As I figure out how I want to organize this blog, I’ll be trialing different ways of delivery. So here is a handful of restaurants I’ve gone to over the last two weeks condensed into one post! Featured are spots in SF, Oakland, Livermore, and Sacramento.
Restaurant Reviews of the Last Two Weeks
Cotogna
The Food
• Prosciutto with gnocco fritto & Lambrusco pickled onions
• Margherita pizza
• Sticky toffee pudding
We felt that everything but the dessert was delicious.
The Space
A beautiful restaurant, inside and out. It has such a hearthy, rustic and intimate vibe inside. It’s low-lit and cozy. There are two bars with seating- a drink bar and an open-fire cooking bar where you can watch spits of meat rotate and pizza dough spin. The outdoor seating is also comfy and designed well.
My qualm with Cotogna
When you first sit down a server approaches you with the option of sparkling or still water. These are in glass bottles, unsealed, and definitely refilled in-house.
We chose sparkling and it wasn’t very carbonated or particularly good. When the bill came they charged us $8 per person for that water. To not notify the customer ahead of time that you’re going to charge per head for water that isn’t even sealed upon service, nor exceptional is ridiculous. It feels SO scammy.
I decided to look at Yelp and see the upset I’m sure it’s caused with some users. Sure enough, it’s there and to my surprise, it goes back 11 years! At the same price $8/ person.
I don’t love it, but I can deal with paying the silly mandates and the taxes, but a “got ya” water charge of $16 doesn’t sit well at all.
So, you have a water charge, the SF mandate charge, and taxes on top of it all. Cotogna was really yummy, but I don’t know if it was that valuable, unfortunately. Especially when considering how small the portions can be. I want to go back, but when I’m making like 150k+ a year instead of just eating like I do.
Pla Daek Thai Esan Food
The Food
This restaurant tucked away in the eclectic downtown of Piedmont may have taken the cake for my favorite Thai spot in the area.
By now you may have caught on to my obsessive focus on noodle quality (integrity and chew). This place has it down! The Pad Thai was saucy but the noodles didn’t soak it up to the point of their own peril.
As far as Thai goes, this was some of the richer and more layered flavors I’ve had in the Bay Area. I could drink the sauce in the Pad Tua, and the tofu with it has such great texture. The red curry is so flavorful and creamy, equipped with sticky rice, it was of course wonderful.
The next time I want Thai I will probably drive the 30+ minutes for Pla Daek.
The Space
The interior is spacious. The back area is adorned with hanging flowers and plants and colored the walls with tropic plant vibes. The hanging rattan fish lanterns bring the space together and highlight Pla Daek’s effort to make the space cute and unique.
The Punchdown
1737 Broadway St., Oakland CA
The Food and Wine
The Punchdown specializes in natural and low-intervention wines. They also have a lot of yummy snack options to munch while you sip. I got an Acme baguette with smoked sardines.
The Punchdown has an ample selection of high-quality tinned fish, which I find really fun. They have a solid happy hour 3:00-5:00, and a wine list that changes frequently.
The Space
Punchdown’s interior is not noteworthy. It feels like they are still moving in. The wall behind the bar is the most eye-catching.
The interior has a lot of potential though, so hopefully, they come through soon on that good feng shui. As of now, the space feels void. But once the sun goes down they light candles at the bar and it adds something good to the space.
Four Restaurants Beyond the Bay Area
Grange
926 J St, Sacramento CA
The Food and Drinks
Grange’s burger was seriously good. It had sun-dried tomatoes in it which added so much flavor and juiciness. The burger alone will have me returning.
The drinks were also very good. Although I stuck with boulevardiers, their selection of cocktails was creative and used good quality liquor and fresh garnishes.
This restaurant is featured in the Michelin Guide, and so far, I can see why, but the verdict is still out.
The Space
Set inside the Citizen Hotel, Grange has high ceilings and lots of natural light. The table settings really stood out to me, from the angular wine glasses to the sage green place mats set at every seat.
We sat at the bar which extends high up with wooden shelves, home to arrays of liquor bottles. Grange’s color scheme of white, green, and brown is airy and relaxing.
Zócalo
1801 Capitol Ave, Sacramento, CA
The Food
We were pretty stoked for Zócalo because we LOVE some good tacos. Unfortunately, and to my surprise, Zócalo disappointed us.
It was off to a good start when the chips came with black beans for dipping and good salsa, but my margarita was so weak and the tacos were unremarkable. Between the carnitas, carne asada, and chicken they were all pretty dry and we needed to douse them in salsa and lime. I guess it’s one thing to have tacos that are dry but with phenomenal flavor, but this wasn’t even the case. The flavor was 6/10 and they were dry.
The Space
What Zócalo does have on its side is a good interior, with floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides of the restaurant, and plants. It’s an attractive option for locals with its multiple TVs for games, a good bar, and a really nice sound system.
Milka
1501 G St, Sacramento, CA
The Food Drinks
I was surprised to be drinking one of the best Matcha lattes I’ve had from a coffee shop in a while. The cappuccino was also very good. When in Sac I will definitely be back.
Their drinks are a bit on the pricier side because they have tip and alternative milk charges already calculated in. But admittedly, it’s kind of nice to not see the upcharge for oat milk flash on the monitor!
The Space
Located in a victorian house built in 1861, Milka is spacious, clean, and well-lit. I love the deep green tile work at the counter.
It’s a perfect place to do some work, or people watch out of the large windows looking out onto the street.
bacon & butter
5913 Broadway, Sacramento CA
The Food
I am not a breakfast restaurant go-er. I can’t stand conventional eggs and most breakfast places are not sourcing their eggs from free-range, happy farms! I eat breakfast every morning but always cooked for myself.
Although, bacon & butter uses free-range eggs! Let me repeat: bacon & butter uses free-range eggs! And Mary’s chicken. I wasn’t that hungry but I had to take advantage of the unique offering. We got chicken and waffles and then a hash with bacon and egg. The chicken and waffle was definitely the winner (isn’t it always?). It was adorned with pomegranate seeds and served with persimmon maple syrup!
The Space
A quaint, and warm breakfast post, with smells of coffee and maple wafting heavily. It was Wednesday morning and it was bustling, so I can imagine business is consistent for them, and I can totally see why.
On top of it all, the service was so good and everyone was really personable.
