Oak Tavern brings modern American eats to the Design District

Sara Liss11/30/2012

The goods: Chef David Bracha (River Seafood & Oyster Bar) branches out to the Design District with Oak Tavern, a woodsy spot for craft beers and American classics in the former Pacific Time space.

Ambience: The courtyard houses candlelit tables and the restaurant’s namesake oak tree, while the dining room features barnyard wood paneling, brick walls, lamps made of tree trunks and a communal table fashioned from Everglades cypress.

The grub: Modern American. The menu features a raw bar, small plates, wood-oven dishes, larger shareable mains and daily specials. Prices are reasonable: Starters $6-$18 and mains $12-$34.

Dinner starts with house-made biscuits and bacon butter, then moves onto bottarga crostini, deviled eggs with trout roe, snapper crudo, tuna sashimi and oysters. Starters include bison carpaccio with truffle aioli, roasted scallops, homemade charcuterie, beet salad with whipped goat cheese and heirloom tomatoes festooned with creamy feta. Mains include gnocchi with rabbit truffle sausage, duck pizza, roast chicken and a hefty culotte steak for two.

Sweet endings include apple pie a la mode, coconut flan and sticky toffee pudding with caramel sauce.

Verdict: A cozy spot for wood-fired delicacies from the folks behind River Oyster Bar.