food: Nido

Last week K and I checked out Nido, the relatively new restaurant on Oak Street in the Jack London district. I helped support their Kickstarter project, and now it was time to receive our thank-you. Nido features farm to table Mexican food, and source their food locally: breads and bagels from Authentic Bagel Company in Oakland; beer from Linden Street Brewery and Dying Vines; pies from Pietisserie which shares the space with Nido.

The restaurant is in a small, modern space, with an urban chic reminding people of its location near the waterfront. Parts of a shipping container decorate the walls, and the tables and other decor are simple but homey. It was mostly lit by candles, which made it a bit dark, but it was a warm, inviting space for a rainy night.

I'm normally a beer or wine drinker, but Nido recently got their liquor license and Christina Mitchell of East Bay Dish recommended trying the cocktails, so I went with a margarita. I didn't look at their wine list, but they feature local beers on their beer list. Some tasty chips, pico de gallo and guacamole kept our margaritas company while we decided on our main courses.

We started with some delicious squash and celery root soup. Then K had some very tasty fish tacos, and I had one of the few vegi options on the menu that night, a yummy chile relleno. Everything was very tasty, and the service was great, but I'd love to see more vegetarian options on the menu. After we'd finished, Cory, one of the co-owners came out to thank us personally for the Kickstarter support. He and Sylvia are planning a "grand opening" in January, now that they've got all of the pieces in place. I'm looking forward to trying more there, as they also serve breakfast, lunch and brunch.