QUICK BITE: Clove & Hoof

Guided by a very hungry stomach and a smoking Oakland Restaurant Week deal, I recently visited Clove and Hoof Butchery and Restaurant, a spot that has been on my list for quite some time now. I had just taken a pretty brutal cardio weightlifting class at my gym (got to work off all of these great ORW18 calories somehow) so my body was telling me it was time to fuel up … and it really wanted meat. (Insert funny ha ha’s here!) So I scanned the list of lunch deals and saw a perfect trifecta:

Oakland’s Cheesesteak

Side of hand-cut beef tallow fries

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Mint Lemonade

(Ok, maybe not quite a trifecta, but how about a trifecta + one?)

Right when I walked in, I knew that Clove & Hoof was going to be a special place. It’s designed like your traditional neighborhood butcher shop, but only with tables to eat at. This family-owned restaurant really celebrates good food and good practice. There is a classic meat case showcasing a wide variety of cut meats that just scream quality. If you don’t trust your eyes, then certainly trust when they say that all of their beef, pork, lamb, chicken, rabbit and duck comes from local California ranches and farms like Jenner Family Farms in Etna, Devil’s Gulch Ranch in Nicasio and Rancho Llano Seco in Chico.

In addition, Clove and Hoof gets their proteins whole and does all of the butchering in house. But don’t let that scare you if you’re wondering how you’re going to enjoy eating while the sausage gets made, literally. Clove and Hoof is spotless making you easily forget that you’re also in a butchery.

A $20 lunch is pretty pricey, but you definitely get your money’s worth here. As a girl who grew up eating Philly cheesesteaks on Jersey Shore, I’ve had good cheesesteaks and pretty bad ones, too. It’s easy for a place to provide too much roll, not enough meat and really nasty Cheese Whiz-like “sauce.” This is definitely not the case at Clove and Hoof. There’s a reason why Clove and Hoof was featured on The Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

According to the menu my sandwich consisted of thinly sliced tender sirloin, onion confit, grilled and marinated mushrooms, matchstick cut turnips, mayo and warm beer cheese fondue all on a hero roll … and it was delicious. I really appreciated the significant portion of mushrooms as while I certainly ate my entire sandwich, it definitely made me feel a bit healthier.

Ok, I’ll admit that I’m pretty embarrassed that I ate the whole thing, but you can’t blame a girl when she’s just burnt off about a thousand calories. Hey, at least I didn’t eat the french fries (which were good, by the way. I just decided to focus on the main event … and ok, the cookie, too. How can you say no to a chocolate chip cookie?)

But judging by the menu, there is definitely more meat-focused meals to certainly enjoy. This will definitely be a place that I know I’ll be able to bring husband and my french fry-loving kid when we’re all hungry. Perhaps after a hike? Hmmm … maybe for brunch. Ok, now I’m getting hungry again. We’ll be back, Clove & Hoof! I can’t wait!

Clove & Hoof: 4001 Broadway, Oakland, CA – www.cloveandhoofoakland.com (510) 547-1446

Quick Bite is a series of reviews of local restaurants and food establishments in my hope to help you discover great places to eat and spend your hard earned money across the East Bay. You can find more Quick Bites here on the Yummy Blog as well as on the Local Food Adventures Google profile and on Yelp!