Saturday, May 5, 2012

Oakland's Plum a Perfect Pick

Plum
2216 Broadway
Oakland, CA
510.444.7586
info@plumoakland.com

Chef Daniel Patterson is best known for his formal restaurant Coi, but his Oakland restaurant Plum, while more casual and with a neighborhood-feel, is no less pleasing.  The restaurant is based on small plates that feature only organic vegetables from local farmers. While there are meats on the menu too, it's vegetable-centric.The dishes are creative - the asparagus was served with lily bulb and grapefruit, and the charcuterie featured pickled vegetables with violet mustard. Each dish I tried had excellent flavors and was well-balanced. Vegetarian dishes average about $12 each.
Fresh beet salad

Asparagus and fingerlings, fresh hummus, pickled pearl onions, frisee
Asparagus miso zabalone, lily bulb, sea bean, grapefruit
White bean agnolotti, black trumpet mushroom, meyer lemon, ramps