S O I Z I C
300 Broadway
Oakland
510.251.8100
Who would ever think that on your last stretch of driving into the touristy,
Jack London Square complex you would find a Parisian bistro. Hidden in a not
well- advertised loft structure on Broadway is a very elegant, romantic dining
room with huge ceilings and concrete floors that has surprisingly very low
noise levels. The art draping the huge walls helps to create the romance,
but also the feeling of a locals’ restaurant. This is tops on the list
when you are in the mood for some really good cooking and need to treat yourself
out midweek. The prices are much lower than any of the Top Ten. How they do
it and prepare some of the best food in the Bay Area is another mystery. This
number seven- ranked restaurant has the potential to squeeze out one of the
other six in front of it. However, I like it just the way it is and hope that
nothing changes.
For salads, try the Belgian endive with pears, gorgonzola cheese and spiced
walnuts. Another first course choice is the mussels with fennel, Yukon gold
potatoes and spinach in a saffron cream broth. Don’t forget to give the
once over to the shrimp cakes with mixed greens, aioli and pineapple-pear
salsa.
I don’t order chicken often when dining in nice restaurants (exception
is at Peristyle in New Orleans), but Soizic does a good one. The chicken breast
has been de-boned and pounded scallopine-style, then sautéed with a
sauce of porcini mushrooms, fresh white corn, ricotta and goat cheeses; served
with polenta and arugula. Salmon was grilled and served on a bed of napa cabbage
with soy-sake sauce, Chinese eggplants and noodles. For the meat eaters, the
grilled rib-eye steak with mustard sauce, stilton cheese and pistachio came
with potato gratin and sautéed spring vegetables.
End the evening here with a ginger custard with almond cookies and a glass
of port. This is one of the six Top Ten’s that does have a full bar.
Bon Appetit!
M Y T O P T E N
1.
Chez
Panisse - Berkeley
2. Rivoli - Berkeley
3. Oliveto’s - Oakland
4. Chez Panisse Café
- Berkeley
5. Baywolf - Oakland
6. Citron
- Oakland
7. Soizic
- Oakland
8. Garibaldi - Oakland
9. Dona
Tomas - Oakland
10. tie:
Liaison
- Berkeley
Le Cheval - Oakland
HONORABLE MENTIONS