish red spring garlic, “aioli”
- Roasted sunchokes, Rub Red crescent potatoes, fried onion cabernet vinaigrette, oyster mushrooms
- Roasted baby beets, shaved fennel, dill, blood orange, horseradish almond puree, pistachio
- Fried tofu skin bruschetta, avocado, spicy baby fennel escabeche.

Those of us who eat for a living can get burnt out on the pizza insanity of recent years… that is, until we have another great one. I did not come here for pizza but as soon as I saw one, I had to order it. Puffy crust bubbles up in charred mounds filled with doughy bread and the house Sausage Pizza ($17) did not disappoint, laden with spring onion salsa, oregano, corno di capra (sweet peppers). A Petrale Sole special ($22) was a flaky, grilled fish with greens and lemon, rustically presented. It’s always work picking out little bones but the dish recalled whole fish I’ve had in Switzerland, fresh from the lakes.

With little room left for dessert, I still managed to bask in the light cream of Citrus Rice Pudding ($7.50) with uber-tart Meyer lemon frozen yogurt and cinnamon-dusted graham shortbread. This early on, I project that Gather is not only one of the East Bay’s best new openings but already one of its best restaurants.

OAKLAND

• Hibiscus is one of those chic Uptown newcomers with rustic walls and homey notes mixed with modern sensibilities serving “upscale” Caribbean/African food. I absolutely love the space, especially the charming bar area, which looks pretty different from the spacious dining room. It’s inviting, as is the sweet staff. I want to be crazy about the food, too, and I think it shows great promise. The restaurant is still in its early weeks of opening and should become more even over time. For now, ingredients are of high quality, even as some dishes stand out more than others. Exec Chef Sarah Kirnon plays with a range of culinary influences from Trinidad to the Congo. Jerk Cornish Hen ($10.25) is prepared Maroon-style (Jamaican), with luscious coconut-braised Sea Island peas and Red Fresno salsa. This was my favorite dish.

Super spicy Crab & Grits ($9) turns the traditional Southern dish on its head with Caribbean spices, peppers and plenty of heat. Saltfish & Ackee ($8.75), the national dish of Jamaica, comes with sweet plantains, contrasting with salty cod and heat intensity of garlic oil. Split-Pea Fritters ($7.50) with tamarind sauce weren’t as flavorful or texturally interesting as I’d hoped.

A simple Parish Punch ($7) is a mix of El Dorado Rum and house Ginger Limeade, initially a bit sweet, but once the salty heat of the meal kicks in, a refreshing soother. With ingredients and animals sourced locally and sustainably, not to mention the welcome pleasure of something different, this place has the potential of becoming another downtown Oakland gem.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO

• South San Francisco’s Xiao Long Bao Kitchen makes some mean xiao long bao (Shanghai soup dumplings). They’re downright addictive and among the better I’ve had locally, warm broth oozing over ground pork and chewy dumpling wrapper. $6.95 for eight good-sized dumplings is a deal. If you order one giant one, good luck trying to eat it.

BAUME – Palo Alto Molecular Gastronomy

As far as I’m concerned, there’s room for it all. I crave artistic, mind-blowing experimentation as much as I hunger for pure, simple comfort food. We excel in the latter in San Francisco but I don’t see enough of the former. There’s Coi and Daniel Patterson bringing us fine dining in ways we won’t see it done anywhere else. But where are the all-senses-engaged gastronomy temples like Chicago’s Alinea or the whimsical decadence of Jose Andres The Bazaar in LA (my review and photos coming next issue)?

Thankfully, the Bay Area just gained a molecular gastronomy gem from Chef Bruno Chemel (formerly of Chez TJ in Mountain View), who opened Baume in a non-descript, ’70’s-looking Palo Alto building on California Street.

This is expensive, special occasion dining, but only weeks into opening, I’d already say it’s one of the more rewarding options for the price in all of the Bay Area. Service is well-orchestrated, timely and warm, each server informed and seemingly happy to be there.

In a simple but striking dining room of brightly elegant orange and warm browns, choose from five ($78), 10 ($108) or 15 courses ($158), plus more for wine pairings (I heard the table next to me ask to split a wine pairing and was delighted they accommodated – ideal for tasting but not wanting to go overboard).

As a guest of the restaurant last month, I was offered the 10-course meal and ready for whatever Chemel might serve. I hear he may slightly alter a dish each night, and, naturally changes the menu often. As an eater who’s about food first, I crave adventure and artistry… but never at the expense of taste or with pretension. Chemel manages to succeed on all fronts and I can imagine his menu only ripening with time.

The meal hit its highest note early with a 62 degree sous-vide egg (this type of a dish is also a highlight at Coi) served in a bowl with wild mushroom and Noilly Prat (French dry vermouth) foam. I closed my eyes, letting out a moan of delight at first silky bite. Paired with shots of fresh celery and lime juice with roasted rosemary stalks, it was the best course of the night.

