Come along with Nosh as we explore the East Bay food scene in photographs. This week we focus on Homestead, which opened on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland in August.
Executive Chef Fred Sassen, at Homestead in August 2013, preparing chili-rubbed pork for roasting. Photo: Emilie Raguso
Come along with Nosh as we explore the East Bay food scene in photographs. This week we focus on Homestead, which opened on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland in August. After a major renovation that brightened up the old Zatis space at 4029 Piedmont, Homestead is a welcome addition to the avenue with its focus on local, seasonal and organic fare. Husband-and-wife team Fred and Elizabeth Sassen have, between them, worked at Camino, Farallon and Waterbar. The menu changes often and many of the products, from the charcuterie to the pasta, are made in-house. If you’ve tried the spots we feature, please let us know about your experience in the comments below. (Photographs by Emilie Raguso.)
Homestead has a cozy, modern feel, almost like you’re in a friend’s kitchen, with bowls of fruit and other ingredients set on the long wooden counter ready for use. The restaurant invited Nosh to try its offerings with a complimentary meal for two. Homestead has a cozy, modern feel, almost like you’re in a friend’s kitchen, with bowls of fruit and other ingredients set on the long wooden counter ready for use. The restaurant invited Nosh to try its offerings with a complimentary meal for two.This plum upside-down corn cake was served with crème fraîche. We saw it before our meal and knew we had to save room ($8).First course: baked ricotta with stone fruit, coppa and grilled bread ($12).Second course: wild shrimp with spicy romano beans and garlicky cucumbers ($14).Second course: pan-fried gnocchi with corn, chanterelle mushrooms and wild nettles ($11).We didn’t get the details but the salt was of a blue-gray variety with a memorable texture and flavor. We didn’t get the details but the salt was of a blue-gray variety with a memorable texture and flavor.Third course: roasted New York steak, grilled escarole, baby carrots and bone marrow ($24).Chili-rubbed slow-roasted pork with creamed corn and cherry tomatoes ($20).Between the chopped wood, the colorful preserves and farm tool touches, there’s a definite urban homesteading vibe. Between the chopped wood, the colorful preserves and farm tool touches, there’s a definite urban homesteading vibe.Fred and Elizabeth Sassen at Homestead, August 2013, Oakland, CA. Photo: Emilie RagusoDessert: Hot fudge brownie with vanilla semifreddo and cashew brittle ($8).Elizabeth Sassen (right) in the kitchen at Homestead. Husband Fred said the two plan to trade kitchen roles regularly.Homestead, at 4029 Piedmont Ave. in Oakland, adds a lively, farm-to-table experience to the neighborhood.
Emilie Raguso (former senior editor, news) joined Berkeleyside in 2012 and covered politics, public safety and development until her departure in 2022. In 2017, Emilie was named Journalist...
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