can I get this butter to go?

And the mussel broth, too?

To celebrate Tater's birthday, we went to À Côté in Oakland, near Rockridge Bart. None of us had ever been here before but this might be a place we return when we want to eat really well while laughing as loudly as we please. To start, we got tripped up by a red herring menu thrown into the midst of the actual menus. The waitress explained that it was the menu for New Year's Eve and that every year À Côté throws a huge and crazy bash. Not only are there eleven special plates created just for that night, but the owner of the place encourages dancing on the bar. Makes perfect sense for a small plates eatery that is inspired by casual European dining but does not pretend to be an authentic tapas place. For example, most of the portions are much larger than a tapas size but not quite a proper entrée.

Now back to the food... we were told that the food is seasonal and everything on the menu changes, except for their famous mussels. Changing menus just mean a reason to return, right? Let me show you why:

Check out the huge wine glass!
A friend picked out this fantastic smoky Italian wine.
We snabbed the last bottle in the cellar.
Luckily, they will be getting more next week.

Mussels! Some of the best I've ever had!
À Côté adds some peppery spice to their broth.
If the staff doesn't offer to bring you more bread to sop up the broth
(ours were absolutely lovely about it)
speak up!

scallops with red beet risotto, golden beet salad, and tangerine beurre blanc.
Sweet but small compared to everything else we ordered.

Flat iron steak and delectable duck.
Both meats were tender and very good.
But my favorite part?
The smear of watercress-laden butter on the side of the steak.
Sublime.

We pretty much devoured the cheese plate before I remembered to snap a photo
so I took a picture of the cheese menu instead.
We got Lou Rey, a sheep cheese.
It was the first cheese plate I have ever ordered but I LOVE it.
Though not as much as that watercress butter...

Pricewise, the bill didn't hit us too badly. And that watercress butter is worth every penny.

Unfortunately I won't be at À Côté for New Year's - I'll be in Trujillo, Peru - but my guess is that this is where all the cool kids with taste will be. And by taste, I mean quite literally, a good palate.