Best of Oakland
Oakland Magazine’s third annual reader’s survey of the “Best of Oakland” is now out. [Note: URL does say “2006,” but it really is 2008. Also, not all restaurants on the list were actually in Oakland]
You can review the picks in a plethora of categories for this year, as well as the previous two. Here is my take on some of their restaurant recommendations:
Thai
OM’s pick: Soi 4 Bangkok Eatery (5421 College Ave). Haven’t tried it.
Our picks (my wife gets a vote here): Banana Blossom (4228 Park Blvd.) and Plearn (2283 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley).
Chinese
OM’s pick: Little Shin Shin (4258 Piedmont Ave). We listed this as one of our favorites in a previous blog.
Our picks for Dim Sum: Legendary Palace (708 Franklin St.) and Jade Villa (800 Broadway).
Italian
OM’s picks: Oliveto (5655 College Ave.) and Trattoria la Siciliana (2993 College Ave., Berkeley)
Our pick: Trattoria la Siciliana. In our opinion, Oliveto is not even close.
Mexican
OM’s picks: Restaurante Doña Tomás (5004 Telegraph Ave.) and Picante Cocina Mexicana (1328 6th St., Berkeley). Haven’t tried either, but have heard great things from our friends.
Our pick: Mexicali Rose (701 Clay St.). We have been going there for 30 years and still love it. Opened in 1927.
Pizza
OM’s pick: Zachary’s Chicago Pizza (5801 College Ave.). We agree, but, as good as it is, nothing compares to authentic, New York pizza. There is a place in Queens and another in Brooklyn, but that’s another story. The closest we’ve come is Haystack in Noe Valley (3881-24th St., SF).