41 - Olivettos - Oakland

5655 College Ave, Oakland, 94618, (510) 547-5356

Oliveto's Website

Last Visit - February 2009

Oliveto's is a well-known restaurant in Oakland. It has seasonal menus and a deep selection of wine. The people that go there, are usually well dressed. I guess it's a place to cross off your restaurant list - and that's exactly why I wanted to go.

We got reservations for one of the rainiest nights. Yeah, it started with a leap out of the car. We got there around 5:45, exactly in time and got our bread and water around 6:00. I guess that's what it boils down to, bread and water, no matter how fancy you dress up the bread platter or the water cantor, it's still what it is. I looked through their winter menu and was a bit lost in the language. I felt embarrassed when I had to ask what the Steelhead was, which is of course a fish. They also had pigeon, wild boar, free-roaming beef, and rabbit. It was not your usual menu. I ordered the beef in the end, and my girlfriend ordered the rabbit. We were recommended a light red wine, "nothing too dry" said my accomplice. It arrived in a half-bottle and it started the night off right.

The fish was good and so was the rabbit. I'd have to say, when you're eating rabbit, you'd have to arm yourself with no thoughts of cute bunnies. "It's just food; food for you," I told myself. But then again my mind drifted to Golem in the Lord of the Rings movies and how he devoured the poor rabbit. It was weird, but all in all, I took a piece from my girlfriend and I found it quite delicious.

By then a few more parties have settled in on the tables around us. We had a little window that showed the streets below and I was happy to see umbrellas move about. The wine was just right for the night and so was our entree's. The dessert was chocolate cake, it's something my girlfriend prides herself on - trying all the chocolate cakes of the world. True to the rumors, the cake was amazingly rich and softer than any you'd get a super market. It reminded me of confections in Japan and I yearned for a nice cup of green tea. It was a sweet way to end a fabulous meal and dreamy night.

It's probably how I would remember it, everything was "just right". If I had to compare it, it'd be close to Rivoli's, except Rivoli's beats it by just an edge.

09 - Zachery's Pizza - Oakland

Zachery's Pizza - 5801 College Ave., Oakland, CA 94618, (510) 655-6385

Last Visit - July, 2008

Zachery's Pizza website

“There’s something different about Zachery’s Pizza.” That’s what people usually say to describe Oakland’s favorite deep dish pizza. I can’t say it’s the best pizza out there, but there’s something about it that keeps people coming back to their little corner on College Ave. I mean, one step into their door and you see that they have more awards than types of pizzas. For the residents around there, there’s even a bit of emotional attachment to the hot pies. It’s usually bright eyes and smiles when you say, “Zachery’s for dinner” in Oakland.

In fact, the first time I had Zachery’s pizza, I was in High School. It made me realize that there are pizzas above and beyond the take-out giants. The deep dish feels like they made a gourmet sauce and just poured it onto dough. I recommend the Zachery’s Special, Pepperoni and sausage, and Spinach and Mushroom for vegetarians. There's something for every pizza lover.

I went there last weekend and it was packed as usual. The wait can get up to an hour or more. This was the caveat of Zachery’s, and any great restaurant for that matter; the wait was very long. Never go to Zachery’s when you’re truly starving. You’ll have to settle for the ready-made slices (which is still not bad).

Stores and eateries come and go on College avenue, but Zachery’s will always be there. They also have two branches at Berkeley and San Ramon. They don’t deliver, but you can order it for pick-up. I wish I can say more, but it's just one of those places that people love. They've just celebrated their 25th anniversary, I hope they'll be there for another 25 more.

Yelp's two cents