10th and Wood
945 9th St.
Oakland
It may not seem like much, but for the past 11 years, 10th and Wood, located at the corner of said streets, has been going strong. The cafe nourishes the residents of the Lower Bottoms with its homey fare, and the locals love it. That’s what counts, is it not?
An abstract tree adorns the side of the small building, painted an eye-melting green — one that somehow simultaneously camouflages itself into its neighboring living tree. Inside, a handful of wooden tables, some condiments, and a large glass window, behind which the operator of the restaurant will cheerily take your order. The menu boasts just a few items, with breakfast and lunch sandwiches, veggie and classic burgers, and three simple salads, all priced below $10.
Having lived within walking distance for more than nine years now, I’m ashamed to say I’ve frequented the place only a handful of times. After a recent lunch visit, I’m wondering if we’ve found the secret to brunch: no nonsense and meant to be eaten in close proximity to someone you live in close proximity to. Maybe a stranger will ask after your meal, or maybe you’ll see someone for the first time in years, or maybe you’ll be left alone. But you won’t know until you go.
Given my plant-based-preferences, I ordered the veggie sandwich with side of sweet potato fries, an apple salad, and a fresh squeezed orange juice. Shortly thereafter my salad arrived, topped with a heaping scoop of soft and fragrant blue cheese crumbles and half a sliced avocado, which I took outside to the sole cafe table on the curb. The spring green mix was fresh and lively, the apple slices thin, crunchy, sweet, and just a tad tart, and the avocado perfectly creamy and ripe. The house Dijon vinaigrette was thick and tangy, not too acidic nor too sweet, complimenting the avocado and cutting through the richness of the cheese, the flavor of which was far more muted than the strong odor had suggested. Listed as containing radish, I was bummed to miss out on that, but the addition of the cheese and avocado more than made up for it.
The sandwich was a bit of a surprise: I’d ordered what was supposed to be a vegetable sandwich, with “Roasted eggplants, red bell peppers, caramelized red onions, vegan pesto between an artisan bun.” What I received was some combination of that and the veggie burger, which has “brown rice, carrots and onions, sliced tomato, sliced onion, lettuce between an artisan bun.”
Artisan bun, well grilled? Check.
Pesto? Check.
But also a few spinach leaves, some just-wilted sliced white onion, and a veggie burger patty.
I opted to dig in rather than exchange, as I was hungry, they were near closing time, and I was curious.
The burger was light in texture, held together enough to eat fairly cleanly. It had a nice umami backbone behind the overall nondescript but pleasant taste. The grilled bun was ultra soft on the exterior, but the inner layers held their own due to the charring. The pesto was bright and deeply flavorful, providing moisture but not messiness, fat but not grease. The onions were juicy, somewhere between a crunch and something softer. After the first few bites I stuffed my sandwich with some of the salad; that additional acid, leafy chew, and cheesiness made for quite a nice combo, if not how it was intended to be consumed.
The sweet potato fries, a large portion of well cooked, crispy spears, were hot and delicious, if under-salted for my taste. Great crunch, soft interior, and enough of them to share: hard to hate.
The fresh juice was the last item to arrive. Sixteen ounces, the only size available, was more than I needed, but the sweet-but-not-too-sweet, nearly-neon orange liquid went down so smooth I did drink most of it by the time I’d returned home. It was just cooler than room temperature. I would have preferred it to be at least slightly chilled, but I appreciated the lack of ice, or ice-cold, presentation, as that would have stunted the flavor of the fresh fruit. The owner checked in with each patron more than once to confirm their contentment, and I have no doubts the singular but steady stream of customers, even mid-afternoon on a weekday, was no anomaly.
10th and Wood is open Wednesday-Monday from 8 – 4, Saturdays and Sundays from 8:30.
