alaMar Kitchen & Bar Opens Tomorrow

I’ve been looking forward to alaMar’s grand opening for a while.  After going to a media preview last night, I’m officially excited. Originally from New York, Chef Nelson German worked in restaurants in the Big Apple (Gramercy Park Hotel, Absinthe Wine Bar and Joseph’s Citarella) for 12 years before moving to the bay. He jumped into San Francisco’s restaurant world with stints at Supperclub and Marbella, and since he lives in Oakland, he chose the town for the location of his first restaurant. alaMar, which means “to the sea,” focuses on local seafood and cocktails.

photo: Christina Mitchell

Last night, I tasted the crunchy Coconut Shrimp Lollipops (with champagne gastrique, pistachio, thai basil cocktail sauce) and the Crispy Stuffed Goat Cheese (with provolone, spiced red beet puree, lemon thyme honey drizzle), but my favorite dishes appeared toward the end of the night.  The Blue Crab Poppers (with piquillo & anchovy aioli) had a lemony brightness and I could have eaten an entire platter of the fresh and flavorful Local Oysters (with cucumber, lemon sambal mignonette, ginger cilantro “caviar”).  Every appetizer was familiar, but with a twist, and I’m looking forward to trying the entrees.

Rob Wertheimer created a slightly sweet and spicy cocktail for the night (Lucky Bastard – Suerte Tequila, pineapple, Drakes IPA, bastardo tincture) and I can’t wait for the snow cones.

I should also mention the chef is Dominican, and it looks like there are some influences on the menu.  This is exciting because I studied abroad in the Dominican Republic, and while there’s a huge community in New York, there aren’t many options in the Bay Area when I need a taste of the island.  He let me try the Limited Edition Brugal (Dominican rum), which was super rare and velvety smooth.

The Grand Opening is scheduled for May 1 at 4:30pm and alaMar will serve dinner to start (Mon – Sat).  Lunch will begin in a couple weeks, followed by Sunday brunch.

100 Grand Ave, Oakland

510-907-7555

• About
• Latest Posts

Christina Mitchell

Christina is the founder of East Bay Dish. Her writing has also been featured in East Bay Express, Berkeleyside, Oakland Magazine and Edible East Bay.

Latest posts by Christina Mitchell (see all)

• La Casita: Food for the Soul - September 28, 2018
• How To Cook Vietnamese Sausage - September 7, 2018
• Let’s get it started… - September 6, 2018