hellion7's Profile
Acquacotta in Alameda
They're open for lunch now, too! Tues-Sat, 11:30-2:30. They have at least 2 pastas, 2 paninis, and the standard (delicious, vegetarian, fresh) acquacotta soup and another soup. Plus appetizers.
Today I had a sausage/mozzarella/marinara panini, My husband had tagliatelle w/ traditional meat sauce which is one of his favorites. We split the acquacotta soup which provided a good size bowl for each of us. The soup comes with a big grilled piece of rustic bread.
This place has really turned into a favorite of ours. They usually have something that is perfect comfort food for me - the soup, soft polenta with something. I also really like the desserts I have had - recently a Meyer lemon tart, a while back, some kind of almond tart that was very tasty. They also have the Vignettes Wine Country sodas. And a full bar.
Deliciousness alert: thai basil coconut @ Screamsorbet
i second that. i had the thai basil coconut and the nectarine-raspberry from scream at the jack london square farmers' market sunday and thought both were delish, but the basil coconut was especially good and unusual. i thought it was lime with it, but maybe it was lemon.
east bay weekday brunch
a second on venus. my favorite comfortable breakfast spot, nice and quiet on a weekday.
delicious biscuits. my husband always gets the "fried egg sandwich with white cheddar and chipotle mayo on wheat or sourdough" and optional "niman ranch ham or bacon."
Alameda breakfast/brunch recommendations?
the new zealander on webster street has brunch, but i've only been for dinner.
anyone else had brunch there?
it's a historic building, and they have a full bar. menu and map at their website.
the-newzealander.com
-----
New Zealander
1400 Webster St, Alameda, CA 94501
Flora in Oakland was...great!
i had the caramel pudding there about 6 weeks ago and LOVED it! i thought the salt was interesting and delicious on top - it was big (for salt) chunks, on the pudding, not the whipped cream, and there weren't any skin-on-top problems.
and it is a beautiful room.
Vignette Wine Country Soda - WOW!
the links:
-----
Acquacotta
1544 Webster St, Alameda, CA 94501
Alameda Natural Grocery
1650 Park St, Alameda, CA
Vignette Wine Country Soda - WOW!
i liked it too. they have it at acquacotta restaurant in alameda (on webster) and at the alameda natural grocery. i'm a sucker for packaging, and they have pretty labels.
Mintleaf Vietnemese in Marina Village, Alameda
We had dinner here tonight and would go back.
I had a seafood (shrimp, scallop) pumpkin curry that was delish. the "pumpkin" was some kind of squash that i'm not used to calling pumpkin - green skin, a little bit grainy texture. I wasn't sure about it at first, but by the end I was loving it and trying to get every last bit of sauce. I had it with coconut rice.
My husband had a fried rice with pineapple - he wasn't that enthusiastic, but it wasn't bad. He said it needed more pineapple and wasn't as good as a pineapple rice dish he had had at Vo's in San Leandro.
We also had fried imperial rolls that we liked.
There was an odd thing with the drinks - my husband ordered a Strawberry Fanta, listed with the sodas on the menu, and it came out in a glass, uncarbonated and a little strange. The server was responsive to our questions and got the owner to come out to talk to us about it. He said there was a problem with the carbonation in the fountain. (not sure of the correct terminology for that).
He was very personable and told us that he and his sister own and run the restaurant, and she arrived with her kids just then.
The decor is fairly upscale for the location - he said they went overbudget. I found it a pleasant place to be.
Anyway, they have a page of lunch specials that I would try, and we'll probably go back for lunch or dinner.
Brunch, Little House Cafe, Alameda
I've eaten at Little House for lunch a number of times. I really like the "Bavette's Feast" sandwich with bavette steak. She also makes a delicious bread pudding sometimes with leftover croissants.
I've never had any problems with the service.
I would second the comments about the restoration. They really took great care with it. The bathroom is particularly nice with cool wallpaper and a gothic looking bat light fixture.
Unfortunately, they were broken into about 2 weeks ago and the cash register was stolen. They came through the window in the bathroom.
Acquacotta in Alameda
My husband and tried out Acquacotta, a new (just opened 4/1) restaurant in Alameda on Webster. We were both pleased.
