Christina and I really enjoyed our last trip to Gather to taste their happy hour cocktail specials and small plates, and we were recently invited back for dinner with their new chef, Anthony Lee.
We began with cocktails. Christina ordered the Lorax (left – cachaca, lime, prickly pear spirit, rocks, $13, a tree is planted by the National Forest Foundation for every cocktail purchased), which she described as a caipirinha with a twist. I tried the Fault & Fractured (right – bourbon, tangerine, cream, cardamom, rocks, $13, supporting The Food and Water Watch Campaign to ban fracking) which was colorful and delicious and reminded me of an adult creamsicle
The Crispy Brussels Sprouts (pistachio praline, lime, coriander, aleppo, $10) were cooked such that the outer leaves stood out from the rest of the sprout and got super crispy. Brussels sprouts are a staple on a lot of restaurants’ menus now, but these had a tart, sweet flavor profile that I haven’t had anywhere else.
I was blown away by the Full Belly Farms Asparagus (avocado, mandarin, pine nuts, kumquat, sauce grosel, $16), which had so many unexpected texture and flavor combinations. Everything was tied together perfectly by the herbaceous green sauce and the simple preparation let the ingredients shine.
The Mt Lassen Trout (celery root, apple sunflower salad, sauce verjus, $29) was another dish that surprised me with its pairing of ingredients. This one didn’t come together as a cohesive dish as seamlessly as the asparagus, but I appreciated the experimentation.
Since we loved the summery pizza from our last visit, we wanted to order pizza again and went with the Dancing Mushroom pizza (ricotta, mozzarella, green garlic, thyme, sausage, $27). The crust this time was thinner and crispier than the chewy, doughy crust we had over the summer. Both were good but Christina and I were split on which was our favorite. I was surprised to find out that the dough recipe was the same and that the change likely resulted from a difference in the oven temperature or a different person making the pizza.
Our server brought over the Cheese Plate (marin camembert, beet jam, honey comb, hazelnut, toast, $17) for dessert. It was a colorful, beautiful plate that reminded me of a painter’s palette. I have a sweet tooth so I would check out the dessert menu next time, but this would be a good appetizer or small plate if you were just getting drinks, or for people who don’t have as much of a sweet tooth as we do.
What I like most about Gather is that they let the ingredients shine by pairing them in interesting and delicious ways. I’m interested to see what new combinations they come up with in the coming seasons.
Have you been to Gather recently? What did you like there?
2200 Oxford St, Berkeley
(510) 809-0400
Becca Frost
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