Bauer Grooves at Terrapin Crossroads; Unterman Loves Hopscotch

[Photo: Terrapin Crossroads/Facebook]

Bauer revisited San Rafael's Grateful Dead stronghold Terrapin Crossroads to check out new chef Nathan Clark, and he was reassured to find the food "still very good." The menu remains much the same as when Chris Fernandez helmed the kitchen: the chopped salad "remains one of the best versions in the Bay Area," the roast salmon is "hefty" and "precisely cooked," and the squash blossom appetizer is "beautiful." Bauer unwound to "friendly, helpful" service and the strains of music wafting from the performance space, and basked in the "glorious Marin sun reflecting off the boats." Two and a half stars. [Chron]

Patricia Unterman has only good things to say about "retro-stylish" Hopscotch, the "arty" Oakland diner from chef/owner Kyle Itani. From the "remarkable" buttermilk fried chicken to the "succulent" Porterhouse pork chop and "uncannily balanced" cocktails, Unterman says "you'll yearn to go back." She's also enamored of newcomer 20th Century Cafe, dubbing Michelle Polzine's Hayes Valley spot "a star in the making." She loves the "ethereal" Russian honey cake, "divine" summer grand nectarine tart and calls the mushroom quiche with beet salad "the most exquisite quiche I've ever tasted." [Unterman on Food]

Jonathan Kauffman praises the "erudite, complex dishes" at Waiheke Island Yacht Club, calling the America's Cup pop-up "no tourist-minded stunt." He visited the restaurant with Waiheke Island native and Marlowe/The Cavalier mastermind Anna Weinberg to assess the menu's authenticity, and from the "spectacular" Mt. Cook Alpine salmon to the Merino lamb to the TCHO chocolate mousse version of New Zealand's iconic Crunchie Bar, Kauffman gives chef Hayden McMillen's menu a mark of excellence. [Tasting Table]

Anna Roth skipped her review this week to offer her picks for what to eat at Outside Lands, like 4505 Meats' "small, sophisticated, delicious" burger and The Whole Beast's lamb poutine, "one of the highlights of last year's festival." [SF Weekly]

Luke Tsai visited new Oakland sausage-and-beer joint Brotzeit Lokal, a secret waterfront spot that serves up German beer hall fare that's "much, much better than it needs to be." The star of chef and co-owner Lev Delany's show is the sausage selection, like the "well-spiced" jalapeño chicken sausage and the "remarkably juicy" bockwurst. Tsai also digs the beer selection, recommending the Brotzeit-only Linden Street Brewery Alte Schule as "the perfect summer beer." [EBX]

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