camino

food isgreatbut the service is inconsistent and often lacking, enough to prevent me from visiting more frequently. sometimes feel forgotten by wait staff. depends on who you get. but the food brings me back! also the cocktails.

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 laid back atmosphere this is agreatsetting 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 necking back raw 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 agreatplace 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

great brunch!. i love the atmosphere of camino. the wood & brick decor with woodburning ovens in the open kitchen, and the community tables are very comforting and welcoming to me. that i haven't had lunch or dinner here, but sunday brunch was delightful!

we started with a couple of the doughnuts with bronx grapes, which were agreatpair. the doughnuts were light and not greasy at all. we also shared the pork & herb sausages (juicy and flavorful), potatoes roasted in duck fat (mmm, umami) and a pair of baked eggs with herbs & cream. everything was super fresh, and you could taste it. we enjoyed it all with a cup of single-origin coffee. my perfect breakfast.

disappointed again but some hope?. so, i've been several times now. i did a review earlier but i wanted to see if they were listening...dinner is still agreatdisappointment. i, unlike other reviewers, love the huge tables (yes, the chairs are uncomfortable) but the wood is lovely and each time i've been, they make an effort to space our party so we are no closer than we'd be if we were in separate tables jammed in like so many other places. the bright spot is brunch on the weekends. it too is a small menu and not for everyone...very limited choices but if you want a change, each item was delicious and the space was quiet - not full - so we had a relaxing morning. the food was excellent but again only a few choices. the baked eggs with cream and the grilled bread made me very happy. coffees - cappuccino's are small - like european size so some people grumbled but they were perfect - strong and rich. so, camino, if you are listening. please do some re-evaluation of your dinner menu...add one or two more items but mostly make them more interesting!!!!!


-----31 jul, 2008-----

disappointment. i really wanted to love this restaurant. it's in my neighborhood and i've been waiting a long time for a real destination restaurant to make it here.
but, sadly, the food was just o.k. everything i ate, except the lovely chicken was bland or uninspired. i had a halibut salad with "crushed herbs" that should have sparkled with the freshness of the herbs but instead was flat. all the sides to the chicken (blanched greenbeans and polenta) were also bland and just like a side you'd get at a million restaurants. dessert was promising - a honey creme fraiche mousse with roasted plums - but again bland. no discernable flavor of honey - just a mouthful of cold creme. there were 4 small halves of plums that should have elevated the dish but were too few to flavor the mousse and also too sweet (not tart) to balance the dish. so, my review is this. good meal but with such a limited menu, each dish should be perfect. attention needs to be paid to the details if you want to rely on the fresh taste of the ingredients!

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 agreatrestaurant. 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
comfortably back . 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.