I have fond memories of Bay Wolf, the classic California restaurant that previously occupied the space, and was excited to hear that Rich and Rebekah Wood took over as they're responsible for one of my favorite Oakland restaurants, Wood Tavern, famous for their huge Grilled Double-Cut Pork Chop (review: https://bit.ly/3p0utA9). Their former executive chef Yang Peng now runs the Wolf kitchen, and their credentials gave me a reasonable excuse to take Jamie W. here for his birthday dinner. We were seated in the front covered terrace, which was fine by us since the space was well ventilated. Cocktails were a priority for this special occasion, so we took advantage of the $15 Potent Potables selection. Jamie ordered the Tropic Thunder, a strong mix of dark rum, pineapple, basil, lime, and ginger beer, while I went for the comparatively lighter Amante, which combined mezcal, aperol, lime, grapefruit, honey, and chili tincture (photo: https://bit.ly/3bjpeIg). Both drinks got us in the mood for the hearty eats that were about to follow. We started with the $7 Cheddar & Black Pepper Popover, a cheesy, crusty delight with 'onion dip' butter, pecorino, and smoked sea salt (photo: https://bit.ly/3biROtr). We also enjoyed sharing the $15 Nectarine & Arugula Salad. It came with charred corn kernels, pepitas, basil, and queso fresco, tossed in a sweet honey dijon vinaigrette (photo: https://bit.ly/3blw00f). Our entrees were not as impactful but still well executed. Jamie ordered the $52 Grilled 12-oz Angus Ribeye Steak prepared medium rare, accompanied by patatas bravas pave, and topped with shishitos, summer squash, and chimichurri butter (photo: https://bit.ly/3zLOzny). The steak was good though a bit chewy and not really transcendent. My entree was the $42 Sonoma Duck Breast sitting in a carrot purée accompanied by broccoli di ciccio, tamarind honey, carrot-top salsa, and ras el hanout (a Turkish spice mix) (photo: https://bit.ly/3cTKeWp). It was tender and a generous portion, but the execution didn't feel overly creative despite the Middle Eastern touches. We finally ended our feast with two satisfying desserts: the $12 Lemon Olive Oil Cake with a triple delight blueberry compote, creme fraiche ice cream, and lavender syrup (photo: https://bit.ly/3zorLsC), and the $12 Valrhona Chocolate Cherry Tart with bing cherries, kirsch whip, cocoa nibs, and a birthday candle (photo: https://bit.ly/3PM72Gd). A nice gesture. It was a good meal though it was lacking a truly standout dish among our choices. At least we didn't leave hungry like the Wolf. FOOD - 4 stars...good, satisfying dishes but no real standouts AMBIANCE - 4.5 stars...the spirit of the former Baywolf runs through the warm space SERVICE - 4 stars...pretty attentive TOTAL - 4 stars...fine mainstream dining, not quite Wood Tavern though RELATED - Exploring Piedmont Avenue? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2I0RAHj read more

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Dinner was lackluster. Service was attentive but ineffectual. Will try lunch today. read more

Much like an animal stalks its prey, I had been stalking the Wolf. My friends and I kept trying to go for dinner, trying to make reservations and we were getting shut down. She gave up. But not me! Finally I decided to mix up my technique and swing by for a solo lunch. This was the ticket! I was able to snag a seat at the bar and the service, food and drinks were lovely. I had the little gem salad and the Spanish octopus and both were perfect sized, and incredibly flavorful. Mission accomplished! read more

The Wolf - Spanish Octopus - New American Near Me - Oakland, California

Our family group of 9, celebrating 4 June birthdays, had a fabulous dinner @ Wolf last night. The food was delicious, the service fantastic, and the ambiance felt like home. The special cocktails were superb, as was the suggested wine. We sampled several appetizers & enjoyed them all. We tried a variety of the entrees from the risotto, duck, pork chop, burger, and halibut. Everyone finished everything on their plates. A special shout out to Jackie, our waiter. His bright smile lit up the room and he made our celebration spectacular! read more

