Almond & Oak

Rico Rivera learned early that cooking in the Bay Area means knowing your farmers. After the Culinary Institute of America sent him back to Oakland with credentials, he staged at Lark Creek Inn and picked up the obsession with sourcing that now defines Almond & Oak. The restaurant opened on Grand Avenue in December 2018 in a long, naturally lit space with wooden tables and a bar that doesn't pretend to be anything fancier than it is. The menu shifts with what's available, which means you might find grilled NY strip under red wine reduction one season and roasted kabocha squash with hazelnuts and figs the next. Steak tartare with an egg yolk arrives intentional and sharp. The fried sweet corn polenta comes loaded with squash, eggplant, peppers, and onion. None of this gets dressed up in purple prose on the menu. The drinks program stays straightforward, which works. A house punch that doesn't announce itself too loudly. Martinis with actual olives. The kitchen's restraint extends to dessert, where a warm Dutch apple pie with caramel and vanilla ice cream doesn't try to reinvent itself. You need a reservation, and you should get one. The space fills up regularly with people who know that local sourcing paired with actual skill beats a concept every time.