WHY: MōNO in the press

August 2008: BON APPÉTIT MAGAZINE:

Executive chef Todd Wilson lives and works in Jack London Square and offers his neighbors an industrial-chick spot to commune over artisanal cheese, crudo, and elegant, farm-friendly shared plates like grilled Castroville artichokes, red miso lamb chops, and pan-seared day boat scallops dressed with Meyer lemon-mint pesto.  Chocoholics will want to dive into the chocolate parfait peppered with cocoa nibs and topped with rich brownie bites.

July 2008: GAYOT.COM:

A converted warehouse slicked-out in glossy black and light wood is the perfect blank canvas for a menu of small plates that crosses international boundaries. The eclectic wine list also spans the globe---and a considerable selection of half bottles encourages tasting. Owners Todd Wilson and Eloisa Castillo soften the restaurant’s modern edges with warm neighborly hospitality and satisfying, responsibly-sourced cuisine. In the meat dishes, sauces are the stars, from an intensely green chimichurri that shows up a grilled flatiron steak to a mascarpone polenta cradling roasted rack of lamb. It’s the fresh seafood here that really shines. We melt over a single, decadent seared scallop in a pool of fresh pesto, tart crisp slivers of apple bringing out its sweet richness. And from the crudo menu, ahi sparkles, brightened with preserved lemon and jalapeño granita and draped over a pile of chewy soba noodles with sesame. End with an ultra-comforting hunk of moist bread pudding in bourbon sauce.

July 2008: Diablo Magazine:

A husband-and-wife team with a strong food background is putting lots of love into this Oakland wine bar and restaurant. The name, which means “monkey” in Spanish, is chef Todd Wilson’s term of endearment for his wife, general manager Eloisa Castillo. The industrial space not far from Jack London Square is polished and a great place to enjoy wine and small plates of food. Fish crudos, cheeses, and charcuterie figure largely on the menu, but our visit turned up scrumptious pan-seared scallops, garlicky prawns a la plancha served on crostini, and seasonal silky Meyer lemon risotto. Portions vary in size, and occasionally a dish, such as miso lamb chops with apple jus and baby bok choy, doesn’t come together. But, service is outstanding, wines are well-priced, and the atmosphere is fun. Lunch Tues.–Fri., dinner Tues.–Sat.

July 2008: San Francisco Magazine:

Jack London Square is still struggling to find itself. Where family eateries and expense-account lunch places of the martini-and-scaloppine variety once thrived, Oakland’s new class of loft dwellers is hungry for downtown hangouts with a morsel of style. Now they have it in Mono (pronounce both o’s long), a compact, concrete space partially open to the sidewalk. The room is awash in black, with blond wood and a semicircular bar. Todd Wilson’s mostly seafood menu alternates between Spanish and Asian flavors. The kitchen can cook: The grilled, miso-brushed lamb chops are rich and velvety, while pan-fried halibut with orange jus has a gilt-crusted sweetness. Vegetable dishes can disappoint—like an enormous, spiky grilled artichoke oozing water—but hardly enough to douse Jack London’s hopes for urban cool.

May 2008: Easy Bay Express:

Mono brings fine food and drink to the lofty Jack London District.

By Matthew Stafford

In recent years, the piers, warehouses, and saloons of the neighborhood just east of Jack London Square have transmogrified into condos, apartments, and loft conversions ideal for habitation and espresso-sipping. But it's still a fascinating place to sightsee. Its shining glory is the Waterfront Warehouse District, a 160-acre parcel on the National Register of Historic Places. Among the district's two-dozen old structures are onetime centers of fishing, shrimping, glassblowing, poultry-plucking, and burlap-mending, along with Safeway's former world headquarters, dating back to when the Western Pacific Railroad ran a spur line through the neighborhood and Oakland helped feed the Golden State. There's a hint of faded New Orleans glory in these old streets. One place the freights visited was the Western States Grocery Company, a warehouse built in 1926 at 247 Fourth Street. Nowadays it contains forty condominiums and a restaurant, Mono.

