Grasshopper
I am tempted to make some David Carradine quote here. But I will resist.
Grasshopper is not only a character from Kung Fu, but a restaurant in Oakland's Rockridge area. They specialize in tapas/small plates/shareable cuisine, and they have received rave reviews in the past. But Melissa and I never got around to trying it. When some friends of ours were visiting recently, Melissa suggested we take them to Grasshopper as an alternative to our beloved Jojo.
I have to wonder if the restaurant has changed chefs, or owners, since the Chronicle review I link to above. We were decidedly underwhelmed. The evening started out on a bad foot when the server came over and we asked some questions about portion sizes, to determine how much of items we should order so we would all have plenty. The text does not convey the mildly condescending tone. Just trust me.
"Well, the restaurant is focused around small plates and sharing"
"Why is there a separate 'small plates' section then? How big are the portions in the 'From the Grill'
category?"
"They are all about the same size. Sharing the food is part of the experience here."
Got that. Thanks.
We ordered seven dishes, two desserts, and some rice. The Chron review raved about the pickles, so we had to get some of those, but frankly I make better pickles. These did set the tone for the rest of the dinner though; there were good dishes, but for the most part the food was a yawn. At roughly $17 per person (before wine), it wasn't a rip-off, but it still felt overpriced.
They do have a good wine list, though. Maybe a couple dozen choices were offered, which rotate on a semi-regular basis. We were delighted to discover a Charles Joguet Rosé from the Loire. It's one of our favorite wines, and Melissa and I polished off a fair amount of it (our guests didn't drink) and took the rest home. The wine prices are roughly twice retail.
Also impressive is their sake selection; it is one of their specialties. Melissa and I didn't feel like doing the sake thing that evening, so we stuck with the wine. Still, I'd be willing to go back just to do a sake flight. But I might start by having dinner somewhere else.
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