Board Room and Speakeasy a step back in time
People like to eat out for all sorts of reasons beyond hunger. You can eat a lot cheaper by making meals at home, but sometimes you just get tired of your own cooking.
It's often more convenient.
It's a good time to visit with friends. Status is also a draw. A fancy, well-touted restaurant entices you to spend a small fortune.
And there's also just seeking a change of scenery, and that is what the Board Room and Speakeasy in Novato does. In fact, it drops you into a different era.
Executive chef-owner Munther Massarweh (Rickey's Restaurant and Scrumptious Occasions Catering, both in Novato) and interior designer Michael Brennan collaborated in re-creating a supper club in the style of mid-century Kansas City or Chicago.
The Board Room and Speakeasy set in a strip mall grandly named Del Prado Shopping Center is a fun find. Outside, there are two doors painted to look like old-fashioned phone booths but those don't' lead into the bar. You must enter through the front door that leads into the restaurant. A trompe-l'oeil of bookcases pull back to reveal the Speakeasy.
On a recent Friday afternoon the bar was full at with just one seat left at the bar. No doubt that was because it was happy hour, which runs from 3 to 6:30 daily, and that offers food ranging from $3 tacos to $12 for the Speakeasy Burger (regularly $16 on the lunch menu). Draft beers and cocktails are $2 off the regular prices except for signature drinks. There's no discount on the wine since the list is already discounted.
One of the house signature cocktails ($11 to $14), High Hopes ($14), stood out. It's basically a Manhattan made with Antica Vermouth served in an oversized martini glass.
The restaurant is attractive. Small, copper shaded lights on the bright white tablecloths stood out against the black paneled room and the dark ornately patterned rug. The super club stage was set. A piano player playing soft tunes added the final touch.
Of the appetizers ($12 to $19), the with Burrata and Blistered Red Tomato ($15), seemed tempting. Served on an oblong, glass plate with lavash triangles at one end, ambler cloves of roasted garlic and blistered cherry tomatoes at the other and a plump ball of balsamic glazed burrata next to a mound of bacon chili jam in the center. When my fork plunged into the burrata, it oozed its creamy center. Alternating bites of the cheese with the garlic and the bacon jam was a delicious beginning to our meal.
One dish not seen on many menus, Seared Veal Sweetbreads ($19), seemed to fit the retro era of the Boardroom. While the creamy Madeira sauce was a familiar taste we'd had with sweetbreads before, these sweetbreads were overcooked, leaving them bitter.
The Little Gem Salad ($15) was colorfully plated on a long glass platter dotted with pinches of goat cheese. The lettuce had been cut into thirds tossed with orange segments, toasted pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds,
slivers of red onions and lightly dressed with a lemongrass vinaigrette, leaving the crunch of the lettuce.
Dinner entrees range from $22 for Vegetable Risotto to $79 to Bonein Ribeye Steak. Petrale Sole Dore ($31) — technically not dore-style since it wasn't battered — was nicely cooked and served with a lemon-caper sauce with a seared, slice of lemon on the side. Accompanying the delicate fish was roasted potato wedges and perfectly grilled asparagus. A satisfying dish.
Of course we had to order a steak. The Carved Bistro Steak ($29) is served with a red wine, bone marrow reduction and a choice of two sides ($7 to $10). The Parmesan Creamed Spinach, a steakhouse favorite, was perfect as were the roasted potatoes.
The steak was a hangar steak, chewier than other cuts, but it has a lot more flavor. This steak was true to form.
Of the tempting desserts, the most tempting was the Lava Cake ($14). While not made in-house, it was fullon chocolate topped with whipped cream and a fresh raspberry. The plate was lashed with dark chocolate and lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar — an inviting presentation.
There is a good selection of wines by the glass ($10 to $25), bottles ($25 to $97) and Chefs RSRV bottles ($135 to $205). A glass of the Miner Sauvignon Blanc ($10) went well with the fish as did the Daou Pinot Noir $12. Lighter reds often pair well with fish.
The Boardroom and
Speakeasy is an imaginative and lively spot. It's a place to dress up for — something black and off the shoulders perhaps — and be transported back in time for a while.