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Taste of the Town

Angela’s Bistro & Bar

Chef Saboor Zafari

Lori Eanes

Fine Dining Fundamentals

Angela’s Bistro & Bar Leaves a Lasting Impression

     When one of Alameda’s most popular chefs teams up with the Island’s most renowned vintner and secures a plum location in the heart of the Park Street business district, spectacular success should by all rights ensue. The persistently dreadful economic climate and a few inaugural jitters notwithstanding, restaurateur Saboor Zafari—assisted by winemaker Kent Rosenblum and a few other partners—is indeed poised to capitalize on his move from modest strip-mall digs in Marina Village near the Posey and Webster Street tubes to the upscale complex that houses the beautifully restored Alameda Theatre.
     Zafari’s loyal following and solid cooking, and the restaurant’s savvy use of an ample slice of prime real estate, virtually guarantee a steady ascent for Angela’s Bistro & Bar into a position as the cornerstone of the Park Street dining scene. The conquest will be even more dramatic, and perhaps even extend beyond the moat-like boundary of the Oakland-Alameda estuary, after service and presentation are fine-tuned and if Zafari continues to broaden and experiment with his menu.

     Reliability and incremental change are hallmarks of Zafari’s way. At Angela’s Restaurant, which he opened on the west side in 2002, the Afghanistan native made himself a low-key, Island-wide celebrity by translating his serious and quietly wry demeanor into California-Mediterranean dishes that a faithful clientele could count on. Most of the favorites—duck strudel with mushrooms, French onion soup, Asian pear salad, risotto, shrimp linguine, lobster ravioli, Dijon chicken breast and grilled lamb salad—made the crosstown leap, typically with only a dollar or two bump in price (and in some cases, no increase at all). In the new space, which occupies more than 4,500 square feet at the west end of the Alameda Theatre Cineplex building, the starters/salads portion of the menu has been slightly reduced, but the main course section offers an expanded and gradually revolving variety of pasta, seafood and meat dishes at mostly moderate prices. Unless you’re craving pork, it would be hard not to find a satisfying entree option among the aforementioned as well as large grilled day boat scallops with lemon-ginger butter sauce ($23), grilled salmon with artichoke-lobster cream sauce ($22), roasted rack of lamb with red wine–garlic mint sauce ($23) and grilled prime rib steak ($24).
     We made two Saturday night visits, two weeks apart in May. On the first, about a month after the restaurant opened, we were seated promptly in the narrow throughway that connects the bar/lounge at the corner entrance and a larger room at the other end. This row of tables along the huge, sidewalk-facing windows parallels the semi-open kitchen. Despite the constant bustle of cooks and servers, this proved to be the section most amenable to dinner conversation. The bar, when crowded, generates a jovial but raucous roar; the back room, we learned on our second visit, becomes a clatter chamber when the bare walls and tall windows (even with shades down) amplify the good cheer of large parties into a deafening clamor.
     The pronounced increase in scale also raised a few early logistical problems. The expanded waitstaff was not totally up to speed in confidence, menu knowledge and timing even six weeks after opening. But Zafari’s commitment to the fundamentals and accoutrements of fine dining—market-fresh ingredients, sound kitchen technique, gracious service, a refined physical environment of soothing earthen and sea colors, minimalist modern ornamentation, somewhat subdued lighting, white table–cloths, substantial flatware, attractive oversized white plates and bowls—ultimately smoothed over the rough spots.
     Once the food was delivered, Angela’s strengths emerged. Whenever a minor quibble arose with presentation or execution, it was promptly eclipsed. The nicely composed Asian pear salad ($7) may have included unannounced slices of Gorgonzola along with the slivers of fruit and small serving of micro greens, but that only added to the medley of flavors. The chunks of skewered meat were on the purple side of medium-rare in my lamb salad ($23), but tenderness and flavor won out, from the lamb to the al dente asparagus and carrots and the roasted tomato and red onion. Robin’s shrimp linguine ($16) arrived in a monochromatic, unexpectedly thick and spicy seafood “broth,” but again, the fresh and toothsome qualities were irreproachable. Similarly, the roasted pepper–tarragon Champagne sauce nearly overpowered the delicate richness of the filling in the shrimp and lobster ravioli ($17), but the pasta was cooked perfectly, and when the essential richness came through, they sang.
     After working through Zafari’s generous portions, you might doze off during a movie next door. Walking off a full-course meal is a good option on a balmy Alameda night. We needed to do just that after starting with the sumptuous house soup ($5), thick with beans and a hearty beef-vegetable broth, and the duck strudel ($8), a dense, piping hot blend of rich fowl and dark mushrooms in a flaky crust, and finishing with a crème brûlée ($6) that had a nuanced flavor (cardamom?) beneath a crust that needed a few more seconds under the torch.
     Actually, I’d probably dodge desserts in the future—the individually shaped bread pudding ($7) was more pleasing to the eye than its uniform dense texture and nondescript sauce were to the palate. Probably because our meals at Angela’s started so well—slices of fantastic house flatbread delivered with an addictive spicy cilantro-garlic dip, and reasonably priced, very ample pours of Kent Rosenblum–selected wines (19 by the glass in the $6–$11 range), including local products from R&B Cellars, Irish Monkey and, yes, Rosenblum—the finishes felt anti-climactic.
     One dish I wouldn’t skip when it shows up on the menu: the 24-hour braised short ribs ($19). The mildly spiced, boneless meat, which fell apart at the touch of a fork, was perfectly complemented by crisp asparagus and roasted potatoes that soaked up the juices. It left a sensation that bodes well for a new but familiar restaurant that will season further as it finds it groove and rises with tide of economic recovery—a lasting impression of an evening, and a dining budget, well spent.

Angela’s Bistro & Bar. California-Mediterranean. Serves lunch daily
11:30 a.m.–2 p.m., dinner daily 5 p.m.–10 p.m. 2301 Central Ave., Alameda, (510) 522-5822. www.angelasbistroandbar.com.
Credit Cards accepted, Full Bar, Reservations accepted, Wheelchair accessible