It’s a kind of small miracle when your neighborhood restaurant—you know the one… the one you tolerate because it’s convenient and consistently mediocre but not quite awful—decides to upgrade its menu to first-class status. Such an event occurred recently in my own neighborhood at a restaurant called Il Porcellino.
I knew something was up when the tablecloths disappeared a few weeks ago, but I was certain that things were about to get worse, not better. I assumed it was a cost-saving measure and could only imagine what other cuts and substitutions were about to be made in the kitchen.
Lo and behold, out with the tablecloths went the bland, Americanized Italian entrees and in came a whole new menu of truly authentic—and delicious—dinner specials. The new menu contains perhaps what is the best salad I’ve ever eaten: A refreshing mix of arugula, mild greens, raw fava beans, and shaved parmigiano reggiano in a mildly tangy vinaigrette. (I perhaps should not say that it is “perhaps” the best salad I’ve ever eaten because I’ve gone back for it nine times in the two weeks since I first tried it.) It’s the perfect salad for a warm spring evening.
Also on the menu is a linguine with salmon in a creamy tomato sauce that is, for me, a very sophisticated version of comfort food, and a halibut piccata that is so buttery and tender that it hardly resembles fish. Not on the menu (you’ll have to ask for it) is a spaghetti alla puttanesca that is rich, spicy, and intensely tomato-ey. All of these are faves.
Back to the tablecloths… I’m still not clear about the situation. I’ve noticed that the plates and utensils have been upgraded, not downgraded, so I think the owners are just going for a new look. Colorful Italian-made ceramic plates now sit atop bare wood tabletops, replacing the dated floral china and white linens. I guess it’s a more rustic vibe.
Il Porcellino
6111 La Salle Avenue
Oakland, CA 94611
(510) 339-2149
