Oakland CA
510.251.8770
http://www.boakland.com/
Lunch: Tuesday – Friday, 11:30pm – 2:30pm
Dinner: Tuesday – Saturday, 5:30pm – 10:00pm
Online reservations available
Sometimes, a dinner with a large group can be overwhelming and a bit frustrating, especially with trying to split a bill. But, nothing could have been more enjoyable than the 19-person Warrior Girl Dinner at B Restaurant and Bar.
On Friday, October 23rd, the Golden State Warriors hosted an event called “Nibbles, Dribbles and Sips” which featured complimentary food and wine for all of their season ticket holders. With over 40 of the Bay Area’s top restaurants and wineries participating, I was sure to make a list of places I hadn’t tried yet. How wonderful it was when I discovered the WG dinner would be taking place at one of the restaurants on my list.
In the heart of Old Oakland’s, Historic District, each member of the dance team, including the Director, met at the new American cuisine restaurant on the corner of 9th and Washington. As each girl filed in to sit at the long table well-presented table, I can see that each seat was set up with 2 wine glasses, silverware, a cloth napkin, and a piece of paper that was titled, “Warrior Girls Dinner".
How exciting! A three-course prie-fixe meal had already been prepared for this special occasion. This called for a cocktail! If you haven’t seen, “Sex in the City,” one must know if you’re out with a group of girls, an order of girly cocktails must be made. The most popular order was the “Love On: Vodka, Raspberry puree, pineapple juice, made with love.”
Some girls had a special “W” in their drink to represent the Warriors.
With 19 orders from the WG Dinner Menu, all sorts of combinations were being made. I ended up ordering the butternut squash soup for a starter, the duck entrée, and a vanilla bean crème brulee for dessert. But, shortly after all our orders were taken, several baskets of truffled shoestring fries were brought to the table and we all know how much I love fries! With the perfect amount of crisp to the texture and a hint of truffle oil in the flavor, it’s hard to believe that these freshly made fries tasted even better when dipped in the garlic aioli sauce that accompanied the dish (along with a side of ketchup). With a yummy cocktail and fries, who could have came up with a better first impression? From that point on, my expectations were raised higher.
The wine began to pour and with multiple conversations, a few games of telephone and a ton of pictures being taken, our appetizers arrived in no time.
My soup was amazing! Plates were quickly switched out and replaced with our entrees. The beef would have been my usual order but, I never order Duck and something inside me made me want to try something different. Thank goodness I changed my order, last minute, to the roasted duck breast, prepared with a pear-potato tartlet, chicory salad, and a port reduction. Who would have thought duck could have been so tender and juicy?
You can bet I was still able to taste all the other dishes that were on the menu so I was still able to try the flat iron steak I almost ordered. [describe beef] But I was happy with my order, especially after the dessert was served.
It seemed cliché to order a crème brulee, but the vanilla bean flavor was different and I absolutely loved it!
It was an unforgettable night. The staff was friendly, the food was to die for, and the company was irreplaceable. Because of this memorable experience, B Restaurant and Bar will definitely be a place to come back to. I hear their mushroom and thyme wood fired pizza (oyster mushroom, fromage blanc, parmesan, and arugula) is a “must try”.
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All Seven Iron Chefs and Chairman Kaga in Kitchen Stadium. Left to right: Sakai, Ishinabe, Morimoto, Michiba, Chen, Nakamura, Kobe.
As a high-school student in Hiroshima, Japan, Morimoto was on his way to becoming a professional baseball player. Unfortunately, that career had ended due to a shoulder injury. On the up-side, he pursued his dual dream of becoming a sushi chef. After eight years of culinary training in Hiroshima, Morimoto opened his first restaurant at the age of 25. He specialized in Japanese cuisine, infused with European and Western cooking techniques and ingredients into his preparations. Five years later, Morimoto sold the restaurant to further explore and define his unique Japanese fusion.
When Brian and I heard Morimoto owned a New York restaurant, we made sure we made reservations for the next time we visited our friends who lived on the East Coast. As an accomplished Iron Chef in both Japan and America, who wouldn't want to?
With all the geometric shapes and indirect lighting, walking into "Morimoto" felt like stepping into a whole different world. Being a little early for our reservations, our hostess recommended us to wait downstairs. As we descended down the stairwell, we were enthralled by the "bottle wall."