Thoughtful wine pairings took it further… and at quite a range. It could be anything from a local 2008 Viognier from Jazz Cellars, to Blandy’s 10 year Malmsey Madeira with dessert. I especially savored two Chardonnays: first, an ‘06 Collovray-Terrier “Vielles Vignes” Pouilly-Fuisse (mineral initially but after sitting there awhile, became buttery). Then, a 2007 Windy Oaks “One-Acre Estate” Chard from the Santa Cruz Mountains, with a mineral acidity reminiscent of white Burgundy wines.

I’ll share just some of the beauties of the meal here through my photos…

Fireside table

DOLLIE MARIE’S

1602 South El Camino Real
San Mateo, CA  94402
650-638-9238
www.dolliemaries.com

I can never get enough of that unique-to-the-US cuisine: Southern cooking. Enter Dollie Marie’s, delightful, boisterous Chef Gator’s latest, whose restaurants I’ve had the pleasure of eating at through the years (and sadly saw close), from Noe Valley’s Alcatraces to Gator’s in downtown San Mateo. When you add in white suit jackets and a whisper of fine dining elegance at reasonable prix fixe prices ($38 for three courses or $49 for four – your choice of dishes), I’m lured in.

Then there’s an amuse bouche (crawfish bisque, thank you very much!), a palate cleanser (orange mint sorbet), homemade candies, and courses cooked with love and finesse, all in a gorgeous cottage, fireside glowing, each room lined with photos of Chef Gator’s family through the generations (including his mother, the restaurant’s namesake). It’s the complete package and I’m won over.

I’m already thinking about when I can next make it to this new gem in the Bay Area dining scene, tucked away off El Camino Real in a non-descript part of San Mateo. For less than the cost of many mid-range San Francisco restaurants, it’s a Southern feast to linger over.

There’s the finest Frog Legs I’ve ever eaten, gently fried and juicy with flavorful black-eyed pea gravy and cheesy dirty rice loaded with bacon and green onion. 

Rich, luscious Alligator & Caramelized Onion Gratin is baked under a puff pastry shell with fontina cheese. There’s also classic Turtle Soup, giant and delicious Oysters pan-fried in cornmeal with a fabulous remoulade, a fine Shrimp & Grits with plump Gulf shrimp, and desserts like Gator’s Bananas Foster or a comforting Sweet Potato & Apple Cobbler with cinnamon ice cream.

A Blackened Catfish entree is quite tasty and flaky, but I never quite go for the heavy pepper inflections of this type of dish. This version is handled deftly (joyously resting on a bed of crawfish risotto), but I still could do with less pepper. Due to the lack of availability of proper rabbit when I was there, the rabbit entree wasn’t on the menu (I appreciate them holding out for a better meat) but it sounds amazing: Braised Rabbit with Jack Daniels maple syrup gravy. Next time.

The flavors of the South that I crave  are here, done with a gourmet touch and the kind of quality ingredients we’re used to in the Bay Area. I certainly love Oakland’s Pican (despite a rather sterile, corporate-looking dining room) and SF’s gorgeous, jazz haven, 1300 on Fillmore… both are pricey, Southern-influenced menus with a CA touch and I’m so glad they’re here.

Though Gator has that Cali touch as an Oakland native, his family’s Southern roots show in a more traditional but fresh menu I enjoyed the likes of in Charleston and New Orleans. This one feels like the real deal and worlds removed from the bustling spirit of Pican and 1300 on Fillmore. You get more for your money here: a delicious multi-course meal, warm and inviting, with fine dining hints.

The intimacy and quiet of the cottage is like dining in a friend’s Southern home, complete with charm and comfort. The wine list is so-so and service sweet, attentive and still working itself out. Gator is ever jovial and welcoming, and his wife, Mary Ann, makes sure you’re taken care of. All in all, I’m thrilled to see this unique addition to the Bay Area dining scene. You’re transported to the elegant South… where it feels like a special occasion, even if it’s not.

Top Tastes is my usual run-down of tastes over the past two weeks. Rather than a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether), it’s highlights since my last newsletter, often from new openings. Many don’t make the cut, being a revisit written about before or simply not as stand-out as dishes mentioned.

SAVORY – MEAT

• Berkeley’s Brazil Cafe feels like vacation… hit the original, street-side stand (they now have an indoor restaurant down the street), draped in palm leaves, with umbrella-covered tables, faded posters of Rio, a surfboard menu, and friendly owner, Pedro Robin, who seems like he lives a perpetual vacation. A Mango or Avocado Smoothie washes down the insanely tasty (fast becoming legendary around Berkeley) Tri-Tip Sandwich ($7.99), doused in addictive cilantro garlic sauce. Tender, juicy tri-tip is loaded with pineapple, jalapeno, green olive, tomato, onion, lettuce – a small bit of each for overall balance. Really, perfection in a sandwich. I’m salivating just thinking about it.

• Though I think $15 is an insane amount to pay for a sandwich of this size and from a lunch window next to Enrico’s in North Beach, Naked Lunch (skilled Chef Ian Begg, of now-closed Cafe Majestic) serves some truly gourmet sandwiches at a worthy $8-9… until you get to the mother lode: the $15 Foie Gras Torchon & Duck Prosciutto Sandwich with Heirloom tomato, butter lettuce, white truffle oil. You might still be hungry afterwards, but it’s well worth trying – a luscious, luxurious, if spendy, sandwich.

