Acute gustatory pleasure at À Côté
Written: Jul 31 '02 (Updated May 27 '08)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Food and Presentation: |
 |
|
| Ambiance and Decor: |
|
|
| Quality of Service: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Great food from a changing tapas menu, nice ambiance, friendly service. Wine flights.
Cons: no reservations, expensive drinks
The Bottom Line: If you're in the Rockridge neighborhood for lunch or dinner, this is the place to eat for a casual, delicious and fun meal.
|
|
|
| lyagushka's Full Review: A Cote |
À Côté restaurant graces the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, California. Though technically in north Oakland, Rockridge is spiritually and socially an extension of Berkeley. This attractive commercial district straddling College Avenue flourishes with restaurants, cafés, bars, clothing and furniture stores and has plenty of foot traffic at almost any hour of the day or night. It is quite a safe neighborhood and undoubtedly commands some of the highest rents in the city. I've eaten at this restaurant five times and have always had a great time and been very impressed by the food.
À Côté is "next door" to its sister restaurant, Citron, with the same executive chef, Chris Rossi. This chic tapas bar serves up an oft-changing menu of delicious little dishes. Though it is usually pegged as a French restaurant, I've found the menu to be more pan-Mediterranean in inspiration. The atmosphere in À Côté is decidedly hip, in a see-and-be-scene sort of way. As you enter there is a long, stylish bar to your left while most seating is to your right. The young bartenders here whip up mixed drinks with flair and appear to be having fun while doing so. At the back of the dining room is the tiny open kitchen with its wood fired oven, which speaks well for the integrity of the kitchen staff. A lovely secluded patio behind the restaurant provides overflow seating. I preferred to sit in this relaxing area on warm evenings, even if indoor seating was available.
Both the interior and back patio areas of the restaurant are subdued and pleasant. Lighting is rather on the dim side and the dark wood tabletops and deep, richly colored walls create a soothing and intimate atmosphere. Though there are private tables, sitting at the long communal tables in either seating area goes a fair ways to making the vibe more casual and convivial. The long bar in the inside dining room lends a very cosmopolitan feel to the restaurant. There's also a very special table tucked away on the back patio that's the envy of every romantic couple. Get there early for a crack at this almost private table dimly lit by soft candlelight. The noise levels inside are moderate and even quieter on the back patio. Soft jazz tunes lend a little buzz to the room without drowning out conversation.
The Menu
Typically, about 12 dishes appear on the menu, with plates to suit both carnivores and vegetarians. The menu of assorted small dishes pretty much does away with the idea of a traditional meal of appetizer, entrée and dessert, though they do have wonderful desserts or a cheese course. Instead, you can indulge in a free-form wander through the menu, beginning and ending with anything that catches your fancy. This kind of eating is my personal version of heaven. Someone with a hearty appetite could easily make it through three little plates, or several more if sharing with another person. Two dishes would probably be the minimum that would satisfy a light eater. It's perfectly alright to order one dish at a time or several all at once.
The few mainstays on the menu include a changing flatbread (mozzarella and chili pepper; or goat cheese, sautéed onions and grilled eggplant) much like a very mini pizza and an absolutely enormous plate of pommes frites (french-fries) sprinkled with fresh parsley and served with sumptuous garlic aioli. Don't even bother asking for ketchup. These two dishes make regular appearances on an otherwise unpredictable menu for good reason. They're unfailingly superb. I now live in Belgium, the home of the pommes frites, where they take these things quite seriously. I can say honestly that I've never had better frites than at À Côté. I ordered them every time I ate there, but it usually took at least three people to finish the generous serving.
Other items I've tried include the boudin blanc, a short and thick white sausage in the style of bockwurst. This was accompanied by a few tender white beans in a flavorful tomato sauce. I've tried green salads on several occasions. The greens were always incredibly fresh, lightly dressed and garnished with things like dried fruits or nuts and sometimes a little crumbled cheese. Zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta and herbs, lightly battered and fried were a treat as well. Once I ordered a lamb chop, very simply garnished with a few greens and drizzled with virgin olive oil: mouthwatering. To be honest, all the food I've had here was excellent.
