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I stumbled onto something fabulous last weekend. First of all, I was in Old Oakland, the hub of fabulous. For those who haven't discovered its hip charms, Washington Street is covered in niche pubs and tapas restaurants. You can do brunch, buy a pair of designer jeans and cool off with a Belgian beer without leaving the block.
Recently, one of those acclaimed brunch spots, the Latin-inspired Cock-A-Doodle Cafe, decided to reopen its doors on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through September. Chef-owner Blanca Arechiga figures the same customers who flock to the bright, art-filled eatery for her Ceviche Benedict or Oaxacan Slow-Roasted Pork Omelette will come back for inspired mojitos, Latin music and tapas under the stars.
She's right. Vicki, Joel and I stopped in on our way to a late movie screening and Cock-A-Doodle hit the spot in so many ways. First, the restaurant reminded us that it is summer. A wire rooster holding a pot of yellow flowers greets us upon arrival. Inside the high-ceilinged Victorian, bright colors abound. In the back, the heated garden patio is alive with salsa grooves. Bartender Jorge Colunga mans his mojito hut, which is trimmed with small colorful lanterns and topped with exotic mixers.
Back inside, we ordered a round of tapas, starting with the Tostones Cubanos ($8), fried plantains with guacamole and mango salsa. The plantains were moist, caramelized to perfection and still warm.
It was quiet in the restaurant, so we shimmied in our seats to infectious Latin grooves while waiting for our entrees to arrive. Arechiga has done no advertising of her new Latin nights. She's hoping they will evolve much like her bustling brunch scene — by word of mouth. But as there are only two months left to enjoy this escape, I suggest you make a trip there soon. Here's another incentive: There's a live-music license pending. So you can shimmy in stereo.
Make sure you try Arechiga's tasty mojitos. The sweet tamarind and the aromatic hibiscus ($6 each) save this cocktail from the near-retirement it was facing thanks to the tired treatment at most establishments. Arechiga's would be the stars on drinks menu at any of the fine lounges in San Francisco.
Our dinner arrived rather quickly, one after the other on long, dramatic white platters. The soft, cakey corn of the Sopes de Tinga ($10) was topped with braised shredded chicken in a smoky chipotle marinade that got a juicy kick from Arechiga's signature veggie relish. The trio of taquitos ($10) was spicy and satisfying, but left me longing for some ethnic twist. According to the menu, Arechiga's sensibilities stretch from Peru and Belize to Cuba and Mexico.
Per our waiter's recommendation, we ended with the fried yucca ($13), which comes piled high with melt-in-your-mouth carnitas and a zesty radish salsa. By the end of the night, we decided salsas and relishes would top all our summer meals, whether to tame heat or add zing. Inspired, we sipped another mojito, skipped the movie and headed home to dig up our graters and decide what else we would relish this summer.
Reach Jessica Yadegaran at jyadegaran@bayareanews group.com.
doodle cafe
Washington Street.