I always enjoy a meal at The Wolf, and they never falter with consistently well prepared food and excellent service. Came here for lunch with friends and sat out on the front patio. Although a bit of a nip in the air the heat lamps were on and it was quite pleasant. There were quite a few diners, which was nice to see for a Wednesday lunch. We ordered and shared an appetizer of octopus, delicious and so flavorful and tender, a beat salad, and one of the incredible popovers. The popovers are huge and always fluffy, with a flavored butter. I had a rock cod sandwich, which was superb. So nicely cooked, tender and on a roll with a perfect amount of shredded lettuce and aioli. It was a perfect lunch. It came accompanied with house made potato chips which I loved. The crunch and salt along with bites of the sandwich were delightful. Service was top notch, friendly and always professional yet easygoing too. It always seems they enjoy their job, which is quite nice. What I really appreciated is they checked each of our vaccination cards before allowing us to dine with them. Bravo! We're still not out of the pandemic and this is one way to get beyond it. Servers wore masks. Good job! read more

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Really amazing place. Highly recommend. Nice people, friendly vibe, and INCREDIBLE food. Highly recommend the rock fish dishes, and the Amante cocktail. I have not been to a place that makes you feel so welcome; message to management: NEVER CHANGE read more

The food was really good, but the reason it earned a 5-star rating was the service. Our server was extremely friendly and accommodating to our requests. We were seated in the "patio," and they had the ceiling heaters on. Since the patio is indoors, and it wasn't cold where we were sitting, we asked our server to have it turned off. She went to her manager and complied with our request. Afterwards, she and her manager checked on us a couple of times just to make sure we were comfortable. This, in addition to her welcomed conversations, made the dinner more fun. read more

The service was excellent and the servers were very attentive. Each dish was cooked delicious and cooked perfectly. Would definitely go again! read more

The Wolf - Seared wild Maine scallop - New American Near Me - Oakland, California

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First the good: I enjoyed the food. The polenta dish was crispy and had a lot of interesting flavors and was well executed. The pappardelle was also good. The problem: the service overall left a lot to be desired. We arrived at 7:15 for our reservation, and our server didn't come around to take our orders until 8. I used to serve tables, and a 45 minutes wait would've been a giant anxiety-producing mistake, and she didn't seem concerned in the slightest. Also, when I asked if she had a shim for our super wobbly table, her response was "are you SURE it's wobbling?" We were about to move to another table entirely when the host graciously came over and fixed the problem for us. In fact, he was a way better rep for the place that she was. He greeted us and told us thank you, helped with the table, and told us goodnight. Our actual server seemed pretty careless overall. It was my bday dinner so pretty disappointing. We were looking forward to trying this place out at the recommendation of a friend, on our way to a show, and I can't say I'd pass that recommendation along. Compliments to the chef and kitchen, however. The food was pretty solid. read more

Limited value all around. Service, what service, food, would not go return says it all. Eilene Slesinger

This place is on my forever list. Our daughter is sick in ICU. She was craving a steak at breakfast time. Not on the menu but when I called they found a ribeye left over from the previous dinner list. It was a pretty hefty ribeye, cooked perfectly. My daughter devoured the whole thing. Loved every second of it. Such kindness. Thank you. Owners, hostess, everyone. P.s. great burger too. read more

Fantastic place for a bite on Piedmont. The special curated menu for the season made it difficult to chose the best item for our lunch. The rosemary pappardelle was flavorful and a unique dish that couldn't be replicated at another restaurant. Definitely would love to try more form their menu. Overall, service was great, even if our party was for 12! The server always checked in, and made sure we had everything we needed. Will definitely be returning! read more

