(510) 428-1823
Parking: street parking
Hours: Lunch daily 11am-2:30pm, Dinner Sun - Thurs 5:30pm-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 5:30pm- 10:00pm
http://www.somersetrestaurant.com/
Last Visited: December 31, 2008
Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$$ to $$$$
John recommended we try this place for a lunch/brunch with friends. At the time, it was new to the Rockridge area and he had heard good things about it. The original restaurant was located in San Francisco, but the owners came to Rockridge to open a place with more space.
When we arrived, they had just opened for the morning and the place was fairly empty, but we were promptly seated and given water. The dining room has wood paneling - medium in color - and natural light from the windows and skylight with rich golds and browns. The hues of the room are warm mustards and orange sprinkled about the room. An earthy, yet stylish, warmth fills the room.
The website says they serve American comfort food, but I would label it as California cuisine (after all, since when is a crab melt typical American comfort food?). The lunch menu includes a variety of salads, sandwiches like steak sandwiches and burgers, as well as entrees such as tarts, pizzas, and enchiladas. You sense a bit of Spanish or Mexican influence in the selection with enchiladas and huevos rancheros available. Poblanos are an ingredient sprinkled throughout the menu. Most lunch items are around $15.
All sandwiches and burgers come with your choice of grilled green bean salad, green salad with tomatoes and cucumbers, spicy broccoli & bacon salad, tomato salad, or French fries. I like how there is a variety of side options. The food seemed to take a while, but if you are meeting with friends that you haven’t seen in a while, the pace will fit your gathering. If you’re looking for a quick lunch, this might take longer than you prefer.
- Crab Melt - Dungeness crab served open face on toasted sourdough with two slices of avocado, roasted peppers, cheddar, abd black pepper aioli make up this melt. The avocado makes this seem like an extra decadent dish. I enjoyed it a lot, but there was still a little bit of shell in my crab meat which shows you it's real crab meat, but not quite perfect. Sides include your choice of a green salad with cucumber and tomato, a tomato salad, a spicy broccoli and bacon salad, or French fries. I selected the green salad and was presented with a lightly dressed butter lettuce salad with cucumber chunks and a combination of yellow and red tomatoes. The flavors are delicate but they melt in your mouth. $14.95 (prices have gone up since my visit). 
- Mocha Mint Borgia – Espresso, chocolate, steamed milk, and peppermint. Although this is listed on the lunch menu, it’s also listed on the dessert menu. Personally, I would suggest having this as dessert. A large bowl contains this hot mixture and you only are given a spoon if you ask for one. It’s flavorful and delicious and bound to warm you up. It also makes for a great dessert. My fellow dining companion ordered the Mexican hot chocolate which comes with cinnamon, but since espresso is in this borgia, you get a much more flavorful chocolate taste which I preferred over the hot chocolate. The portion is definitely generous. $5Other lunch entrée selections include enchiladas, a variety of salads, more sandwiches, pasta, pizza, and tarts. Burgers are still a little expensive even though it comes with a side. Dinner is also available. Similar dishes are offered as lunch, but there is a wider selection of appetizers and meat. The dinner menu includes items like a rack of lamb, grilled pork chops, and paella.
I also tried a bite of the top of the apple crisp and it was beautifully put together. The crisp really was nice and crisp – well flavored. Other mouth watering desserts (at least from their descriptions) included tres leches cake, grand marnier crème brulee, coconut cake, and a fruit and cheese plate.
The service was okay, but a bit slow, especially as we were waiting for our dessert order to be taken. Our entire visit took almost two and a half hours. The food is nicely presented and the menu offers a lot of choices. If you want a leisurely meal, then you’ll enjoy Somerset. In general, the food is good and the portions are adequate, but a little higher in price than what I prefer for lunch. It's a nice setting, so it might be ideal for a business lunch or a slightly more formal dinner.
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