Isle Restaurant

 

4

2

Neisha M.

Oakland, CA

On July 29th, I attended the grand opening of Isle Restaurant in Oakland's Lake Merritt community.  My dear friend Rhea Dellimore is the Chef/Owner, and I was very happy and proud to see her fulfill her dream of opening a Caribbean restaurant here in the Bay Area.  It was a very warm, friendly, and intimate dining experience.  

The first course was an Avocado, Cherry Tomato, & Cucumber Salad.  This was a delicious start to the meal, the dressing had just the right flavor to complement the vegetables.  

The main course was Braised Oxtails with Cornbread.  I had never before eaten oxtails prepared this way, they were in a kind of sweet, tangy sauce and very tasty!  I ate them the "well-mannered" way with a knife and fork, but really should have used my hands (like eating BBQ ribs) to get all the meat.  The vegetarian option was Vegetable Stew, which I didn't get to taste this time around.  The cornbread fooled me because it was shaped like waffles with a sweet topping drizzled on it, but sure enough it was light, fluffy cornbread when I bit into it.

For dessert, they served Sorrell Granite.  I wasn't sure what "granite" was when I read the menu, but I realized it's like sorbet or gelato.  I especially loved this treat because Chef Dellimore often made refreshing sorrell (hybiscus) tea back in our college days.

Chef Dellimore is in the process of securing a permanent space for the restaurant, so until then she is offering dinners by reservation only, on a monthly basis (she also does event catering).  Pricing for last month's dinner was $30 per person, and only cash is accepted.

If you like Caribbean food, you'll love Isle Restaurant!  Please stay tuned for updates on future dinners and selection of a permanent space.

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