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Pizzaiollo
5008 Telegraph Ave.
Oakland, CA 94609
510.652.4888
www.pizzaiolooakland.com
I held off on going to Pizzaiollo for months. The reviews were outstanding, but the crowds of people who came to savor Charlie Hallowell's food were also spending lots of time out standing on the sidewalk waiting for tables.
A friend called at precisely 3 p.m. one day last week (they will take same-day reservations beginning at 3 p.m.), stayed on hold for 15 minutes, but scored a reservation for a time we knew we couldn't make. We took it anyway. And, after a few phone calls to update on our progress, the kind host promised we would have a table when we got there. And we did.
Hallowell is a disciple of Alice Water's, having worked at Chez Panisse before going out on his own. He lives above the restaurant and seems to sincerely see it as a mission to cook fresh foods for his community, his friends and his family-like staff.
Hallowell makes use of what's fresh and local, and the menu changes daily. You can generally count on several wood-fired pizzas, several antipasti, a few larger meat/animal dishes and a few pastas. Plenty of options are vegetarian or can easily be made vegetarian.
My wild nettles and pecorino pizza (above) had an excellent thin crust. The pecorino didn't quite hold up to the flavor of the nettles, but it was good nonetheless.
My antipasti of fried squash blossoms stuffed with cherry tomatoes, basil and cukes were fantastic. I really could have made a meal out of those ...maybe two orders, especially as friends also couldn't resist them.
The restaurant is casual. The kitchen (below) is open. Waiters wear what they want. Despite its success, there's no pretense.
Do check out the drink list - some interesting house specials. Dinner for four - with a drink each, a bottle of moderately priced wine, appetizers, pizzas and a couple of desserts to share came to something over $200.
Dirt Candy
430 E. 9th Street
New York, NY
212.228.7732
www.dirtcandynyc.com
Dirt Candy fills a tiny space in the East Village. The restaurant is not much bigger than my hallway, but what is it they say about good things and small packages?
Amanda Cohen, chef and owner of Dirt Candy, has worked in just about every vegetarian restaurant in Manhattan. She opened Dirt Candy last fall do one thing - cook vegetables (candy from the dirt) and cook them well.
She's honest when she says in her blog, "I don't care about your health." That's apparent by her use of the deep fryer. The house specialty is jalapeno hush puppies with maple butter served as a snack for $6. They didn't do much for me, tasting rather bland, though the maple butter was nice. Soups were more flavorful.
Other dishes were more satisfying. The crispy tofu in kaffir lime buerre blanc (below) was worth the $17.
Any dish at Dirt Candy can be made vegan. The wine list is short, reasonably priced (most bottles from $20-$40), and somewhat interesting.
There are certainly better vegetarian restaurants in New York, but when you need a change from Candle 79 or Pure Food and Wine, Dirt Candy's not a bad choice.
TeraZo
Suweta Street
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
www.baligoodfood.com/terazo.asp
This comfortable open-air restaurant is near the center of Ubud, yet just far enough removed from what hustle and bustle there is to make for a nice respite. Located close to the town's main temple, during the dinner hours the beautiful Balinese women in their colorful sarongs and lacy blouses often walk by with their lofty offerings of fruit and flower pyramids elegantly balanced on their heads. There are few better ways to pass time than sitting in TeraZo, drink in hand, watching the world go by.
Well, there is one way to make it even better ... by enjoying lunch or dinner there. While the restaurant has several vegetarian items on the menu from polenta with ratatouille and basil pesto or fresh pappardelle with mushroom cream, they make the most incredible twice-baked goat cheese soufflé (below). On my first visit to Ubud, I ordered it three times in seven days. I could have lived on it.
Vegetarian pot stickers (below) are another good appetizer choice.
For dessert, the Temple of Chocolate, made with European chocolates, is worth a sacrifice or two.
Prices are a little high by Balinese standards. Expect to pay about $50 for dinner for two.
TeraZo does have a wine list and a full bar. Alcohol taxes in Bali are quite high (somewhere around 200 percent), so be prepared. Do skip the local Hatten wine. It's among the worst wines I've ever sampled.