The sleek restaurant features lots of deep blacks and polished woods, floor-to-ceiling windows, several striking black-and-white photographs, a luxe-moderne semicircular wine bar ideal for single dining, and a big rustic set-in wine rack. One wing of the small dining room can even be converted to an "outdoor patio" when the street window — really a paned garage door — is pulled into the ceiling. Mono's clean, spare look — it's based on the interior design of the co-owners' nearby loft — is ideal in this proto-industrial setting. And general manager Eloisa Castillo and her staff of servers create a friendly and welcoming ambience.

The cuisine is your standard global-fusion, small-plate, local-purveyor razzmatazz, but there's usually enough wit and invention going on in executive chef Todd Wilson's kitchen to transcend the overfamiliar. The hamachi crudo, for instance, accented some of the most sparklingly fresh raw fish I've ever tasted — so pristine it was almost without flavor — with bits of minced blood orange, Fresno pepper, Maui onion, and cilantro. The result was a lush, sharp, crisp, sweet explosion. Other ingredients are allowed to shine; one night the seasonal soup was a simple and satiny smooth lobster bisque that evoked a particularly toothsome evening on Cape Cod. You can get it by the bowl or the "shot" — in a tall, fluted glass.

A more substantial dish was the prawns à la plancha, in which half a dozen plump, if slightly overcooked, prawns were prepared and served with garlic, tomato, white wine, plus a purée of white beans, which added a whole new dimension to this familiar dish. The red miso lamb chops, meanwhile, were perfectly grilled, with a piquant, chunky Gravenstein apple jus adding a pleasant zing. However, the garnet yams and baby bok choy that shared the platter added little to the experience.

Mono's desserts are primarily of the homey, comforting variety and offer a pleasant contrast to the streamlined surrounding milieu. The raspberry cobbler was a sweet delight: all steamy, soft, short-crusty texture spiked with fresh juicy berries and the melting presence of vanilla gelato. The butterscotch pot de crème, on the other hand, was almost toothachingly sweet, with a lumpy texture, minimal butterscotch flavor, and a disconcerting chapeau of film. But the bread pudding was exceptional, a pure and simple egg-cream-sugar evocation of Louisiana kitchencraft and warm, tender, yielding velvet. (Yet we were disappointed to discover that the chocolate bread pudding contained no chocolate at all.) There also were several cheeses available for sampling, along with crostini, almonds, dried fruit, and honey. (Shuna Lydon of Citizen Cake and French Laundry fame bears the title of Mono's consulting pastry chef.)

Mono bills itself as a wine bar as well as a restaurant, and its 100-bottle list is indeed impressive. Among the treasures at hand are a wide array of biodynamic, organic, and unwooded wines; fine examples of French, Italian, German, Australian, Portuguese, Greek, Argentine, and New Zealand viticulture; several artisanal sakes (including one sparkling variety); flights of Spanish dessert wines; and of course several boutique representatives from Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino. Two dozen wines are available by the glass, sixteen by the half bottle. (There's also Black Diamond Amber Ale on tap.)

For lunch, Mono serves up soups, salads, and an array of inventive sandwiches ranging from seared ahi, fennel and watercress on focaccia to roast beef on baguette with pickled onions, arugula, and Cambozola cheese. The chicken salad was our favorite: a tender, tangy conglomeration of crisp greens, fresh tarragon, toasted pine nuts, snarky capers, and lots of shredded chicken, sweet and piquant with balsamic vinegar, all of it crammed into a grilled Italian roll substantial enough to contain it but soft enough to absorb its myriad flavors. Another good option is the grilled cheese panini, in which oven-roasted tomatoes and three compatible varieties of formaggio — Gruyère, fontina, and a nicely aged cheddar — meet and mingle between two slices of grilled sourdough. The presentation was as sleek and as thoughtful as the setting: Each sandwich was served on a rectangular glass platter flanked by twin square white bowls, one filled with field greens dressed with a pleasantly tangy vinaigrette, the other brimming with a warm, creamy, garden-fragrant tomato soup.

