The Oakland Grill

When I first thought about embarking on an eggs-benedict-eating-extravaganza, the Oakland Grill instantly came to mind. I have to come here at least once a year to get my fix. So after getting called-off at work and being all depressed about my impending paycheck, I decided to go spend some money on breakfast instead of eating cheerios at home for free. Totally logical.

The Oakland Grill is located near Jack London, however it is much less travelled than the well known Barnes and Noble area. It is located here, right in the middle of the produce district. (And this is the website.) When ever I come here I always feel like I am lost until I am right in front of the restaurant, it is such a random location, but I like it. It makes me feel like I've got the skinny on a little-known-secret, a gem of a restaurant in the middle of nowhere. In reality everyone and their mother knows about this place, it is packed on the weekends with the occasional line out the door. I can't say the inside of the restaurant is anything out of the ordinary. It's got an open-air kitchen so you can watch the cooks hard at work while you sit back and sip your coffee. There is also a little upstairs area thats not bad, and you can people-watch the other patrons from above. I am pretty sure the place is independently owned, but I didn't ask so I don't really know. Looks like a mom-and-pop spot though.

 Oh, and the eggs benedict? Frickin bomb. Just look at it. This is how I imagine eggs benedict would be made out in the country... it is rugged and simple and delicious. It is so plain it almost seems like it might be boring, but then you taste it. A regular old toasted english muffin, a thick piece of ham, a well-poached egg, and hollandaise sauce so thick and flavorful that it is difficult to resist the urge to lick the plate. I decided to fool myself into thinking I was being halfway-healthy by getting fruit instead of potatoes on the side, and it worked. Just like the eggs, the fruit was simple and real. It wasn't the prepackaged fruit salad with way too many melons that most breakfast joints serve. This was cut from whole fruit that morning, and included slices of watermelon, pineapple, and strawberries. Yum! (Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from a restaurant in the middle of the produce district.) I don't know what their potatoes are like but there's no reason to order them. There was no garnish, or anything else for that matter, on the plate, but there didn't need to be. This is eggs bene at it's finest, without pretense or extravagance. I know I have only reviewed two places so far but, so far, this is the best. Oh yeah, and on Saturdays and Sundays they have $2.99 mimosas! What?!