My new favorite spot, Encuentro is a tiny little, cool and hip restaurant serving fabulous vegetarian (some vegan, some not) fare. Sitting on the corner of Second Street and Jackson in what I call the loft district of Oakland (just about across from the Amtrak station), two of its walls are floor-to-ceiling windows, and the inside is clean, simple, natural, contemporary, and slightly raw. There are probably only 10 tables in the entire place, most of them on the smallish side. There's a cool bar, and the servers are cool tool. Free ample street parking.
Connie, Kathy, Holly, and I met there (Encuentro actually means "to meet, gather, encounters") on a Wednesday evening for dinner. I was the first one there, but they very graciously sat me at the table they had been saving for us. We got the corner table, a good location, I think. The servers were casual, but attentive, talking quietly and gently, and thoughtfully answering our questions and recommending glasses of wine. It was fairly quiet when we first got there (6:3o), but as the evening wore on, it gradually filled up. There was music in the background, although I couldn't actually place it.
The menu consists of primarily small-plate type of items, all vegetarian, although not all vegan, as some of the dishes contain eggs and/or cheese, although the labeling is clear. We shared several dishes amongst us: a) Rich Truffled Mushroom Pecan Pate, with grain mustard, prune jam, and caper berries; b) Panzanella Salad (roasted celery root, beets, crunchy bread cubes, Gorgonzola cheese, and toasted pine nuts on a bed of winter greens); c) Sauteed Spring Garlic and Roasted Cauliflower Bruschetta; d) Avocado, Olive Oil, and Cilantro Bruschetta with Chile Jam and Black Salt; and e) Stuffed Mushrooms with Tempeh Sausage. Did I forget anything? Oh, and for dessert, some sort of a blueberry and lemon cake-like thing, although not as sweet or as rich as the word "cake" summons in my mind.
At their recommendation (I said "red" and "substance"), I tried what they called "Coturri" (Carignane - 08 (v), "wild blackberry/peppercorn/earth/campfire"). I don't know a lot about wine, but to me, this one was very different, and very good. One of the other servers told me that it was from Mendocino, and the grapes for it grew during the year of the fires up there; hence, the unusual, almost barbecue-like flavors. I'm not sure that I could taste all of that, but I enjoyed the wine, enjoyed their light chatter about it, and enjoyed the very approachable and fun descriptions on the menu.
I'll be interested to hear what the others thought about the food, but I really enjoyed it. First of all, it was fun to be at an all-vegetarian place. Since I've been eating most vegetarian (I realize the irony there) for a couple of years now, I'm basically used to having only 1 or 2 items on a menu to select from if I want to stick with my eating plan. And even then, oftentimes those items are high in fat (think macaroni and cheese, etc.). I make do, and it's perfectly fine, but to have a WHOLE menu of vegetarian options was just plain FUN! Then, the food itself, to me, was great. There were some familiar ingredients, both also some more unique ones, and unique preparation methods as well. Interesting, and almost exciting in a way. And while I knew going in that one of the owners (Eric Tucker) is a "big shot" in the foodie world (executive chef at Millenium), I've actually never been to that restaurant (always seemed too fancy, old-fashioned, and expensive; but I may have to revisit those impressions now), and I know that he's supposedly a master of vegan food, I still wasn't sure what to expect. But you know what? I really, really, really, enjoyed this food. A little on the smallish side, but the price per plate, was reasonable, so while I forget how much we actually spent, I remember at the time thinking that it was fairly reasonable. And yummy, yummy food!
I should probably also admit that I went back two days after our Oaktown Crawl visit! I was supposed to go out for pizza with some other friends that Friday night, but they had to cancel at the last minute. Kenny was working late, and I was still thinking about the food and atmosphere at Encuentro, so I decided to take myself back! I went early, straight from work, about 5:30, and sat at the bar, next to the "specials" chalkboard. This time, at their recommendation (I said "red" and "something different than what I tried last time"), I tried Irish Monkey (Tempranillo/Tannat -08 (v) "pomegranate/thyme/cedar"). I liked it, but I think I preferred my Wednesday night wine a little more than my Friday night wine. For dinner, I had their "Socca of the Day" - three smallish squares of soft-ish socca, topped with some combination of green garlic, some greens, and something else that's already escaped me, all roasted or caramelized. It was divine. Delicious, light, just a tad different, great flavor, and very satisfying, both emotionally and in my tummy. I could have stopped there, but couldn't, so for dessert? Avocado Bruschetta, what else?! The servers were great to me, and the place had a great vibe, which made for great people-watching. A great dinner and a fun (and different evening)!
I will definitely, definitely be back... in fact, if I could afford it, I'd probably find myself in their doorway at least once a week!
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