Grand Lake Kitchen
576 Grand Ave.
Oakland
Take an all-day diner and deli, but make it hip, in an Oakland kinda way: Grand Lake neighborhood’s Grand Lake Kitchen, a bustling and well positioned cafe, did that.
At Grand Lake, small tables with bench seating snuggle in a high-ceilinged but narrow tiled room, a full bar on one wall and plate glass windows facing the lake to the front. Water is served in metal cups; the napkins are cloth. The menu is a tidy and full single page, with staple deli items by volume, chicken matzo ball soup always on offer, and a $39 “snack tower” to presumably ensnare the same brunch crowd interested in a $20 artisanal mimosa flight.
I came for weekday brunch, in hopes of something eggy and warm. The chilaquiles verde hit that target with sourdough French toast and small sides of polenta and kale salad to make sure each other taste bud got its due, too.
The chilaquiles, pictured at top, make a hearty bowl of house-made tortilla chips, black beans, and tomatillo salsa, topped with luscious poached eggs, fresh avocado (not the best), sour cream, cilantro, and pickled red onions (crunchy, bright, not too sharp). There were more onions and avocado then I’d anticipated, allowing for each bite to be fully realized. The sour cream and queso fresco were just right, keeping everything moist and salted without obscuring important flavors. I wished for more or slightly saucier beans, but they held a firm bite without being hard or dry and were a perfect complement to the rich runny yolk and piquant salsa.
The French toast was fabulous (though also not that hot), with a real chew left to the bread despite its soaked treatment. A little tang from the sourdough, slices thin enough to knife through easily but thick enough to sink your teeth into. Barely sweet, a touch eggy, perfectly carmelized golden exterior. Warmed maple syrup and sliced strawberries rounded out each bite with juiciness and freshness.
I would gripe about the berries being out of season and tasting just a hair off, but they were still lovely and I wanted more, if anything.
Hot and smooth, the polenta (pictured above) was finely milled with a handful of larger grains to temper the mush. A heavy hand of goat cheddar cheese made it creamy as all get out but did not leave a film or bring any glop to the porridge, just oomph. With a dash of pepper and chives on top, it was a real mug of comfort.
Lastly, the kale green goddess salad was fine, which I say as both a lover of kale salads and a big ole salad snob. Perhaps particularly because it stood in contrast to, rather than in concert with, the previous three delights, it simply did not wow. The curly kale was (maybe too) well coated in dressing, but the pepitas and watermelon radish are fairly infallible. Queso fresco was delicious; the creamy dressing was made for slightly too salty a time. The salad is one of their deli items available for purchase by the pint, so while I see the sturdiness factor and appreciate the simplicity of good ingredients, it underwhelmed, IMHO.
The restaurant was opened in 2012 and renovated a few years back; a second location was opened on MacAurthur Blvd in the Dimond District in 2019. It is easy to see why this no-frills but high-voltage kitchen keeps folks coming back and remains a bright spot in an already shiny neighborhood.
Grand Lake Kitchen’s Grand Avenue location is open Wednesday-Monday 9 a.m.-9 p.m. The second location is at 2042 MacArthur Blvd.
