9. Soizic

Definitely not one of Oakland's 10 Best
My wife and I had only a single evening free for dinner in Oakland one recent weekend, and after much research and a positive recommendation from someone we trust, we tried Soizic. The atmosphere was nice, and wines available by the glass were great, and food overall was well prepared. But, it was disappointing at best. The main portions were small, the accompnaying vegetable portions were small, and about one half of the space on the plate was occupied by the largest serving of polenta I have ever seen in my life! OK, I kind of like polenta as starches go, but if I ever want that much at one sitting I would do it for a lot less money at a cheaper restaurant. My entree was "coq au vin" and overall it was relatively dry and flavorless. At some French restaurants, I have had it served in its own individual pot simmering in the most delicious wine sauce chock full of pearl onions and mushrooms and deep red wine flavors. Not so at Soizic; if Julia Childs speak of the Joys of French Cooking, I would have to describe Soizic's coq au vin as the "Despair of French Cooking." Disappointingly, every aspect of the cuisine when we dined there was just marginally satisfactory, and definitely not great cuisine. It was essentially a wasted night out dining in Oakland. But of everything, the polenta was the worst part of the evening. PS The service was slow.

The food is so great it keeps me coming back. The service is a bit intimidating. The servers all put on a straight face and the atmosphere is a little numb! But really it’s the chef in the back and the food he/she cooks that oversees the rest of the challenges in the restaurant.