There's not a lot in the area of vegetarian-friendly food on Mono's menu. At lunchtime there's the soup (a wild card) and the three-cheese panini plus two varieties of salad (the classic roasted beet-goat cheese-watercress and another made up of baby greens, pickled shallots, toy box tomatoes,, and watermelon radish). The soup and salads are available for dinner as well along with an appetizer of grilled artichoke, beet greens, and Meyer lemon aioli.

Wilson and Castillo opened Mono in mid-March after years of planning and working up impressive résumés at AsiaSF, Postrio, Myth, and other hotspots. Residents of the neighborhood themselves, the couple wanted to open a place nearby where the locals could relax and enjoy the pleasures of good food and wine and idle conversation. The neighborhood deserves no less.

March 2008: Contra Costa Times:

Tips Included: Couple put experience (and everything else) in Mono
By Chrissa Ventrelle
Correspondent
Article Launched: 03/26/2008 12:03:03 AM PDT

OAKLAND HAS LURED another restaurant team away from San Francisco. Husband and wife Todd Wilson and Eloisa Castillo opened their first restaurant, Mono, in the lofty neighborhood near Jack London Square. "This place was screaming for something," says Wilson, who likens Oakland's boom to that of Brooklyn's.

Mono (rhymes with "oh no") is Spanish for "monkey," and is Wilson's pet name for Castillo. It replaces Cuckoo's Nest. "This place is our blood, sweat, tears and equity. Everything here is Todd and me," says Castillo.

Spring-inspired offerings include Meyer lemon risotto with asparagus and garlic prawns, and pork tenderloin with butternut custard and apple and quince compote. At a recent lunch, guests were gushing about the seared ahi tuna sandwich with red onion, fennel and watercress.

The restaurant's modern black and white design is modeled after the owners' loft down the street. They've filled the dining room with smaller tables and one long communal table, envisioning Mono as the neighborhood's dining room.

After 21 years together, the couple is ready for a new challenge. Wilson left corporate America to attend the California Culinary Academy in his early 20s. He's served as chef de cuisine at AsiaSF and the Public. His MBA-educated wife serves as general manager, but still sunlights as an insurance broker. Wilson pulled her into the restaurant world 10 years ago when he was at Perry's on Union Street. She has also paid her dues at Postrio, Myth and Cortez.

Mono's consulting pastry chef, Shuna Lydon, has a well-read blog (eggbeater.typepad.com) that details her travails in the Bay Area restaurant scene.

Lydon's resume is impressive, with stints at French Laundry, Bouchon, Citizen Cake and, most recently, Sens. With so much moving about, let's hope she and her spicy gingerbread stay connected with Mono.

Mono, 247 4th St., Oakland, 510-834-0260 (now open for lunch; opens April 2 for dinner).

March 2008: Tablehopper.com:

And in the East Bay, ~MONO RESTAURANT~ opened for lunch last week (its soft opening) in the Jack London Square area of Oakland, and will be opening for dinner on Wednesday, April 2nd. This industrial but stylish space has a horseshoe-shaped bar, cement pillars, and a custom fabricated wall treatment composed of honeycomb shapes, backlit with LED lighting; there is also a patio area. The lunch menu includes house-made soups, sandwiches, salads, and box-lunch specials available for eat-in or take away via a sidewalk take-out window. Dinner service will feature a globally inspired and seasonally changing small plates menu sourced from local purveyors. There will be charcuterie, a raw oyster bar, cheeses, crudos, plus dishes like mussels and clams with chorizo, Meyer lemon risotto, and pan-seared Kurobuta pork loin. The wine list will focus on boutique producers and sparkling wines, with a hefty number of half bottles. In case you were wondering about the name, Mono means monkey in Spanish, and is executive chef/co-owner (and husband) Todd Wilson’s nickname for his wife, general manager/co-owner, Eloisa Castillo. Wilson was the former chef de cuisine at Asia SF and The Public, and Eloisa Castillo worked at Myth and Cortez. Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30am–2:30pm; dinner (soon) on Wed, Thurs, Sun from 5:30pm– 9:30pm, Fri–Sat 5:30pm–10:30pm. Brunch and breakfast to come. 247 4th St. at Alice, Oakland, 510-834-0260.

