If you happen to be in Oakland or need an excuse to go, this is it. Last week some friends suggested a restaurant called Pican in Oakland for dinner and drinks. My initial reaction was less than accomodating as 1. it was not in San Francisco and 2. it sounded like it was named after a nut, so my thoughts immediately went to vegetarian cuisine topped with pecans. However, I decided to check “the google” and found that it was actually a restaurant that specialized in “California-infused Southern Cuisine”, and I became immediately interested.

To give you an idea of the menu we will have a little tour of the items that we sampled:

Drinks:
Out of a reasonably priced wine list we started with a bottle of the Catena Malbec from Argentina, which was tasty and easy drinking for the group.

Appetizers:
1. Pan Roasted Georges Bank Sea Scallops, which were excellent with a spicy southern salsa verde that kicked it up a notch. One of our friends decided to double it up for a main course.
2. Crawfish & Mushroom Étouffée: A must try, spicy and full-flavored, this was a big hit and by itself would bring me back.
Oh and I almost forgot to mention the sweet cornbread that required numerous trips by the staff to keep our plates full.

Sides: All were incredible, from the Andouille & Scallion Hushpuppies to a decadent smoked gouda mac ‘n cheese to an incredible bacon-braised collards dish.

Main Courses: While all were excellent, the two that I most highly recommend are the Blackened Alabama Catfish with succotash and a crawfish brown butter, which was immensely flavorful, and the other is what must be considered a go-to dish and will be tough to avoid on my next visit- the Buttermilk Southern Fried Chicken with a Smoked Gouda “Mac’n'Cheese.” From brining to batter, it is a three day journey in the kitchen to your table, arriving crispy, moist and perfectly seasoned. For $2 extra, there is tableside truffle honey service which has the server dripping organic honey truffle oil slowly over the fried chicken, which is a unique combination of flavors.

Admittedly wounded at this point, there were still some professionals in the group who managed to share a rather large dessert portion of a Georgia Pecan Tart, while I opted to use the tiny bit of space left to sample one of the many small batch bourbons.

Since I don’t have an intimate knowledge of Bourbon, the server sent over their resident expert, who spoke to us about the many options and led me to a wonderful and reasonably priced Elijah Craig 12 year-old Bourbon to finish off my Picán experience.

You know a restaurant experience was top notch when writing the review makes you incredibly hungry and leaves no space for detailing the wonderful restaurant atmosphere, which of course adds to the experience. To see the options for yourself, the Pican menu is worth perusing. The only caveat is that it should not be viewed on an empty stomach. Enjoy!!

Details:

Pican Restaurant

2295 Broadway

Oakland CA 94612

(510) 834-1000

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