This is why I love living here.
The Wood Tavern on College Ave. in Rockridge is the quintessential east bay dining experience. A bold seasonal menu, a great wine list, and impeccable service. The last meal I felt this strongly about was that of Chez Panisse, which really surprised me considering the Wood Tavern has only been around for two years. Alejandro and I were celebrating my new job and my birthday, and this meal was not only worthy of the occasion, it blew us away. Now we understand why every time we walk past - even at 3pm on a Tuesday - it's packed. Here's what we ordered:
The Wine:
Pinot Noir, Verve, Oregon - There is nothing like Pinot from Oregon, so as soon as we saw it on the menu, we were sold. It did not disappoint.
The Cheese Board:
Clockwise from the top left:
Truffle Tremor: local goat's milk cheese
Vallee D Aspe: firm Spanish sheep's milk cheese
L'Edel De Cleron: French triple cream cow's milk cheese
Roaring 40's: New Zealand cow's milk blue cheese
The variety on this board was perfect. Our favorite, by far, was the Truffle Tremor, which is made in Humboldt county. The New Zealand blue takes second. Also on the board were pears and almonds, drizzled in a honey haberano glaze. Not spicy at all though, I was surprised when our waiter mentioned the hot peppers.
The Salad
Dungeness Crab salad, with prosciutto di Parma, frisee, radicchio, quinoa, avocado and banyuls vinaigrette.
I think the description pretty much says it all. The combination of the prosciutto, crab and avocado was incredible. I was really missing out on Dungeness crab in New York.
The Mains
Wicked Good Seafood Stew: Prawns, mussels, clams, calamari, guanciale, leeks, red bliss potatoes, creamed anisette broth
I almost didn't order this because of the anisette, but I'm so glad I did. The anisette was extremely subtle, and not at all overpowering. I thought there was a bit too much celery, but otherwise a great dish. I LOVED the guanciale - perfect!
Grilled Double Cut Pork Chop with applewood smoked bacon, root vegetables, wild mushrooms, mustard greens, marsala cream sauce
This dish was the star of the night, and turned an already incredible meal into an unforgettable one. It was rich and smoky and the meat was oh so tender. The waiter said this was his favorite on the menu, and he did not steer us wrong. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
I wish we were able to handle dessert, but we just couldn't do it.
I know the seasonal menu is not a new concept in the Bay Area, but it's a rare occurance in New York. It makes so much sense to cook with what's fresh and in season, and I don't understand why this idea is taking so long to spread. The menu at Wood Tavern is a perfect example of seasonal eating at its best, and I can't wait to see what they'll come up with in spring.
