Nido--Oakland (Mexican cuisine)

Nido is a fairly new Mexican restaurant located in Jack London Square in Oakland at 444 Oak Street. The decor is very quirky with a lot of industrial metal and concrete with some homey plants, curtains and used-looking wood in the mix. The utilitarian lightweight metal dishware might be more commonly seen at a campground rather than a kitchen. But it all works. Why? Because the food is really good.

I made a visit for lunch and immediately wanted to come back for dinner to try their more substantial offerings....and to drink. Their menu showcases their farm-to-table philosophy with organic and hormone/antibiotic -free everything as well as a nice list of craft spirits ranging from mezcal to tequila to whiskey. I was very happy with every ingredient in every item.

http://www.nidooakland.com/

Here were some of the foods I enjoyed.

Negro y Blanco. It was a brilliant idea to take organic horchata and top it with Highwire coffee. This wasn't too sweet and had just the right amount of coffee; which is perfect for me considering I'm a bit sensitive to caffeine. Very refreshing.

Chicken and beef tacos. The chicken was perfectly char grilled and was served with chamoy glaze and citrus salsa. The beef was braised until super tender and was served with roasted peppers. A very simple dish that was executed wonderfully.

Quesadillas Coloraditas. These were made with Chile California tortillas, Oaxacan cheese, queso cotija, onion, cilantro and casera salsa served in a very rustic, handmade little bowl. I added braised beef and was blown away at how delicious this simple dish was. Very satisfying.



 

 

No Recuerdo! A well-balanced mix of Tres Agaves Reposado, Alipus San Baltazar Mezcal, Luxardo and bitters. This drink makes me think of a Latin Sazerac. A very nice sipping drink.

 

The Southern Belle. For something a bit lighter on the alcohol side, this refreshing drink included Four Roses Bourbon, Napa Valley Grenadine, apple bitters, lemon and soda.

 

 

 

Empanada de Camaron. A deep-fried ancho chile corn turnover filled with shrimp, tomato and guajillo vein. On the bottom of the plate was fresh avocado and all was topped with queso cotija, crema fresca, frisee and served with cruda salsa. Delicious.

 

 

 

Tasajo Asado. This was a plate of grilled, thinly-sliced beef steak, served with housemade corn tortillas, guacamole, fried black beans, chile de agua, grilled green onion, queso fresco and chile cascabel salsa. The beef was tender and succulent and the grilled chile was grilled until soft and had a nice kick to go with everything.

 

Pescado del Dia. The fish special of the day was poached Cod with a brothy sauce made with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, garlic and capers. Sprinkled with fresh cilantro and served with a wedge of lime and housemade corn tortillas, this was a light and fresh dish.

Flan con Fruta. A very large portion of dense and creamy coconut flan was served with a caramel sauce and mango salsa. This was big enough to be a meal. Very delicious.

 

 

Nido also serves brunch on the weekends and they have happy hour from Tuesdays through Friday from 3pm to 6pm. An excellent choice in the Jack London Square area.

 

 

 

Umami Burger--various locations (High-end burger joint)

This burger joint has exploded in the last few years with many locations, starting with the Los Angeles area and now the Bay Area. The writer-turned-wine-connoisseur-turned-burger-aficionado, Adam Fleischman, started this company in 2009, and it's still growing. Look for Adam's influence in L.A. Creamery Artisan Ice Cream's delights. Hopefully that will be available in the Bay Area soon as well. With flavors like Absinthe, I'm very curious.