SAVORY – VEGETARIAN

•  It was with humor and reverence that I entered Doc’s Clock blissfully greasy bar on a Sunday, ordered a peppery Bloody Mary ($8) with a tender piece of tri-tip and two stalks of asparagus (all of which bartender, Ryan, grills himself some Sundays), placed it on my Michael Jackson (Jackson 5 days) placemat and opened up a Bible to the Three Papayas menu inside. Three Papayas is chef Ta-Wei Lin, who just launched Vietnamese brunch every Sunday afternoon from 12-4pm at Doc’s. Portions are huge and all $8 (about 5 of them). Chef Lin garnishes plates with seasonal, delicious fruits like figs, passion fruit and, of course, papayas. Lin’s creative plates are fun enough to look at, but even more fun to eat. I dig the Vietnamese Crepe (vegetarian or with pork & shrimp), Papaya Salad, and for cardamom and daal (lentil) lovers, I recommend the unusual Bunny Chao, a hefty, hollowed-out loaf of bread (with filling piled neatly on the side) overflowing with green lentils, veggies and cardamom-pods. Amen and hallelujah!

•  Probably my favorite dishes (at least of the few I was able to try due to 30 minute+ lines) at the madly-packed SF Street Food Festival were Aziza’s.  Their “Bite”, a Squid Salad ($3) with maras pepper, preserved lemon, cabbage, mint and cilantro, was explosively bright, and their “Forks & Fingers” main dish, a Moroccan “Taco” ($8), was a thick, grilled flatbread drizzled with harissa, filled with yogurt and veggies – or lamb, if you so desired. Yum.

SAVORY – SEAFOOD

•  The trek down to Mountain View provides something we don’t see a lot of in SF, despite our excellent Tenderloin ‘curry houses’: upscale, creative Indian food with cocktails (yes, Amber attempts this). New Sakoon is sleekly designed, with upstairs lounge and striking fiber-optic light fixtures oozing a magical glow. I’m partial to the Kerela Fish Curry ($18), a finely cooked sea bass with shrimp and scallops joining in, covered in creamy coconut curry sauce. It partners well with The Mistress of Spice cocktail ($8): Cuervo Traditional tequila, Rhum Clement Creole Shrubb, 5-spiced mango nectar, lemon, salt rim. I couldn’t get enough of their Naan – especially Rosemary Pesto.

•  Since it opened, I’ve had a problem with the overpricing at Nettie’s Crab Shack, much as I adore the bright, New England-meets-California decor. In a recent re-visit, I found a more affordable way to eat here than $17 Fish & Chips or $36 Lobster Rolls (ouch! Even in NYC, mid-20’s is the highest I paid for the best I’ve ever had at Pearl’s Oyster Bar). I started with Blueberry Skillet Cornbread in maple syrup ($5 for two big pieces), four juicy Gulf Prawns on a skewer ($10), a lovely Halibut Fish Taco ($5) and a perfectly grilled Sardine ($4). Four items for the cost of one of the main dish highlights. The outdoor grill gets going at noon and with a $7 Boston Swizzle (bourbon & lemon in a frosty, julep-like cup), it’s a pleasant lunch.

•  Jai Yun is a Chinatown classic known for its multi-course, Chinese feasts - starting at $55 a person. Those dinners add up but a cheaper alternative is try it at lunch on a weekday where a mere $18 gets you five starter tastes (pickled vegetables, ginger and other delights) and 6 dishes, many of which are served as part of the dinners. I’m such a fan of being able to taste many things, rather than being limited to one or two, and this lunch delivered. My favorite was an Octopus Salad, punchy with chilis and a flavorful broth.

SWEET

•  I recommend brand new Starbelly (from owners of wildly successful Beretta), because new opening kinks and all, it’s already an ideal urban comfort food spot with fine beers on tap, gracious service and reasonably-priced gourmet goods (hello, Corn with mascarpone & garlic!) A first go-round at Starbelly led me to a finale that topped it all: Warm Strawberry & Fig Crumble ($7) with my beloved Humprhy Slocombe’s balsamic-caramel ice cream. 

•  Summer (and ANY time) is the right time for ice cream and Tara’s is a happy addition to the Bay Area, established in Sante Fe but moved to Berkeley last year. Thankfully, there’s an SF option now as well as the Berkeley shop – you can get Tara’s at the daily Island Earth Farmer’s Market inside the Metreon. Not only are Tara’s ice creams unique, full of flavor and organic, but the staff have excellent pairing suggestions – flavors you might think wouldn’t go together, end up making wonderful partners. Why not try Basil and Banana?  Sweet Corn and Sage? Black Sesame stands strong alone. Ask them.

•  Not being a cream puff lover, it says a lot when one wins me over… I tried a few at new Pacific Puffs, but my ‘hats off’ to the Classic ($3.25), oozing vanilla custard, crowned with chocolate. From the owners’ long-held family recipe, it does them proud.