The "bottle wall" is composed out of 17,400 half liter plastic bottles, filled with mineral water and LED lighting. The combination created this shimmery effect that added to the Zen-like serenity throughout the restaurant. Glass privacy walls between tables, rice paper walls, and an organic ceiling that resembles the raked sand of Eastern rock gardens also added to the modern-chic ambiance. (
People were dining in the lounge area, but a full meal was waiting for us in the main dining room.
After my glass of wine and Brian's bottle of Sapporo, our table was ready. As previously mentioned, Morimoto had dreams of becoming a sushi chef. In the the back of the restaurant, sushi bar seating was available.
As much as Brian and I love sushi, it was recommended to sit in the dining area for have the "full experience".
I love how the Japanese are very innovated.
This was a great way to get our palette going. The sushi tasted fresh and the soup had the perfect amount of seasoning. Nothing was too unfamiliar yet and the portions were just enough to get me more hungry for our entrees. Oh, the entrees...
The beef was perfectly cooked medium rare as the juices gushed out when my chopsticks picked each piece up. Each flavor-filled bite was amazing, but the Hamachi ribbons were unlike any sashimi I had ever had. Although it seemed very simple to make, the mixture of the three ingredients made a perfect blend. I wish I had ordered a full plate of the Hamachi Ribbons!
Yet, everyone at the table looked so please as each member of the table shook his hand. One lady had pulled out a pen and book for this person to autograph. I couldn't help but stare and wonder who this "author" was.
It turns out, Mr. Morimoto frequently visits all his restaurants. Knowing that he takes time to meet those who appreciate his creations made the "full experience" complete. Brian had ran into Morimoto in the restroom, but had left his phone and camera at the dining table with me. But when we identified the man in the white hat, we didn't hesitate to ask.
After a Sunday night Warriors game, a group of us wanted to grab a late-night snack. Locals had recommended us to go to Fenton's which closed at 11:00pm (midnight on Friday and Saturday). Like Rachel Ray, we took the locals' advice.
"Table of six, please."
Not only did it grow for food, but when we also passed the room where all the magic was made, I got even more excited for the dessert. There it was... The Ice Cream Factory.
What makes Fenton's ice cream so great? It is believed that by making hand-made ice cream daily in small batches is their secret to creating their signature style. With 33 ice cream flavors, a few seasonal ones, and four sorbets, it's impossible to find your favorite on your first visit.
Because I was anticipating for dessert, I didn't want to spend much time deciding what food to order. I just stuck with them special for the night to make it easier.
They were out of curly fries for the night, so regular fries had to suffice for the night. Yet, that wasn't such a bad substitution!
It really was a coffee cookie dream! And the strawberry really did taste like fresh strawberries! The strawberry scoop of ice cream was a little too soft for my liking, but the texture of the coffee was perfect; firm with a little "icy-ness".
It was a large ice cream dish of Caramel Cream Almond Crunch served on a couple of bananas, topped with caramel sauce, whipped cream, almonds, and a cherry.
Having two successful locations, (the first at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV and the other in Scottsdale, AZ) a third location opened on June 28, 2007 in Century City, Los Angeles, CA and has become a favorite lunch spot for the Beckhams. After several sitings of the Beckham family at Pink Taco, including Victoria's 34th birthday celebration, I really wanted to see why they loved it so much.
Although my friends and I were one of the first customers of the day, the lack of people did not take away from the fun environment inside. With so many bright colors and festive decorations, the interior gave a little Andy Warhol-ish vibe. It was Chevy's meets hi-fashion.
Since it was such a beautiful day, we were recommended to sit outside. As we walked through the restaurant, out to the patio, the multicolor scheme continued. Two large flat screens were set up outside to satisfy those who wanted to watch the games but not sit at the bar.
With amazingly friendly service, we were seated in the corner, outdoor booth. I tend to find waiters and waitresses with great personalities in Los Angeles. A lot of them are aspiring actors or actresses who always run the chances of serving someone that can offer their next big break.
What else could complete a perfect girls-day-out on a hot LA afternoon, sitting on the patio of a very trendy restaurant?
It was huge! The almond-coconut coating of the ice cream was delicious! The texture had a nice crisp to it and the vanilla ice cream inside was nice and frozen. To add a little more flavor to this dessert, the cinnamon chocolate crispy tortilla tasted like a piece of peanut brittle taken to the next level. This after meal creation was a perfect infusion of sweet flavor and texture.