I visited the Oakland (2100 Franklin Street, Suite 2190) and the Palo Alto (452 University Avenue)Umami Burger locations to sample some of their offerings. They try to customize each location to their clientele and the area. Each location has a "signature" burger and drink offerings vary as well. Visit their web site for a location near you!

http://www.umami.com/umami-burger/

Beer. This was the Brother Thelonious Belgian-style Abbey Ale. Malty with light hops. A nice beer to go with a full-flavored burger. (Palo Alto location)

House Pickle Plate. A delightful arrangement of various pickles. This included shaved carrots and daikon, shitake mushrooms, dill pickles, sweet pickles, cherry tomatoes, beets, okra, and green beans. Nothing was too tart and the sweet pickles were lightly sweet. Very well balanced. (Oakland location)

Smushed Potatoes. What a great idea to fry some potatoes, smush them, and then fry them again. Served with a garlic aioli, the crispiness on the outside was so enjoyable with the soft creaminess on the inside. (Oakland location)

Truffled Beet Salad. Fresh wild baby arugula tossed with truffle dressing, with truffle ricotta on the bottom and topped with sliced smoked almonds. Very fresh and delicious.

Tempura Onion Rings. Japanese-style battered and fried onion rings served with house-made ketchup. Hot and crunchy. (Palo Alto location)

Manly Burger. This was a perfectly medium-rare, super-juicy, all beef patty, served with beer-cheddar cheese, bacon lardons, smoked-salt onion strings, house-made ketchup and mustard. I also topped it with some pickles from my pickle plate. All on a soft and lightly toasted buttery bun. Yum. (Oakland location)

Triple Pork Burger. A perfectly cooked patty made with fresh ground pork, chorizo, applewood smoked bacon, house-made American cheese, butter lettuce and pimenton aioli. Very juicy and full of flavor. (Palo Alto location)

The All Nighter. This is the Palo Alto location's signature burger. A beef patty topped with maple-glazed slab bacon, cheesy tot hash brown and drizzled with a savory red-eye gravy. The hash brown is an excellent addition to any burger. It was crunchy on the outside and soft and potato-y on the inside. And one can never go wrong with this thick-cut bacon. Delicious.

Ahi Tuna Burger. A gently seared patty of fresh ahi tuna on top of a bed of crushed avocado and topped with gingered carrots, sprouts and wasabi tartar. Wasabi flakes were sprinkled around on the plate for presentation and was also scrapped up for more wasabi flavor. A nice, light alternative to beef.

The burgers are not enormous, and also not overly greasy, so one is not left snoozing in the afternoons. Definitely a good place to go for a beef or non-beef burger craving.

Elevation 66--El Cerrito (Brewery)

Founded in 2011, Elevation Brewing Company focuses on providing delicious hand-crafted beers while also serving noteworthy food sourced from local farmers and bakeries. Located at 10082 San Pablo Avenue, it's conveniently placed one block from the El Cerrito BART station.

I first tasted Elevation 66 beer while at a Beer Festival at the Fort Mason Center some time last year and have been meaning to pay them a visit to try out some of their food. I went on a Saturday for lunch and apparently there was one waitress/bartender extraordinaire who was doing everything. It wasn't completely packed, but she took care of the entire room for the first 20 minutes that I was there. Very impressive. The food was also impressive, with very nice presentations and super fresh ingredients. Below are some of the things I enjoyed.

http://www.elevation66.com/

Beer. The Ramble Tamble Red is in the foreground and the East Bay IPA is in the background. The red was nice and crisp with a good balance of hops and flavor. Love that one. The IPA was also very clean and bright and went down very easy.

Burrata. Served with heirloom tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, crostini, and sprinkled with basil and pink Himalayan salt. I'm a sucker for burrata, and this was a very nice way of serving it. Elegant in its simplicity but bursting with flavor from the fresh and tasty ingredients.

Beer-braised Pork Belly. Another one of my weaknesses, this piece of pork was served with charred watermelon gastrique, corn, and micro greens. The pork was prepared perfectly with a crispy outer skin and tender meat. This dish was well-balanced and very satisfying.

Fish and Chips. Fresh fish beer battered and fried, served with lightly seasoned, crispy fries and ponzu aioli. Very nice.

House-made Sausage. These were very delicious pork sausages, perfectly seared and served with very tasty mustard spaetzle, sauerkraut, and curry-miso.

Vanilla Bourbon Pot de crème. A very smooth and creamy custard topped with chantilly and candied bacon. A nice light dessert after a hearty meal.

I will definitely be coming here again. I look forward to trying one of their sandwiches, which I hear are excellent.