Mission Rock Resort has views to dine for
Sometimes dining offers escape, pure and simple. The food has to be good enough, but it’s the surroundings that elevate the experience.
That’s the way I feel going into the aptly named and newly refurbished Mission Rock Resort. On a sunny day, eating lunch on the umbrella-shaded deck overlooking the bay feels like a vacation. Even the crumbling pier nearby looks charming.
And who would have thought that in November it would be warm enough to have dinner on the deck? Whenever the weather is mild, Mission Rock, which used to be Kelly’s Mission Rock, is the place to be.
The restaurant was taken over by Peter Osborne, who
sank a tanker of money into the remodel to revive its crumbling decks and deteriorating interior. The owner knows a thing or two about playing to the location; he’s done it successfully at MoMo’s, Pete’s Tavern and Pedro’s Cantina, all in the shadow of AT&T Park.
Lovely views anytime
While it’s nice to sit outside, Mission Rock Resort has its charms even in inclement weather. At night the bay takes on a mysterious side, silver glints of light beaconing off the steel-colored sheet of water, with ghostly shadows of ships in graving dock.
The two-story interior can seat up to 250, and every table makes the most of the view. The interior is pleasant but hard to remember because all eyes are on what’s outside.
The menu is heavy on seafood. Several dishes shine, including the $75 seafood platter, an oversize ice-mounded tray heaped with eight large prawns, a dozen oysters, a half dozen clams, a scallop shell filled with lump crab meat on shredded lettuce and another shell with ceviche, all complemented by five condiments.
You can also get barbecued oysters (five for $11), which always remind me of Tomales Bay, but these tasted as if the sauce were poured on after the oysters were broiled, so the caramelization and melding of flavors was missing.
Some mixed results
The Classic Crab Louie ($17) is another pleasant option, with picked crab on a pile of shredded lettuce enhanced with little pearls of capers and shaved red onion that seem to infuse every bite of the vinaigrette-soaked leaves. One of the best salads combines frisee and Belgian endive ($9), tossed with slices of Asian pear, candied walnuts and blue cheese that balances the sweetness of the other ingredients.
When chef Sam Ehrlich gets creative, the results are mixed. Scallops ($25) have a stylish appearance, a marked contrast to the homey presentation of other dishes. Three plump, sauteed scallops are set on pureed and sauteed plantains, surrounded by a bright green salsa verde and topped with what looks like bulgur, with a fried plantain chip sprouting from the top. All the elements are good, but the finished dish comes across as a little confused.
That’s not the case with the line-caught dorado ($23), perched on a crisp risotto cake with sauteed spinach and a lemon caper butter sauce; it does the kitchen proud.
In a more classic vein, there’s a very good version of linguine ($19) with a butter sauce that carries the seafaring flavors of fat prawns with a few cherry tomatoes, scallions, garlic and basil. In fact, I liked many of the classics, such as the fish and chips ($15), though the fries outshine the thickly battered fish.
With an international flair, you can also get rock cod tacos ($14) and a fair version of jambalaya ($19) with rice, prawns, andouille sausage and chicken stained a deep red from spiced tomato sauce.
Brunch is a standout
Ehrlich and his crew do a particularly good job at brunch. There’s a good version of eggs Benedict ($12) with a toasted English muffin that holds Vega Farms poached eggs, Canadian bacon and a lemony hollandaise. Still, even seduced by the warming sun, I could tell the accompanying potatoes weren’t very good; while they were nicely browned, they had a dense texture, as if they had been prepared too far ahead of time and held for service.
When it comes to desserts (all $7), the bread pudding is rich and delicious. The butterscotch pot de creme with a puff of whipped cream and chocolate-covered espresso beans is also a fine way to finish a meal.
However, not even the views can completely compensate for the uneven service over four visits. At times we got a competent server, but it’s more of a crapshoot than it should be. On one visit we waited too long for the dessert menu and longer for the check. I appreciated soaking up the surroundings, but we had things to do, and other diners were waiting for our prime table.
Yet if I want to while away the afternoon or evening surrounded by the bay, it’s a frustration well worth enduring.