The Wolf - Winter 2024 Lunch Menu - New American Near Me - Oakland, California

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So here's the story. We came to this restaurant the day before Mother's day to celebrate Mother's Day to celebrate 3 mothers. There were a total of 8 adults and 2 children and a baby. The bar seems to be the centerpiece of the restaurant. The restaurant is clean and simple in looks and that's...okay. Non gendered bathrooms and clean. Now for the food. Starting with the drinks initially there were 3 cocktails and later 2 beers all good. For the appetizers we covered most of them. 1) roasted Brussels sprouts sweet and savory... how do you make the leaves flakey yet moist? They did it. 2) grilled tender octopus with crispy chick peas again very tasty. 3) cooked beets one a bed of hummus, good combo. 4) liver pate very smooth with biscuits and jam. The main courses ordered were: 1) the hamburger cooked to a dark crust topped with avocado slices and sprouts (I am sure there were other condiments but it was all I noticed.) And what looks like garlic fries. 2) Halibut fillet crispy and tender on the inside. 3) Cornish Game hen a little dry but tasty. 4) Duck breast with a cherry sauce tender and excellent. The kids split a mushroom pasta excellent. For dessert: 1) mango mousse cake. 2) mint chocolate ice cream with real mint! 3) chocolate cake with a black sesame cream frosting. The service was excellent! The waiter intermittently cleared the table and actually wiped the crumbs...and table before dessert. You will have to excuse the lack of detail and accuracy on all the food description. Check out the menu. My apologies. Our entrees ranged from 18 to 48 dollars. I do want to recognize the waiter he was excellent. There was a 20% gratuity added for 6 or greater number of customers. This is well worth it at this restaurant. We enjoyed the meal very much. Give them a try! PS our server was Jared. He took really good care of us! read more

My husband and I went for Valentines Day and thoroughly enjoyed our meal!! Quick rundown: - cheddar and black pepper pop over: very peppery, massive in size, butter that comes with it makes for a delicious combination - avocado, crab, and endive salad: might be my favorite salad ever, the balance of flavors is truly a hit - agnolotti: who doesn't love pasta stuffed with cheese?? - pan seared branzino: perfectly crispy skin - angus ribeye steak: husband loved it, the mash potatoes were his fave - chocolate walnut marquise: rich, delicious - pear sorbet: very pear forward which was surprising but oh so good Everything was very well executed and the service was fantastic. Highly recommend. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Made a reservation two weeks ago. Got seated in the closed-off outdoor area. When asked if we could have additional heat, we were told no without additional explanation. Super disappointing that we could not get a table inside despite planning well ahead. We had six different servers, which felt very disjointed. Check-ins for drinks and additional service was very hit or miss. Food was fine but not great. Still wondering why I would order a $60 steak and sit in 50-degree weather despite the reservation. Wanted to like this place, will not go back. read more

I had the pleasure of attending a work event here last night. It was an pharmaceuticals company engagement. We had a great time, the side room they gave us was really effective and low noise coming through. The service from Jeff was great. The food was killer as in perfection. We were served so many yummy things (family style). I even tried the octopus and it was heaven. Special shout out to Christopher in the bar for making me a Devine Paper Plane. He was so warm and welcoming as well. I will definitely be back to get a few cocktails from him. I will say I reviewed the prices and I think they are good for such a fine dining experience. Kudos to this establishment. read more

The service was exceptional and the quality of the product was outstanding. The only problem was there was a fly in the dining room and constantly hovering our food. read more

The Wolf - Pan fried cod sandwich, pastrami, hamburger, and duck liver mousse - New American Near Me - Oakland, California

Great food and service. The Wolf is our go-to local spot for a special meal. Consistently delicious.

Delicious food and excellent service. We came here for lunch during the weekday. Bloody Mary-- 3/5 A decent drink, we just prefer a more spicy BM. Still, there was a lot of liquor in it and it wasn't bad. Popover-- 5/5 AMAZING! And the onion butter was the chef's kiss! Roast beef sandwich-- 3.5/5 Good quality meat with a nice lemony aioli. Homemade potato chips that came with the sandwich were delicious. The meat is good quality, but a tad on the fatty side for me. Burger -- 5/5 Solid burger! Medium-rare was perfectly cooked and juicy! Fries that came with it were also nice and herby. Definitely coming back to eat this again. Just wonderful!! Strawberry shortcake dessert-- 4/5 Fantastic dessert. You can really taste the quality ingredients! The strawberries were so fresh and amazing. Service-- 5/5 Friendly and quick service and they even split the sandwich and burger for us...even the chips and fries. That attention to detail is fantastic. The food and service is of upscale standards yet the place has a classy yet laid-back casual vibe as well. We will definitely be back!!! read more

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Lively and lovely! I knew this place as the Bay Wolf years ago and this permutation is terrific

Went with a friend and we were sat at a comfortable table, the food and drink was excellent and we received great service.

