Digs in Berkeley, CA

So, for the New Years Eve, I did one of my favorite things, eat at an awesome restaurant. And that is exactly what this was. The location is a little hard to find, I knew where it was from eyeing it from afar for 2 years.

Finally, a friend had a coupon and took us all out. The menu is small only 5 entries and a couple appetizers and desserts. The menu was not the same as the one posted on their website. When I called for reservations, I found that the place only opened a couple days a week. No big deal, I left a message and a phone number and they set (and later reset my reservation with no problems).

We arrived at the restaurant, and were very impressed with the ambiance. It was dim and cozy. The place was definitely smaller than I had expected, but it was beautiful, it had brick on the wall and curtains and candles. I imagine this would be a great place for a date. The waiter helped us to our table which was already prepared for the five of us. He seemed extremely knowledgeable, friendly and most of all, seemed to really enjoy working there. He had good recommendations regarding the menu. As a group, we ordered every entree and quite a few of the appetizers. I got to sample everything! I can't recall what everything was called, but here goes:

On the menu:
1. Carrot soup: had coconut undertones with crispy fried leek on top, was creamy and smooth and very big proportions too! Good for all three of us who ended up sharing it.
2. Crab stuffed Pequillo peppers: WOW, too amazing for words, at 10 bucks, this dish was not a huge portion (2 peppers and salad) but it was so good, I think I could have eaten many more. The flavor was rich, and blended together so well!
3. duck leg confit: The duck leg was a very nice savory dish, piled on a bed of polenta which rested on some sauteed greens of some sort. The duck itself was great, but not terrible special, besides the fact that it literally fell off the bone and was juicy and tender. But when you ate it together with their creamy polenta and flavorful greens, you can tell that this chef really knows what she is doing.
4. risotto cake: stuffed with mozzarella cheese. This cake was creamy and was a good take on risotto. I liked the slightly crispy edges. Yum.
5. catfish: I did not get a good taste of this, but the person who ordered it seemed to like it a lot.
5. leg of lamb: Since I do not usually enjoy lamb, I did not order this, but I tasted and tasted it again off my friend's plate. This dish was de-lish! The lamb had been slowly braised for hours, it was so tender and juicy. It wasn't that it was not gamey, I knew I was tasting lamb, but somehow, this restaurant made the taste of lamb be something I wanted to stuff into my face, rather than spit out. I was so impressed. The lamb rested on a bed of dino kale, chorizo cooked with these Flagulan beans. The beans were small and creamy, wow. It was the best lamb dish I think I have ever had. I highly highly recommend this place .