District Wine & Whiskey Lounge- Oakland
By
Carol & Joe Davis
Dining Detectives
We
are always amused when those who don't venture out much
are surprised at how friendly and sophisticated Oakland is and
especially how vibrant the dining and drinking scene has become.
We had heard that the owners of District SF and
Ironside in SOMA had just opened District
Whiskey and Wine Lounge in Old Oakland and knew we had
to check it out. A beautiful Horseshoe Bar made with Brazilian
reclaimed barn wood is the centerpiece of this stylish, open and
light restaurant / bar. Seating also includes high tables and
comfortable couches and there is a Custom Video wall which screens
vintage movies and sports.
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District
Wine & Whiskey Lounge features Specialty Cocktails with Bourbon
and other spirits made by Bar Manager Danny Baker,
an international Wine List created by Wine Director Caterina
Mirabelli and a small plates menu with California, French
and Latin influences created by Executive Chef Bob Cina.
We
sat at a high table and started out with a bottle of Saratoga
Sparkling Water and a refreshing Bohemian Bluegrass Cocktail
made with Four Roses Bourbon, blueberry, lemon, rosemary and maple
syrup. The cocktail was original and wonderful! We enjoyed quite
a few unique and delicious small plates. The Chipotle Deviled
Eggs with pickled radish and baby arugula and sprouts were
excellent.
Next,
we enjoyed the tasty Braised Oxtail Sombreros served
on crispy corn tortillas with radish, lime and cilantro. The meat
was very succulent and the presentation was fun.
The
Warm Local Asparagus with truffled poached egg, crispy
house made pancetta and banylus vinaigrette was simply amazing
and definitely a must! We loved the Ahi Tuna Tartare
with Peruvian rocoto chili, cucumber and Meyer lemon dressing.
The
Seared Sea Scallops with candied jalapeno, caviar and
ginger-orange mojo were also beautifully presented and definitely
popular. The Crispy Fried Escargots with garlic- lemon
parsley cream, grilled ham and wild mushroom salad was light and
something different for escargot lovers.
Make
sure you save room for dessert and order it early as it takes
some time to come .The Bourbon Bread Pudding with pecans,
bourbon caramel and whipped cream was so light, fluffy and delicious
that you would make a trip to just order it!
Wine
is available by the bottle, by the glass (6 oz. pours) and tasting
flights of 3 (3oz. pours) and is served in Riedel glasses which
makes a tremendous difference allowing the true flavors of the
wines to be appreciated. We enjoyed the Pinot Lovers Flight
which included the 2008 Nelles Ruber Pinot Noir, Germany,
the 2009 Joseph Drouhin Pinot Noir Chorey-Les- Beaune,
France and the 2009 Stoller Pinot Noir Dundee Hills,
Oregon. The larger than average pours allowed us to find a favorite
which was the smoother French wine.
We
had a great time at District Wine & Whiskey Lounge.
The small plates were all delicious, the crowd was friendly and
sophisticated, and the open, light atmosphere made you feel like
having fun. We must return soon to try their Pizzettas, House
Made Charcuterie and specialty cheeses. Try their interesting
whiskey drinks or a flight of wine and don't be surprised when
you say to your server "I'll Have Another"
District
Wine & Whiskey Lounge
837 Washington Street (Old Oakland)
Oakland, CA. 94607
510.518.9110
www.DistrickOak.com