Wayne H.
Yelp
The last time we ate here was probably two decades ago when the restaurant was still called Bay Wolf. We had any early dinner reservation at 5:30pm and it was quite easy to find street parking within a block of the restaurant right on Piedmont Ave, though by 6pm, most of the empty spots had been taken so leave yourself time to find a spot and walk (if needed).
We found the ambiance quite casual and relaxed. There was definitely a buzz in the place, especially as it filled up for dinner service, but it was never so loud that we couldn't hold a conversation. I really enjoyed the laid back atmosphere, which was a great way to unwind after a long day working. Our server was fantastic - knowledgeable about the menu, he was efficient and courteous even while juggling 6-8 tables. He was awesome with the wine service as well - bringing us extra glasses and always checking if we wanted another splash. I'm used to servers that open bottles and then are never seen again but that wasn't the case here at all.
Overall, the food was excellent. We enjoyed some dishes more than others, but everything was well-executed and really showcased the fresh ingredients sourced by the restaurant.
We started with the duck liver pate toast and the Spanish octopus. The pate was delicious, but quite a large portion for two people. I'd highly recommend splitting this between four people as it's quite heavy and contains quite a lot of bread. The octopus was incredible - we both commented that this was the most tender octopus we've ever had and we really enjoyed the slight crisp batter on the outside and the fried chickpeas, which offered some textural contrast.
I had the branzino as my main and my wife had the pork chop. I have to say, 95% of the time when I get fish, the skin isn't crisp or doesn't stay crisp by the time the plate comes out, but that absolutely wasn't the case here. The skin was super crisp without overcooking any of the flesh - absolutely perfectly cooked. The quinoa was swimming in a bit too much olive oil for my liking though.
The pork chop was perfectly cooked. If you're not a fan of medium pork, you might want to mention this when you order because they didn't ask for the temp for us. The chop was so juicy, flavorful, and tender. If I had one minor complaint, I would've liked slightly better trimming to remove some of the larger chunks of fat, but totally recognize that some people love this.
To end the meal, we shared the peach hand pies. The crust was so delicate, buttery, and flaky - you could wrap anything in this pastry and it would be delicious.
The wine list is pretty good. They have about 40-45 labels of all different varietals, styles, and price points. The less expensive bottles (under $60/bottle) all had pretty large markups, easily 2.5x+ wholesale cost of the bottle, but this is fairly standard practice these days.
Overall, we had a very enjoyable dinner. Excellent food and service, wonderfully relaxing ambiance, and great wine! What's not to like?