Comfort. Home. Soul. Three words that describe every single visit to Miss Ollie’s in Oakland, an amazing restaurant with an everlasting appeal.
Chef Sarah Kirnon leads guests on a culinary tour of her life, her upbringing, and HER food. The restaurant, located in Old Oakland, may look like a casual neighborhood spot when passing by. But stepping into the doors, it is a burst of energy, warmth and dishes with never-ending flavors.
Although she was born in Britain, Kirnon spent much of her youth in Barbados. Raised by her grandmother, a cook at a plantation, Kirnon grew accustomed to the ways of a kitchen at an early age. Those traits, those flavors, those dishes all were part of the inspiration for Miss Ollie’s
An ode to her grandmother, in both the name of the restaurant and the food being served, Miss Ollie’s offers hearty, down-home dishes in a more casual setting and style than her previous stop at Hibiscus in Uptown Oakland. Open for both lunch and dinner, and now with a liquor license to boot, the menu is inspired by food from the Caribbean, but with a California sensibility to it (i.e. market-driven ingredients, seasonal changes). Kirnon offers a daily special, from Fried Chicken to Oxtail and Fish Friday; other staples include her Salt Fish & Ackee, Phoularie, Plantains and Creole Doughnuts. For the quality of the ingredients and the portion sizes, prices are a steal and service is friendly at every turn.
Kirnon’s food, while reflecting her childhood and grandmother’s influence, has a real sense of modern cooking. There are such an assortment of textures on each plate, along with flavors that are both bold and more understated. And yet, while there is a sense of “technical cooking,” the food is also very approachable and comforting. Whenever I stop in to Miss Ollie’s, I truly feel like I am stepping into the kitchen of Kirnon, getting a glimpse at how certain dishes, certain flavor profiles, spices shaped her upbringing and life as a chef.
Miss Ollie’s truly acts as a pulse for Oakland. The city gets a horribly bad rap in the news media, both locally and nationally, as being a violent, “dangerous” place to go out. But it’s really quite the opposite. Oakland is a diverse city of all ages and races; and that’s exactly what you can see at Miss Ollie’s. People of all colors, backgrounds and ages enjoying a wonderful meal, whether dining solo or with a large group. It is a place that welcomes all comers.
What put Miss Ollie’s over the top and on my list of best new restaurants in 2013? I have never had a bad meal, bad service and have always left 100 percent satisfied. And many times, that’s all you need to make a truly great restaurant. Miss Ollie’s is located at 901 Washington Street in Oakland. The restaurant is open for lunch Tuesday-Saturday from 11:30am-2:30pm and for dinner Tuesday-Thursday from 5:30-9:30, and Friday & Saturday from 5:30-10:30.
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