Italian Colors Ristorante
By
Carol & Joe Davis
Dining Detectives
We
are always happy to dine out on Thursday nights as it is a great
start to the upcoming weekend. Italian Colors Restaurant,which
is located in Montclair Village Square in Oakland, is close to
home and has always been a favorite of ours. We were pleased to
hear that they had added some new seasonal spring/summer items
to the menu and decided we'd better see what was new. We were
warmly greeted by the host and escorted to our favorite table
on the mezzanine level. The popular restaurant was filled and
there is a talented guitarist who contributes to the relaxed but
lively atmosphere. We noticed that they had added a charming enclosed
Outdoor Patio which accommodates 25 and is perfect for dining
and can also be rented for private parties.
|
click
on image to enlarge & get caption |
We
started out with their special Tangerine Cosmo
which was a tasty cocktail made with Grey Goose Orange Vodka ,
fresh tangerine and triple sec. Executive Chef/Owner Alan
Carlson stopped by our table and asked us what we were
in the mood for and offered some suggestions, then moved on to
welcome and thank other diners as well. We always enjoy their
homemade Focaccia bread because it is made fresh daily and is
slightly sweet. The appetizers that we enjoyed included the fresh
Cerviche which was made with sea scallops, hamachi, opaca paca
with Anaheim chilies, endive and wasabi ponzu aioli and came as
a unique and lovely presentation. The flavors were wonderful and
it seemed to melt in your mouth! We also loved the Roasted
Organic Beets with grilled asparagus, toasted hazel nuts,
Tuscan clouds, watermelon radishes, turnip puree and goat cheese
arancini. This was also a unique artistic presentation and the
toasted hazelnuts added such a nice touch of flavor and texture.
Next, we enjoyed the luscious Zuppa which was
Grandma Birdie's sweet and sour cabbage soup with beef, sour cream,
tomato and dill. It had a great aroma and you could tell that
it had Eastern European roots. We wished we had a Grandma Birdie!
You must also have the Angus Meat Balls which were moist, perfectly
seasoned, served piping hot and came with a great salsa rosa.
Italian Colors Angus Meat Balls
The
entrees were both excellent. Bistecca, sliced
marinated Skirt Steak on grilled peasant bread with charred sweet
onions, wild Arugula Salad and French Fries was amazing! Every
aspect of this entree was perfect. We loved the flavor of the
meat and felt that the hearty portion also made it an excellent
value. The Grilled Pacific Covina Sea Bass topped
with lemon caper butter sauce had lots of fresh black pepper which
is just how we like it. The Oyster mushroom and sweet pea risotto,
sugar snap peas and baby carrots which accompanied the fish were
delicious. We also felt that this entrée was an excellent
value. You must have a side of their great Fried Brussels Sprouts
made with pancetta, parmesan, crushed chilies and lemon.
Bistecca-
Skirt Steak
The
wine list features selections from around the world and has many
reasonably priced bottles and wines by the glass. We particularly
enjoyed the 2009 Keenan Napa Valley Chardonnay which
paired well with our starters and the 2008 Fort Ross Sonoma
Pinot Noir which paired perfectly with our entrees. Make
sure you save room for dessert. We loved both the Pineapple Upside
Down Cake served with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel which was
light and lovely and the Kakao Chocolate Mousse Cake
which was quite decadent.
Kakao
Chocolate Mousse Cake
Italian
Colors Ristorante continues to impress us. The cuisine
is delicious and you feel like you truly get your money's worth.
We enjoyed some new fresh seasonal dishes as well as some of our
favorites. Jason our waiter was especially professional and very
congenial. We look forward to returning soon to enjoy the new
outdoor dining!
Italian
Colors Ristorante
2220 Mountain Blvd.
Montclair Village Square
Oakland, CA. 94611
510-482-8094
www.ItalianColorsRestaurant.com