The Wolf is our favorite special lunch spot! I love being able to eat on the patio. Your severs are excellent! Good always delish. Thanks for being our favorite go to weekend treat spot! read more

The Wolf - Little Gems salad and the popover! - New American Near Me - Oakland, California

Awesome food and great service. Cocktails are also unique and very good. Love this place for a nice lunch or dinner.

I love The Wolf, and I'm a regular but the food hasn't been great on my last visits. What's happened ? I had to return the duck & then order the Beef, which isn't Wagu. It's tough & overcooked. Why why? What's going on The Wolf. read more

Since I wrote my last review, we moved very close to The Wolf...and then the pandemic hit so we were only able to do take out...and we did and it was great. But today we got to return to REALLY eat at The Wolf and it was better than ever. Better how? The burger, which was always fantastic (and a relative bargain), seemed improved. Better bun and a bit more restrained as far as garnishes. Like Coco Chanel said about accessorizing: "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take at least one thing off." I don't know what they took off but they perfected it. I've always enjoyed the wine list but it was even better. Most places, I comb through the BTG list to find one I'll drink. Today, I could have any of them but the Cain Cuvee was perfect. Order the octopus. Always. Service is spot on. Our server was delightful and Jill is delightful as well. We saw her but she wasn't part of our experience today. There's a trend here...you'll most likely be well taken care of. This place is a gem. read more

Came in without reservations. We were able to seat at the bar within 20 mins or less. Service was nice.. although they got my order wrong.. and they charged for the wrong items on the bill. I advise everyone to check their bill and remember what items and drinks you guys ordered. My friend ordered the lamb and she enjoyed her dish. The fried tomatoes and grilled halloumi was meh.... Duck confit was really good on first few bites... really rich... and than it got really salty... i advise ordering acme bread if you also find this dish salty. read more

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That pork chop was delicious! I really liked it with the figs, and it was cooked perfectly. It was very tender and flavorful. The octopus, fisherman's stew, and baked alaska were also very good, but the pork chop was so good, everything else was overshadowed. We would definitely come back for that pork chop! The alcoholic drink he ordered was similar to an old fashioned so he really enjoyed it. Service was really nice. The Waitress was very helpful and cleaned our table multiple times throughout the dinner which was really nice. Ambiance on the patio is a little loud but still very nice. Ambiance inside is typical nice bar if you sit at the bar and very quiet and comfortable at the tables inside. This is one of the only restaurants I've been to in awhile that wasn't blasting music (even other "upscale" restaurants) so I really liked that. read more

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Very delicious food and even better service. Came here the other night and ordered the pork chop which was easily one of the best pork chops I've eaten. Perfectly seasoned/cooked. Also, they have some of the most professional staff in the business. Everyone is extremely attentive and always ready to help with a request. This place is a hidden gem. read more

Great dinner for my sons birthday. Couldn't get us in on a Thursday at 6 but we were able to make 5:45 work. Amazing service from arrival through the meal until we left. Attentive but not obtrusive. A truly great vibe. It's a very limited menu. We had a really good meal but not an amazing, blow your mind away dinner. Expensive and worth it. Popover and Brussels sprouts were both a ten out of ten. Endive/nectarine salad was good. Pork chop needed to be re fired after it showed up pretty raw. The burger and fries were great. The apricot sorbet and chocolate cake were forgettable. Active crime scene on the street as we watched a smash and grab burglary when we left. Leave your car windows rolled down. Oakland is a lawless city these days. read more

The Wolf - Nectarine Endive salad. - New American Near Me - Oakland, California

They nailed it, awesome team atmosphere and staff, keep it up! Really liked the experience read more

Cozy, delicious, and spot on with the wait staff! I don't live in the area, but I will definitely be coming back over and over again!

