Blood Sausage, film noir style :)

Cutting-edge tongue-thrashing cuisine and teaspoon-sized prix-fixe tidbits have their place, but when you’re in the mood for a big platter of comfort food — homey, satisfying sustenance that soothes the soul as it pleasures the belly — head to Nex, Hi-Suk Dong’s hip little temple to the deep, rich flavors of Southern Europe and Northern California. Plump green beans are grilled and served with a creamy poached egg and Green Goddess dressing. Velvety gnocchi studded with chunks of porcini mushroom drip with luscious mascarpone. There are marrow bones rich with fatty, gooey goodness; creamy risotto ribboned with chanterelles, squash blossoms, and truffle oil; free-range chickens pressed with a brick and baked until tender, juicy, and golden; medium-rare lamb noisettes served on a bed of buttery puréed cauliflower. Read the rest of the review here >

Ok, so maybe my song puns aren’t the best, but my experience at Nex in Oakland was something to sing about. It so happened that last April the BH and I had tickets to Paul Simon at the recently refurbished Fox Theater in Oakland. We made reservations at Nex, the sister restaurant to Mua. Both restaurants are owned and operated by the former owner of Soizic formerly on Broadway in Oakland. Soizic was one of our favorites right up until it closed some time after August of last year. Soizic was one of the first fine dining establishments in Oakland, featuring a hybrid of French-California “other” cuisine done very successfully, long before Oakland’s dining renaissance was a twinkle in anyone’s eye.
 Read More from Eastbay Food Scene 

I LOVED so many things about Nex in Oakland, from the cool Parisian-like warehouse interior to the lovingly prepared brick chicken.

Nex is the baby sister to the gigantic Mua next door on Webster Street. They share the same owners and chef, John Mardikian, who cooked at San Francisco’s Chez Papa, Cafe 52 and EOS before moving his career across the bridge.

We were dining there for an anniversary on a recent Saturday night and

didn’t mention it to our server. But the service was so good — dishes were served promptly, piping hot, and always with a smile — you’d think we had.

We arrived at 7:30 p.m. and were seated at an intimate table for two in the back of the dining room along the mural-walled staircase. Just like Mua, Nex is a two-story restaurant, but it’s

smaller and more intimate. A dozen tables are upstairs and 16 downstairs, where the corner bar is brightly colored with red walls and chandeliers dangle from the exposed, green vaulted ceiling. Each table was lit with a red votive candle. It was simple and elegant with a hint of grunge.

rest of review=>

Nex reminds me of some old neighborhood restaurants when I was a kid in Oakland, with generous portions of comfort food, a funky decor and a Capra-esque rapport with diners. Read more:

photo by Chris Duffey

Recession be damned: The Giants have won the World Series, Barbara Boxer remains our senator, the weather has been enchanting, and exemplary new restaurants continue to open in Oakland. You’d think the second law of thermodynamics would’ve kicked in by now and shifted the mantle of Northern California Culinary Nexus to Healdsburg or Walnut Creek or Modesto, but the metropolis of Alameda County keeps on siring all sorts of eateries, pubs, and brasseries where the food is inventive, the vibe welcoming, and the concept unique, exciting, or a little bit edgy…

Read the entire review by Matthew Stafford

Nice article about all the new restaurants in Oakland.  >go to magazine (pages 58-59) iphone & ipad link

(KCBS) – KCBS Food and Wine Editor Narsai David visited a new restaurant in Oakland he described as “exciting” and “creative.”

“The owner of Nex Restaurant has an architecture background which is evident by the decor inside. It’s also right next to their other restaurant, Mua.

The menu contains lots of intriguing and wonderful foods including items you haven’t seen in a while such as marrow bones served with a crusty bread. They also have a brick chicken (which is chicken grilled under a brick). Another interesting item was the compressed piece of watermelon – they vacuum seal a cube of watermelon to create a unique dish.”

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