Cuisine:

• Southern
• Californian
• Cajun

Picán Description:
Of all the big-ticket spots in Oakland's burgeoning Uptown, this stylish Southern restaurant most closely matches the nearby Paramount Theatre's grand spirit and scale. Though clearly weighted with big money and ambition, the large, design-rich dining room's hospitality is not outshone; there is warmth and hefty talent here as well. Chef Dean Dupuis (Atlanta's South City Kitchen) achieves something very special within his cuisine's Southern parameters---namely balanced flavor, texture, seasonality, and, somehow, a California lightness. Fried tomatoes, oysters, chicken livers ("Southern foie gras") and buttermilk fried chicken in particular are bright, satisfying and miraculously greaseless, the latter drizzled tableside with just-right truffled honey. Pedigreed meatloaf (Meyer Ranch beef) seems improvident until tasted, smooth and sweetly glazed, topped with fresh tomatoes and cukes and bearing just a hint of smoke. Aside from one side dish of too-salty mashed potatoes, seasoning for all his upscale fare is spot-on, with Cajun and Creole-influenced slivers and flakes of heat where appropriate. Single-batch bourbons (a notable focus) and bourbon-based cocktails are smooth, velvety treats, as are the Southern-style desserts, including a blissful banana pudding parfait. Groups might also enjoy the cush bar and lounge, or the more private "Bourbon Room" outfitted in red velvet.


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