March 2008: Idealbite.com:

Wanna find a restaurant that isn't just goofing around with the idea of eating local? Get seriously dialed in at Oakland's new Mono restaurant. Spanish for "monkey," Mono's friendly yet swanky setting is anchored by a cheese and oyster bar, and a charcuterie. Its 100-bottle wine list features numerous biodynamic and organic options, and the seasonal menu of small plates includes items such as prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and Meyer lemon risotto. And since it gathers ingredients from trusted local purveyors like Niman Ranch, you get global cuisine without a world of hurt from transport emissions. No kidding.

Wanna Try

Mono Restaurant; opens today for lunch and on Apr. 2 for dinner; 247 Fourth St. at Alice St., Oakland (510-834-0260). Meyer Lemon Risotto, $19.

February 2008: StarChefs.com:

Oakland, CA (February, 2008) - Restaurant Name & Opening Date:
Mono Restaurant | Early February, 2008

Concept:
Mono Restaurant, located in the Jack London Square area of Oakland, will open with breakfast and lunch - offering an array of espresso drinks, coffee, and teas. The lunch menu will feature house-made soups, sandwiches, salads, and box-lunch specials available for eat-in or take away via the convenient sidewalk take-out window. Dinner service will begin in March with a globally inspired seasonally-changing small plates menu sourced from local purveyors such as Greenleaf Produce and Niman Ranch.

Mono means monkey in Spanish and is Executive Chef/Co-Owner (and husband) Todd Wilson's nickname for his wife, General Manager/Co-Owner, Eloisa Castillo.

Location:
247 4th Street (@ Alice), Oakland, CA 94607
Executive Chef/Co-Owner:
Todd Wilson, former Chef de Cuisine at Asia SF and The Public
General Manager/Co-Owner:
Eloisa Castillo, formerly of Myth and Cortez

Design:
The industrial but stylish space will house a horseshoe-shaped bar, cement pillars, and a custom fabricated wall treatment composed of honeycomb shapes, backlit with LED lighting. A unique outdoor patio area can be closed off for private groups with pull down window-paned garage style doors and soft, interior lighting. An exhibition charcuterie and cheese bar, plus a raw oyster bar will also be featured.

Food Program:
Some items that Mono's menu will feature:
· Mussels & Clams, Spanish Chorizo, Saffron White Wine Broth
· Meyer Lemon Risotto with Asparagus and Garlic Prawns
· Pan-Seared Kurobota Pork Loin, Butternut Custard, Apple & Quince Compote

Crudo:
· Ahi Tuna, Preserved Meyer Lemon, Sesame, Jalapeo Granita, Soba Noodles
· Hamachi, Blood Orange, Fresno Pepper, Maui Onion, Micro Cilantro

Wine Program:
The compelling wine list will focus on boutique producers and sparkling wines with a hefty number of half bottles.

Hours:
Breakfast: On the Go (M-F; 7 - 10 am)
Lunch (M-F; 11:30 - 2:30 pm)
Dinner (Wed, Thurs, Sun from 5:30 - 9:30pm; Friday & Saturday from 5:30 - 10:30 pm)
Brunch (Sat - Sun; 9 - 3pm )

Web Site:
www.monorestaurant.com

February 2008: GAYOT.COM:

Mono Restaurant, located in the Jack London Square area of Oakland, will open in February with breakfast and lunch. The lunch menu will feature house-made soups, sandwiches, salads, and box-lunch specials available for eat-in or take-away via a convenient sidewalk take-out window. Dinner service will begin in March with a globally inspired and seasonally changing small plates menu sourced from local purveyors. An exhibition charcuterie and cheese bar, plus a raw oyster bar will be featured. In case you were wondering, Mono means “monkey” in Spanish and is the executive chef/co-owner (and husband) Todd Wilson’s nickname for his wife, general manager/co-owner Eloisa Castillo. Wilson is the former chef de cuisine of AsiaSF and The Public, and Castillo is formerly of Myth and Cortez. Mono Restaurant, 247 Fourth St. at Alice Street, Oakland.