camino

having visited tartine on a recommendation and been thoroughly impressed, my friends and i were given another california restaurant suggestion to try and squeeze into our trip. this time  camino  was our destination. heading up there late on a sunday we were slightly worried it might be closing up or there'd be no one else in there. when we got there however it was really buzzing. a large dining room done out in a rustic-industrial style, all over looked by the main feature: a huge wood burning oven in the open kitchen at the back. with soft lighting and a laidbackatmosphere this is a great setting for a social gathering or a date. smoky quail with roasted apples, sauerkraut and horseradish a platter of rustic sourdough bread arrived at our table with a big wedge of butter for us to get tucked into before our starters arrived. i kicked things off with the quail. i was surprised to see this on a menu in america, i'm not sure why, i guess living in the essex countryside i just associate game with being a very british thing. the bird was chopped up into breast meat, legs etc and had so much delicious meat on it with perfectly crispy skin. i'm not usually a huge fan of fruit in savoury dishes but the hot roasted apples balanced well with the sharpness of the sauerkraut and the whole dish came together perfectly. also on the menu were oven baked oysters. i know oysters are a delicacy but i really can't get my head round neckingbackraw oysters as is the traditional way, however in america you quite often see them on the menu cooked so i gave it a go and tried one. it was really tasty and accompanied by a lovely fresh salad. wood oven baked oysters with absinthe, breadcrumbs and belgian endive-celery salad california is a great place for fresh fish and seafood so i chose the sea bass for my main course. i've never seen such a huge, meaty fillet of sea bass in my life, the ones we get at home are so small this was a real treat. it came served in an extremely tasty broth

warm, rustic setting and novel-enough concept (i'm guessing the theme is wood burning oven), but as so many have said, the menu is way too limited, the prices way too high ($6 for a 3-oz. cup of green-tinted water?? actually, the tea was one of the best things.), and the service abysmal (on my way to the restroom i finally spotted our waitress hanging in thebackwith some pals and suggested that she offer my dining companion dessert; on my waybackfrom the restroom, she still hadn't budged). now, mind you, i've only dined here once (and may still venture the brunch), but i'm beginning to realize that if i wait to revisit a forgettable place before reviewing it, i forget all about it!

opened for more than a year, the natural wood-furnished restaurant with two long communal tables and fiery wood-ovens in thebacklooks like the perfect space for friends and family to feel at home when gathering for a simple california meal.

i went to camino, expecting an interesting interior with
fabulous food; it was disappointing on all accounts.
just because the chef has worked at chez panisse does not make it a great restaurant. i noticed the tables were family style. i got there with reservations,to dine early and the hostess would not put me on the end as i did not want to be part of another's
dining experience. she declined. i felt stuck!

the seating is horrible!!! the tables are unusually
wide which puts you far across the table from your
dining partner. if you are unlucky to sit on the bench
you must strain across the table to talk, in addition,
the benches are hard with not possibility of sitting
comfortablyback. besides that the diners next to you are very close which makes getting out of your seat difficult and awkward. the noise level is deafening

the food is okay, not great, given the incredibly uncomfortable seating arrangements. it is just not
noteworthy. yes, the oven is attractive and so are the
brick walls. that is not worth the prices and discomfort one must endure to dine. if you want great
food go to a'cote.