Their website: http://www.acquacotta.net/
has tonight's menu as the sample menu
I had the Acquacotta soup - very light and tasty, with lots of colorful lightly cooked veggies (cauliflower, asparagus, red and yellow peppers, zucchini and yellow squash, and probably other stuff) and fresh herbs. I also had Rigatoncini with sausage, artichokes and ricotta salata. I thought it was delicious, with a flavorful broth-like sauce.
My husband had a salad that had very fresh lettuces and a tasty olive oil dressing, and Papardelle with Ragu - a thin sauce with ground beef. He liked both.
With a liter of sparkling water, it came to $52.
They have a full bar and the decor is pleasant, although I think it is missing something. Service was good. They open at 5pm, although we saw somewhere that they would be open for lunch - probably something old online.
The restaurant has been a long time coming - this info is from the January 2006 newsletter of the West Alameda Business Association:
A Taste of Tuscany on Webster
Acquacotta, is joining restaurant row on Alameda’s Webster Street. Owner/Chef John Couacaud says the literal translation of Acquacotta is “cooked water,” but it refers to a group of lovely soups from the Tuscan coast of Italy. One should expect the food to be exceptional. Couacaud has 30 years experience in the restaurant industry, including several years as executive sous chef at Prima Ristorante in Walnut Creek and line cook and sous chef at Oliveto Cafe and Restaurant on College Avenue, under Chef Curt Clingman, who now is at JoJo on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland. A sample menu, which Couacaud said he would not be held to, showed tasty appetizers like crostini and proscuitto with marinated artichokes, salads, sandwiches, main dishes like roast chicken and desserts.
http://www.westalamedabusiness.com/waba/waba_news_pdf/WABA_NL_1-06.pdf
a little bit more info here: http://www.alamedamagazine.com/media/Alameda-Magazine/November-2007/Tidbits/
My Berkeley/Oakland faves, tell me yours
i mean they cook it inside too. not sure if it is grill or griddle.
My Berkeley/Oakland faves, tell me yours
you can get the outside burger inside also anytime.
Alameda - Japanese - Sushi - "Sushi House"
i agree w/ hollow leg. after the horrendous serviced we got a couple days ago, when it wasn't even peak eating hours, my husband and i finally said never again. for some reason i was super thirsty, and i couldn't get anyone to bring water. couldn't find our server, asked another server for water who never brought it, finally had to go get my own. no tea refills for the entire meal, no check-back from the server to see if we needed anything for the whole meal. we have gone a few times when i am afraid that other sushi places are too expensive for the moment, but i'm just not sure that it is *that* much cheaper for 2 people. and the food is really nothing special at all. maybe for quantity on a bento box, but quality, average at best.
one positive thing: when we went with friends who have a two-year old making a mess, in the lyons/sizzler setting, i didn't feel too bad.
My Berkeley/Oakland faves, tell me yours
i love the "outside burger" at t-rex. tasty and such a deal. 4 oz burger w/ cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, homemade pickles and onions for $5!
03/21/08 Burma Superstar Report: Some Truly Unique Asian Delights
went to bagan/burma super star in alameda tonight (tuesday) around 7:15 pm. were able to get a 2 person table right away, but it was crowded and people after us had to wait. seemed to be only one server in the whole place who was working as fast as she could, but it was a tad slow. there was a help-wanted sign in the window. it was very loud inside.
the menu looked to be the same as in SF.
we enjoyed the food - the platha (?) bread was good, crispy.
the coconut chicken soup was rich and tasty and a big bowl.
we would go back for sure, but i'm afraid it is going to get busier and busier!
Is Johnny's Half Shell still good?
Has anyone eaten at the new location recently? I have only eaten at the Dupont Circle restaurant. It was very good, but i have heard mixed reviews about their new location.
Anyone been to Great American BBQ lately? [Alameda]
Just wanted to second (third? fourth?) the opinions that the new ownership has made a difference. Went in tonight and the new owner Harry was working the counter. Said he has owned the place for a couple months and offered rib sample.
I had the smoked chicken salad - the chicken was moist and delicious and there was enough of it (not the skimpy dry stuff from the prior ownership). It doesn't seem like much of a "salad" place, so the salad part was merely adequate: romaine lettuce, red onions, mealy tomatoes and token red cabbage and carrot slivers. The chicken made it.
My husband had the ribs and brisket. The ribs were very tender and had good smoky flavor. The brisket had just the right amount of tenderness inside and crispness on the outside.
We shared a peach cobbler that had a nice biscuit top.
We'll definitely go back.