I've been to the Wolf twice for birthdays and both times it was great vibes and better food. FOOD - 5 stars - We started with an oyster each with mignonette granite which was a terrific balance of brine-y and acidic. The oysters had a pleasantly sweet and mild flavor. - The risotto had delightful texture and the summer vegetables melded perfectly with the rice. - The fish was flaky while still having a satisfying bite to it. I've never had white fish and mint together before but together with the other vegetables it worked quite well. - The ribeye was exactly the medium rare that I asked for. Big beefy flavor and tender. All I wanted from a steak. AMBIANCE / SERVICE - 5 stars - The Wolf always has a great vibe and the enthusiastic wait staff. I love the way they explain and present the dishes. OVERALL - 5 stars, a great spot for a special occasion read more

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Living in Piedmont is the best. I can walk to the Wolf. Friendly staff, Clean restaurant with a fun menu. I would come every day, but it's a bit pricey. read more

Rude waitress made us feel so rushed and not important at all, we ordered so much food , the ahi , bread, salad , gazpacho, ribeye , and lobster pasta , wine , 2 mixed drinks, surely we should have been treated kindly , NO. Also the reviews are deceptive. This is NOT 5 star food. The ahi taste like McDonalds collab with non sushi grade fish, the ribeye was so tough my mouth hurts and there was no lobster in the pasta . The mixed drinks taste rancid honestly. I'm so upset about this experience I was so optimistic and happy to be there. Bread was the best thing we had. Go somewhere else . read more

The food was amazing and the service was great! I ordered soft shell crab and the coconut sorbet. The soft shell crab is definitely tastier than the Spanish octopus. Check it out! read more

The Wolf - New American Near Me - Oakland, California

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My husband and I went to celebrate his birthday at The Wolf, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, for the first time. We had reservations and were sat immediately. The bar was quite full and the restaurant was about half full. It was real cozy and trendy inside. We started off with drinks: I got the non-alcoholic choice, the red-nose, being a pregnant woman, and my husband got The GPD and then a Manhattan. The first drink for him was watery but the second was strong and delicious, as he reported. My drink tasted like Christmas! I was surprised it was yellow though. For an appetizer, we ordered the fried brussel sprouts. Oh my! They were absolutely delicious. They had a sweet and spicy chili sauce that was addicting! For meals, I ordered the wild mushroom risotto and my husband got the duck con fit. My picture of the duck turned out to be blurry but it was delicious and melted in your mouth. However, he only got 1 leg with sides and it was quite small. My risotto was light and filled with mushrooms, which I was so happy about. We did not get desert but we did finish off the brussel sprouts before we left. Overall, everything was pretty tasty, service was good, but I wish the portions were a little bigger for the price. We enjoyed ourselves and would go back. read more

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This is a great place to go for special meals and celebrations. We have been going about 2-3 times a year for over 4-5 years and have never had a bad meal. Food is consistently delicious and fresh. Service above par. read more

I don't do 1 star reviews. Seriously, go look at my profile. Since I've used Yelp I try to only write reviews for places I really want people to visit. Also, I served at an upscale restaurant in Napa for 8 years and if you received more than 3 negative reviews you were fired. I looked at the 1 star reviews for this place and they all say what my bf and I experienced so I decided to chime in too. Let me set the scene for you. My bf and I really want to move to Piedmont area and have become huge fans of Piedmont Ave. it's his birthday and I plan a whole day in the area. A hike in the redwoods, lunch, drinks, Piedmont springs (check them out!), yoga class, and a nice dinner. My bf and I had walked past this place so many times and he expressed interest in going. Of course I put it on the list! We had our hike and went for lunch. He was excited I remembered! We walked up the stairs and went to the host stand. The hostess gave us a not so subtle up and down. It made me so uncomfortable I said, "we just got back from a beautiful hike. Hope we're not too underdressed." She somehow very rudely stated, "You're fine." and took us to a table. Having been in service for many years I I knew what was up. The snootiness, the placement in the back corner and the quick walk away as if she couldn't be bothered to say something like, "enjoy your meal!" Or, "your server will be with you in a moment." We sat and looked at the menu. And we sat some more. 5 minutes had passed, not exaggerating, not a server in sight. I'm being cool bc you know what? It's not about me, it's about my bf. He mentioned he wasn't impressed with the menu and was really disappointed that I made the underdressed comment. I was a little taken aback bc I didn't mean to upset him. He expressed that he felt really unwelcome by the hostess and was disappointed that I even HAD to defend myself. He told me he wanted to go. There was nothing here he wanted and would hate to give our money to anyone there. 11 minutes we were there, yes I timed it. Not a cup of water, a server, or any other staff member, so we got up and left. We went to Cato's Ale House and had a surprisingly fabulous lunch and great conversation with the staff there. If we do move into the neighborhood, neither of us have any interest in going back to The Wolf. We'll spend all of our money elsewhere on servers that deserve 30% + tips. Hopefully they'll fire and hire better staff. Piedmont Ave is full of so many wonderful establishments why would anyone choose to go there if they're treated like that? read more