The desserts change frequently also. I've only ever ordered dessert twice. Once it was an apple tartlet that was a beautiful, golden brown color, buttery and sublime. Another time I split an order of profiteroles with almond ice cream, chocolate sauce and sliced, toasted almonds. An alternative to their wonderful desserts is a lovely assortment of cheeses that changes with the menu. I've tried this once. The cheese courses are served on a cool green marble slab with a few thinly sliced triangles of bread, some sliced fresh fruit such as apple or pear, some roasted walnuts or other nuts and a dollop of marmalade or other fruit conserve. The cheese plate usually features three cheeses.
Drinks
It's also nice that the menu here frequently features wine flights: three small glasses of wine selected as a tasting sample. For $10 you can often try three red or white wines from France or Italy. If you nurse these drinks over dinner, this could be a little adventure in wine tasting that saves you money. There are a number of shockingly expensive vintage wines, ports and mixed drinks available here (a $25 margarita), which I've never tried. The non-alcoholic drinks, other than tap water, aren't a great bargain either. There are a few specialty soft drinks, such as bottled root beer ($3.50) and sparkling mineral water (Pelegrino). Though not on the menu, I've ordered lemonade from the well stocked bar. It was tasty and not overly sweet. If you order plain water, they'll bring you a glass pitcher with a lemon slice in the water.
Service & Prices
Waitstaff are dressed on the casual side, but in black with white aprons. I found the service to be efficient, friendly and knowledgeable about the menu items. They too, seem to enjoy working here - always a good sign. The waitstaff appear to be in their mid-20's to mid-30's; an experienced group.
The prices here are moderate, but there's a tendency for the total to rack up quickly. It's so easy and tempting to keep ordering all those delicious little morsels. And the waitstaff doesn't mind if you keep ordering as the evening progresses. Between the wonderful wines, the full bar and those little dishes, your dinner bill can reach $35 per person quite easily. On the other hand, this is a great place for anyone with a small appetite, and those who forego alcoholic beverages can get out the door for as little as $15.
My Only Gripe
Unfortunately, À Côté does not accept reservations. While this is a major inconvenience, I can understand the logic from a restaurateur's point of view. With such a successful business and such flexibility in how long you spend there, why bother? To ensure a private table, show up early or late or on a slow night. If you arrive at a busy time, you can take a seat at the bar where you're free to order food off the menu and flirt with the bartender or other patrons. Even at peak times, I've never had to wait an unreasonable amount of time.
A Few Random Thoughts
This is a great place for a romantic dinner or a girls' night out. Anyone familiar with the Spanish tradition of tapas barhopping will find much to be excited about here. You can easily pop in for a quick bite and a drink before or after another meal. The pleasant vibe in this restaurant is welcoming and fun. The menu is flexible enough to keep you interested over repeat visits and can accommodate vegetarians. I've seen a few children here, but I wouldn't say that it's particularly suited for children. For whatever it's worth to you, À Côté has been named one of the top 10 restaurants in the Bay Area by a number of local food critics and has received uniformly high marks in the Zagat Survey (scores in the mid-20's for food, service and décor). I think you'll enjoy this place whether you just like good simple food or are an adventurous foodie.
Looking for other other options? I can also recommend a meal at any of these restaurants:
East Bay
• Café Rouge - best choice for steak or high quality meats in the East Bay
• Cha-ya - vegetarian Japanese restaurant in the Gourmet Ghetto
• Chez Panisse Café - Alice Waters' sumptuous fare at about half the price
• Lalime's - superb New American fare in an intimate setting
• Manpuku - a cheap and simple ramen bar in the Elmwood
• Nan Yang - fantastic Burmese in north Rockridge
• Oliveto - exquisite Italian in Rockridge
• Pho 84 - paradigm-shifting (really!) Vietnamese in downtown Oakland
• Rick & Ann's and La Note - both offer excellent choices for breakfast
• Shen Hua - great Chinese in Berkeley's Elmwood neighborhood
San Francisco
• Boulevard - hands down, the best restaurant in San Francisco
• Woodward's Garden, which is almost as good as Boulevard
• Betelnut - highly recommended for a fun night with a group
• Helmand - little known but excellent Afghan place and a great value
• Suppenkuche - unpretentious German bierhaus charm in Hayes Valley
On the other hand, I can't recommend Cafe Cacao, which is part of the Scharffen Berger chocolate empire, nor Pizzaiolo which features pretentious, outrageously priced pizza served by hipper-than-thou servers.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.