LAReview
photo credit: Stan Lee
Alameda Supper Club
This spot is Permanently Closed.
Too often, “simple” is just a code word for “boring.” That Craigslist posting for a simple apartment with an ocean view? Basically a white box with a slot-sized window where technically, on a smog-free day, you can see a sliver of water. A simple life where you retire to the country? After two weeks, you’re probably out of your mind with boredom.
Or the very simple menu at Alameda Supper Club, which features salad, pasta, charcuterie, big pieces of meat, and all the other things you’ve seen at a million other restaurants. In short, it seems like a snooze - but it turns out that simple isn’t always a euphemism. Once you start eating the food, you’ll realize simple can actually be pretty damn interesting.
Alameda is part of the huge Tartine Manufactory complex at the Row, and getting there is a bit like an elementary school field trip involving a big parking lot and much confusion about which way to walk. But once you do make it to the restaurant, you’ll find a minimal, warm (and yes, simple-but-not-boring) space that probably doubles as the set for a very tasteful dinner party scene on Big Little Lies. Still, on first glance, there’s not much here that will surprise you. Just like every bar with an unemployed comedy writer behind it, there’s a cocktail list full of puns (Biscotti Pippen, Celine Dijon), but the drinks are so good that you’ll end up taking back the eye roll you made while ordering them.
photo credit: Stan Lee
The real fun, though, is on the food menu. Because while “Cheddar & Smoked Ham Toast” sounds pretty humdrum, once the little fingers of buttery toast, cheddar mornay, and grated ham arrive, you’ll realize that nothing at Alameda is as simple as it sounds. The oysters come with a fantastic celtuce mignonette and chive oil, the black cod is poached in a magic sauce that tastes like butter (but, in fact, contains no butter), and the spaghetti with Dungeness crab is spicy, sweet, garlicky, and rich all at once. This is food that could easily fade into the background of a night of wine and fighting about where exactly the Eastside starts and ends - but every so often, you’ll end up taking a bite and noticing how good it really is.
It can get expensive here - the entrees are just protein on a plate, so once you add vegetables you’re looking at a $50 dish. But there are also some bargains to be found on the wine list, meaning you could come here for some bowls of pasta and a bottle of wine, and not end up handing over too much money. And that’s the beauty of Alameda’s simplicity - it can be as complicated as you want it to be.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Stan Lee
Cheddar & Smoked Ham Toast
Oysters
photo credit: Stan Lee
Green Salad
photo credit: Stan Lee
Spaghetti
photo credit: Stan Lee
Ravioli
photo credit: Stan Lee
Black Cod
photo credit: Stan Lee