My friends have been wanting to try the Wolf and arranged to have a birthday dinner here on a recent Tuesday. This was the previous location of Bay Wolf and has now it is the Wolf from the owners of Wood Tavern. We were able to find street parking on the same block. Checking in, we were seated in the main dining room, which as a bar in the middle and kitchen in the back. They have a more quaint dining area in the front. Our waitress greeted us and took our drink orders. After she returned with our drinks, we placed our orders after scouting out the menu, which consisted of seven starters and seven entrees. Starters: ACME Bread - I love ACME and the bread is complementary upon request. Spanish Octopus - Instead of grilled, the octopus was fried to a light crisp and rests on hummus, butter mile-yogurt sauce and chili relish with crispy chickpeas, sesame, sumac and salted cucumber. Chicory and Shinko Pear Salad - chicory and watercress with candied walnuts, blue cheese, slices of pear in a Roquefort vinaigrette. Unique and tasty salad. Garlic Naan with Burrata - crispy spiced lentils, mint chutney, cut green onions, cilantro and espelette pepper rests on top of a garlic naan. Another unique dish and it was so good. Entrees: Cameroni pasta with rabbit ragout - a penne-like pasta with chanterelle mushrooms, sage, parsley, arugula with shaved piave cheese. I love pasta and this was delish. The various ingredients melded well together. Seafood and Butter Bean Stew - a Cioppino like dish with gulf prawns, mussels, clams, rockfish, calamari, kale, fennel, with a garlic toast in a light tomato broth. Friend enjoyed the dish. Eggplant and Saffron Risotto - roasted red peppers sit on top of tomato, pine nut, grana Padano, parsley-orange oil and mint risotto. Friend enjoyed the dish. Grilled Berkshire Pork Chop - a perfectly cooked pork chop served sliced on top of flageolet baked beans, shredded Napa cabbage, pickled apples and mustard seed. This was substantial plate. I had a taste of the pork and it was delish. I would get this the next visit. Dessert: Fried apple pies - two small pies with a scoop of rosemary ice cream on top of gingerbread crumble glazed with fennel pollen Chocolate pistachio tres leches cake - a chocolate cake topped with pistachio pastry cream in the center and topped with a ribbon frosting and sprinkled with crushed pistachio. Strawberry ice cream sandwich - this was not on the menu and was complementary. It was two wedges of a sandwich. The ice cream was tasty and dense. We enjoyed our dinner. The food was nicely plated and delicious. The entrée portions aside from the pork chop were on the lighter side for the price. Our waitress was friendly and engaging. Opt for the front room for a more quaint dining experience. read more

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For our annual dinner with my college friends, it was back in the Oakland area this year where unfortunately many restaurants are closed on Sundays.  Luckily my friend came up with the suggestion of The Wolf since I had introduced them to the Wood's other restaurant Wood Tavern 4 years ago.   At the old Baywolf location, it is at the quieter end of Piedmont Ave. on the weekends so parking was no problem and it was still walking distance to Fenton's for us to hang out afterwards.  Serving up plate after plate of delicious food, we managed to try half the menu by doing it family style with a group of 6 that has become family.   Acme bread is available upon request, request it!!  Appetizers of fried Brussel sprouts and Spanish octopus to start were both hits.  We tried 5 out of the 6 entrees with the exception of the burger since I just had that for lunch.  Rib eye, lobster risotto, halibut, egg tagliatelle, chicken roulades, the standouts for me was the lobster risotto and chicken roulades which I did not expect to like so much.  Surprisingly the dish I would've ordered if we gone a la carte, the halibut was my least favorite.  In comparison to everything else, it was on the bland side.   I got the watermelon spritzer which I would take a pass on next time and save that money towards another risotto. read more

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