Call Me a Traitor

Even though this blog is about eating establishments in Alameda, CA, I had a fabulous meal at Plum in Oakland that was magnificent. Plum is probably one of the best new restaurants in the East Bay. The owner is Daniel Patterson, who was once co-owner of Elizabeth Daniel Restaurant in San Francisco for those of you who have been living in San Francisco for a decade or so. That restaurant closed when the husband and wife team got divorced and went their separate ways. Mr. Patterson currently owns Coi Restaurant and now Plum is his newest and lower end restaurant. Plum is in close proximity to Alameda on Broadway, just across the street from Ozumo.

The food at Plum is creative, moderately priced and the kitchen uses the freshest ingredients. There is no bad dish at this restaurant. The ginger and pear soda was refreshing and tasty. Wine can be a bit pricey dependent upon the region and year. My friends and I ordered everything family style and had four appetizers of: cauliflower, carrots, red beets and chick pea fritters. All of the small plates were fantastic. Our main courses were: two pork dishes and one babbette steak. The steak was a classic meal, but the pork dish utilized interesting ingredients that at first did not appear to compliment the meat. However, when the pork came to the table, the food was great. The flavors worked and it enhanced the meal. At the end of the night, we all shared one dessert of a white chocolate parfait with fennel. The portion was a little small, however the bites were bursting with flavor.

Another great attraction about Plum is that the restaurant stops serving at 1 am. This restaurant is getting all the buzz, so getting a reservation may be a 10 pm dinner slot.