FIVE
Sometimes a well known figure'll fade from the limelight for a long while, only to resurface later in the oddest of places, like a Bangkok closet, or VH1. Or, at a posh hotel in Berkeley: FIVE.
Constituting the well-warranted return of Chef Scott Howard (Fork, Scott Howard), FIVE's a handsome Cali-cuisinery off the newly redone Hotel Shattuck's lobby, made up of a massive full-oval bar of limestone and a dining room spotted with girthy white pillars and a sexy glass chandelier that's 100+ years old and learned everything it knows from Suzanne Somers. Small plates include ahi tartare with avocado, vanilla beans, and chorizo oil; orzo mac n' cheese with braised morels and bread crumbs; and a citrus/tarragon Dungeness crab cocktail w/ brandied Louis sauce and "little gems" (he went to Jared!). Mains're highlighted by a slow cooked pork belly atop navy bean puree (w/ smoked apple bacon salad), as well as the braised short ribs on white cheddar polenta (w/ red wine jus), and the glazed veggie-flanked braised beef cheeks from a cow so cute, pinching them just wouldn't do.
To wash it all down, there's a nice list of classic cocktails, e.g., Plymouth Gimlets, Jack Roses, and Hemingway Daiquiris, because though Papa may have "faded" long ago, his love for the sauce is currently featured in you.
