Ubuntu Restaurant

I used to think that any place that had designated vegetarian items on their menu was stellar and oh so sensitive to my dietary restrictions. Then I became vegan and not only much more of a pain in the ass to my family and friends, but much more critical when it comes to quality vegetarian cuisine.

Greens in San Francisco? Respectable. New World in downtown Oakland? Consistently good but stay away from anything not Mexican or Asian on the menu. Herbivore in Berkeley? I'd rather eat meat. I kid! But you get the idea.

I can only describe Ubuntu as an experience that is preferably shared with other vegetarians or those who really appreciate stellar quality ingredients. Before our dinner reservation this past Friday night we stopped in at V.Sattui to stock up on our favorite wine. I excitedly told the wine pourer about our reservation at Ubuntu and he said that he went there recently. While he stated that it was good he summed up his experience by telling me that for the amount of money his group spent he could have made hamburgers for everyone.

I handled the situation the way any mature vegan would. I smiled at him while sipping my pour thinking, "and that is why you're fat and I'm not."

Now onto Ubuntu http://www.ubuntunapa.com/!

We started out with the 3 for $15 bites which included: castelvatrano olives marinated in pesto sauce; and marcona almonds in lavender, sugar, & sea salt. The almonds were so delicious and mouth watering that my mom and I agreed that a draft beer from a local brewery was in order. Because we are classy ladies, the server honored our request to split a pint into two separate glasses.

Not your ordinary pomme frittes, these chickpea fries with romesco sauce are a must.

Rustic Rancho Gordo "Yellow Eye" Bean Stew with torn bread, chili, and braised spigarello. Ubuntu's dishes are small plates which allows you to taste just a bit of everything so this stew-like soup was accompanied by 3 small cups for us to share. Great light starter for what was to come...

Highly recommended by our server-the Beet Tartar (check out the adorable little circle of shaved beets in the center!) with fork crushed avocado was my absolute favorite of the evening. I believe that the server twice referred to this dish as culinary art. Scott and I agreed with her analysis and turned the dish around about 4 different times just to photograph it before digging in. The dish also included ruby grapefruit, chickweed, and pistachio "soil," (those brown specks on the plate).

Today's Leaves & Things.I ordered this primarily to cleanse our palate. It was pretty but not all that exciting. Interesting fact-Ubuntu grows much of what they serve in their daily harvested bio-dynamic garden.

Carrot Gnochetti with Mimolette and Roast Oxheart Carrot. How freakin' cute are the little baby carrots poking up out of the dish? I still can't get over how creamy and rich this little bowl of heaven tasted, similar to macaroni and cheese but a million, trillion times better...

I believe the Pizza Margherita to be an Ubuntu staple but this one was designated as, "winter style," with san marzano tomatoes, black kale pesto, burrata, and bronze fennel. I could not get over the cheesy texture and actually sent the plate back to the chef because the bus boy could not describe exactly what was on the pizza to me and our server was nowhere in sight. Slightly amused, he returned with the pizza and told us it was soy cheese. For the record-cheese was not listed as an ingredient on the menu. But this only goes to show you how amazing it was and how annoying I can be.

My only option for dessert was the kiwi lime float with real tapioca balls which were interesting. While refreshing, I would have preferred to indulge in a vegan version of what my mom ordered...

See below for chocolate cake bites of heavenly explosion, chocolate paper, vanilla ice cream, and butterscotch sauce.