Lake
Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill
By
Dining Detectives
We
were very excited to hear that the Lake Merit Municipal Boat
House in Oakland had been restored and the Lake Chalet Seafood
Bar & Grill was now open. We appreciated that valet parking
was available in the evening, as parking can be very difficult
around the lake. The restaurant features Modern American cuisine
with a focus on Seafood. The Executive Chef Jarad Gallagher
is well respected having worked at One Market Restaurant,
Michael Mina, and The French Laundry. There are multiple rooms
to dine in, an 80 ft. bar with Raw Bar and outdoor dockside
dining all with views of the lake.
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On
our first visit, we sat in the main dining room which has
a warm modern décor. We started out with a Ginger Cosmo
made with Citrus vodka, ginger syrup, lime and cranberry.
This freshly made specialty cocktail was so tasty that we
had to have a second. The first course of our well paced meal
was the Dungeness Crab Cakes with popcorn puree, daikon sprouts,
and pickled onion petals. Next, we loved the English Pea and
Ham Hock Soup with Crispy Brussels sprout leaves and crème
fraiche. We hear that their vegetarian and vegan versions
are excellent as well.
You
must try the Crispy Brandade Fish Sticks with cured salt cod,
aioli malt vinegar reduction and wild arugula which had an
excellent texture. Pasta lovers will enjoy the Pacific Gulf
Shrimp & Spaghetti with basil pesto, garlic cream, baby
fennel, peas and chili flakes. A hearty entrée was
the Liberty Farms Duck Breast with corn polenta, Swiss chard
and roasted fig duck jus. The 2007 Mac Murray Ranch Pinot
Noir paired well with the duck. The Parmesan French Fries
were an excellent side dish.
Our
favorite dessert was the Coconut Cream Pie with chocolate
sauce and toasted coconut. We returned a few weeks later on
a warm afternoon and sat outside on the dock for a more casual
lunch on a sunny warm day. We enjoyed the Lake Chalet Burgers
and Chalet ales, as we overlooked at the fabulous view of
the Lake and Oakland hills. The dining in Oakland just gets
better and better and The Lake Chalet is a new major contributor
to putting Oakland restaurants on the map.
Lake
Chalet
1520 Lakeside Drive (near 17th St.)
Oakland, CA 94612
510-208-lake (5253)
www.thelakechalet.com
