Romance Recalled

Piedmont’s Pomet brings back memories

Everyone’s idea of romance is different. My boyfriend and I used to love going to Spettro on Lakeshore Avenue. Its brick-lined interiors always made us feel comforted and cozy. But an old friend of mine disliked the food there so intensely, he once wryly exclaimed that everything on the menu tasted like “dirt.” Spettro has since closed, but not because of his sardonic critique.

Pomet, on Piedmont Avenue, reminded us of what we’d been missing. It was pleasurable to hold hands again on a cold night while we were waiting outside for our table. What clinched the mood though, was the welcoming, kind-hearted greeting from the restaurant’s owner, Aomboon Deasy. 

Pomet’s interior is also brick-lined (I guess brick goes a long way with us). The open kitchen’s oven adds ambiance, golden light and primordial warmth to the dining room. But when a host opens the door, seems pleased to see you and then delivers delicious food to the table, you don’t want to leave. 

Maya Angelou’s overused quotation about people never forgetting “how you made them feel” is ubiquitous because it’s true. Deasy has been blessed with an innate ability to charm. Her restaurant, and Chef Alan Hsu’s hearty, eclectic menu, are memorable because you feel at home—but catered to. Maybe that’s the essential ingredient of a romantic night out. You don’t have to do the dishes when that last delicious morsel of dinner is gone.  

Pomet, 4029 Piedmont Ave, Oakland. 510.450.2541. pomet-oakland.com

—Jeffrey Edalatpour

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