Though softly open for the past couple weeks, Salsipuedes is now fully realized and ready to roll, starting tomorrow, August 20. The restaurant, from Jay Porter and Katie Mayfield of The Half Orange, is a cozy restaurant featuring what they describe as "seafood barbecue," which translates to rustic California cuisine inspired by backyard get-togethers with friends.
However, unlike dining in your backyard, Salsipuedes' food comes from chef Marcus Krauss, an alum of The Restaurant at Meadowood who has created a casual, inventive menu inspired by the dining style of the Baja Peninsula and Pacific Rim. Dishes like shishito peppers with grilled fruit and salt plum, and roasted corn with nixtamal nieves, sea grass and trout roe are meant to be shared, alongside larger items like heirloom bean cioppino (made with Rancho Gordo beans), clams and Mendocino seaweeds. Ice cream-based desserts will come from partner Luis Abundis (Nieves Cinco de Mayo), in flavors like fresh corn and nopales. Check out the full menu here.
On the beverage side, Bradford Taylor of Oakland's Ordinaire wine shop has created an approachable wine list to match the laid-back style of the menu, offering natural wines from coastal regions like the Canary Islands, Sicility and Chile. Porter is in charge of the craft beers and ciders, available on tap by the glass or the liter, running the gamut from local beers by Fieldwork Brewing to Cerveceria Agua Mala in Ensenada, Mexico.
The 25-seat restaurant lives up to its promise of a low-key, festive atmosphere, offering diners the option of a communal table or counter seating at the bar (which Krauss built himself). Artwork from Hector Herrera and a wall of abalone shells will complete the airy, tiled interior.
The restaurant will be open Tuesday-Saturday from 5:30 p.m.- 9:30 p.m.
