Saralee S.
Yelp
We got to return to Ox and Anchor as the guests of some dear friends, since we were eager for them to share the dining experience. We chose to valet park due to the new intricate parking requirements of downtown SLO and the traffic of the Thursday night Farmer's Market. We had fun hanging out on the porch while we waited for our pals, watching the cars come and go at the valet.
We had reserved ahead, and got a great table with a banquet and view of the kitchen. Our waitperson appeared immediately and got us up to date on the specials and features of the menu. (Okay, it was a bit talky for me, but it did get the farm-to-table idea across well, so we could make informed decisions).
Our friends brought the wine, a light bright New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that we iced down to zero! We started with the Grilled Artichoke and the Ox and Anchor Egg Rolls, which arrived swiftly with delightful sauces for both. The artichoke is hands down the best I have had in all of artichoke territory (SF to SB), and the Egg Rolls are a revelation of how satisfying light food can be. (Note to self - Rumor has it they are made by the Sichuan chef who serves Sichuan food from a Monday night Pop up at Ben's Family Kitchen.)
We followed the appetizers with salads, one Bib n' Blue lettuce and a beet salad special. The salads here and at Piadina are the one course that has disappointed. To me these are very small side salads that have been spread around on a big plate. There is very little dressing and the toppings have been merely sprinkled on. I also don't favor some of the combinations like strawberries with beets or watermelon with tomatoes. I am a classicist for Caesar, so Little Gem, even though a Romaine, is sweet like English butter lettuce. I would even be happier with that Steak House staple, a quarter of a head of ice berg with blue cheese dressing (Roquefort) and bacon, which would match their somewhat ironic steak house theme.
Our friends got a medium-rare Flat Iron steak for their entree, my husband ordered the salmon, and I tried the crab cake. We chose creamed spinach and Yukon Gold Potato puree for our side dishes. The salmon was caramelized to a copper sheen with a perfect firm yet moist texture. The steak was more rare then medium, but pronounced tender and flavorful. I felt the crab cake was the star, since it was as large as a big burger and as fresh as a day at the beach! A quartet of sauces accompanied the steak, and played well with the crab cake as well, amping up or accentuating the taste.
Not ones to let well enough alone, we also decided on two deserts from the evenings menu. We opted for the Carrot cake and the chocolate dome, both sounded good to the entire table. The carrot cake appeared, layered like a Napoleon, while the chocolate dome was a bit too tightly stacked, capped with a tuile worn at a jaunty angle, maybe in an 80's retro desert way. Both were intensely sublime, silky smooth in texture and rich in flavor.
This restaurant makes any occasion special and we will be sure to return to continue our menu exploration.