Last night, I went for dinner with Adam, and his co-worker Wade, who were in town for another slew of meetings for work (The North Face) at the corporate headquarters in San Leandro. I had been dying to try a new restaurant called Nopa, located in an area referred to as the Western Addition, or more recently, the trendy NOPA (short for "North of the Panhandle"). Nopa has been getting rave reviews, with critics hailing it as the new Zuni Cafe. The hype touts Nopa as a hip, eclectic eatery, that stays open late (until 1 am...yay!), is popular with industry folks, and the converted space is warm, vibrant and welcoming, with vaulted ceilings, wood beams, magnificent windows.
Nopa's reservation policy is that they only take reservations for same-day dining and after 2 pm. I called at 2:30 pm and the first available time for a table of 3 was 8:45 pm. Yowza, SF folks are on the ball for reservations at this place!
As soon as we walked in, it was evident that we're not the only ones curious about Nopa. It was packed and the room smelled and looked great. The hostess and manager(s) were very kind, especially as we had to wait for a table, despite our 8:45 pm reservation. We went over to the bar and ordered some cocktails to start.
The cocktails:
Adam - "El Diablo" (Tequila, creme de cassis, lime juice, ginger beer)
Wade - Ketel One Martini, straight up with an olive
Bea - "Painted Lady" (Vodka, strawberry, cava, and something else, I can't remember!)
It was about a 35 minute wait for our table, which sucked, considering how hungry we were, but the staff was super polite and professional, so it was difficult to be mad.
After we were seated, the server and accompanying support staff were totally on the mark, with efficient service, helpful suggestions, and my water glass was always full. It was nice to see that all the entrees were under $20, which seems to be a rarity these days.
The appetizers:
As soon as we sat down, the server brought over a small taster of crostini, olive tapenade, and some sea salt to sprinkle for taste. It was really good, especially with the addition of the sea salt. I preferred this to the usual table bread that you get at restaurants, mostly because I'm usually starving and eat too much bread before my meal. In this case, the crostini and tapenade was a great teaser without filling me up too much.
Adam - Spicy Lamb Riblets, Coriander and Mint
The spicy lamb riblets were a tasty treat, with a nice little kick and a decent serving size. Adam enjoyed them quite heartily.
Wade - Baked Goat Cheese, Crostini, Frisee and Figs
This appetizer was another surefire winner. There was plenty of fluffy goat cheese, and when the server saw that we were getting low on the crunchy crostini, they brought us more without us even asking!
Bea - Wild Salmon Carpaccio, Arugula and California Olive Oil
What can I say? I'm a sucker for carpaccio, and if it's salmon---bring it on! The arugula reminded me of the carpaccio that I had a lot in Italy. There was a slight sprinkling of rock salt that added a nice taste as well.
The entrees:
Adam & Wade - Grilled Pork Chop, Grilled Peaches and Braised Rainbow Chard Both Adam & Wade went for the server's suggestion regarding the pork. I saw it go by when we were waiting for our table, so I figured it would be a good bet. The grilled peaches were amazing, Adam was nice enough to give me a bite. The pork chop was tender, deliciously seasoned, and it was entertaining watching Adam try to pace himself and not engorge the entire pork chop in one bite.
Bea - Pan-seared White Bass with White Corn, Cherry Tomatoes in some amazing sauce...
I went the untraditional route and chose another fish dish (I know, I know, I didn't choose the meat!?!?). The fish itself was good, but not great. I thought that the seasoned crust was a little salty, and the fish was cooked well, but not as moist as I would've liked it. What really impressed me was the accompanying white corn and cherry tomato extravaganza. I can't remember what went into the sauce, but I couldn't get enough of that goodness. More please!
The desserts:
So we couldn't help it, we had to try their desserts. Adam made us do it...it's all his fault.
Adam - Blackberry Almond Crostata and Lemon Cream
Adam's desert was tasty, but the best part of it was the lemon cream, that made me want some lemon meringue pie. I'm sure it must've been Meyer lemon too, judging by the reaction on my tongue.
Wade - Peach-Blackberry Cobbler and Vanilla Ice Cream
Wade went with the server recommendation of the cobbler, and he was particularly persuaded to go with the cobbler based on his love of the grilled peaches from his main dish. More peaches? It's the best thing since sliced bread! When we tasted the cobbler, what was surprising was the overwhelming berry taste, which made Wade sad, but it was still a very delightful cobbler.
Bea - Strawberry cream panna cotta
I chose the Strawberry panna cotta, and I think it was the definite winner. Whilst the other desserts had fantastic elements, this dessert was clean, simple and good overall.
In the end, it was after 11 pm, we had finished everything on our plates, and subsequently, felt like exploding. Nopa was a fantastic overall, from the room, the menu, the service, and the food. It's also quite reasonable economically, and has become one of my new favorites.
Try it! You'll like it too!
After dinner, I had to go home and try to digest, I may have overdone it. Too bad, because I ended up missing Jackie and Javier's going away drinks get-together at Lucky 13. Jackie and Jav (a.k.a. Jack-ier) are moving to Michigan where Jackie is going to grad school. I'm a bad friend! Good luck to Jackie and Jav!
