Chop Bar--Oakland (American cuisine)

After a whole week of being sick and not being able to taste anything, I'm slowly coming back to life. I felt well enough to venture out into the world last night, during a storm no less, to Chop Bar. Located at 247 4th Street in the Jack London Square area of Oakland, this was a teeny tiny place that looked like a garage that was transformed into this fantastic restaurant. No reservations are accepted, so come early or be prepared to wait, as seating is limited.

Their web site: http://www.oaklandchopbar.com/

I started off with a Basil Gimlet. With Crop Organic Cucumber Vodka, fresh basil, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur and lime juice, this was super crisp and refreshing.

I had to try the Charcuterie as a starter. A lightly toasted baguette drizzled with olive oil was centered amongst smoked pork tenderloin with sauerkraut, house-made pate, trotter terrine, house-pickled green beans and carrots and a very nice grain mustard. Everything on this board was fantastic. The pork was super tender and moist, the pickled veggies very crispy and tart, the pate soft and tasty, the terrine was an excellent mix of meat and veggies and it all went very well with the grain mustard. Yum.

As an ox tail lover, I had to have the Ox Tail Poutine. This was a super savory cream sauce topped with fresh french fries, chopped ox tail and Fiscalini cheddar. I think this is my new favorite cheese. It was nice and sharp and went very well with this dish. The ox tail was tender, but the sauce it came with really made this dish. I wished I had some bread or rice to sop up that sauce. Delicious.



I also ordered the Macaroni & Cheese as a side. This came bubbling hot in its own mini iron skillet with that super yummy toasted melted cheese on top and a cheddar, swiss and parmesan cheese sauce. The pasta was perfectly al dente, the cheese sauce was creamy and just sharp enough. So comforting. So good.

My boyfriend ordered the Rainbow Trout. Expertly cooked in butter and served with butternut squash, several varieties of cauliflower and a lemon dressing, this is what I would have ordered had I not ordered the Ox Tail Poutine. The fish was flaky, the veggies were seasoned well and the lemon dressing was light enough to complement everything without overpowering anything. Very nice.

Even though the portions of all the dishes were much larger than I expected, I had to try their Chocolate Bread Pudding for dessert. This was one of the best bread puddings I've had. Not soggy and not dry, this had the perfect balance of liquid to bread ratio. Nice and crusty on the outside with a wonderful drizzle of melted dark chocolate on top and served with fresh whipped cream with toasted hazelnuts and a fresh mint leaf. Absolutely devine.

I will definitely be coming back since their lunch and brunch offerings sound excellent. They also have a pig roast once a month during the warmer seasons. I can't wait till Spring.