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Contra Costa Marketplace - July 2016

oPEn Mon. THRougH Sun.: WEEkDAy HouRS: BREAkFAST M–F 8:00–10:30 | lunCH M–F 11:30–2:30 | SAT. & Sun. BRunCH: 11:30–2:30 the best direct view of the bay. There is a large full bar, and parts of the kitchen and food preparation areas are visible from the dining room. A large lighted square sign that says “Assemble” is mounted high in the center of the room. From our table next to the bar, my guest and I had a great view of nearly the entire interior of the restaurant. When we arrived for lunch just after 11:00 AM on a Friday morning, only two tables were occupied. But it wasn’t long before every table was filled and the wait staff and food runners were bustling around at full speed, eager to provide their tables with excellent customer service. Considering its remote location, I was surprised to see how busy the restaurant was. To get to Assemble, drivers must proceed nearly all the way to the end of South Harbor Way in Richmond, but must turn left into the driveway where there is a guard shack. From there, one must drive past the building, make a right turn and head toward the southern end of the plant to find Assemble. It’s definitely not a venue that you would just happen upon without knowing it existed. There is generous parking available; however, the lot was rather full when we arrived as there are a number of other business tenants that occupy space in the former Ford plant which also share the parking lot. Some of the employees of these businesses are among the regular breakfast and/or lunch diners of Assemble. others include walkers, joggers, and bikers who use the Bay Trail that runs alongside the restaurant, and residents of nearby Marina Bay, Point Richmond, and Marin County. Visitors to the Richmond Waterfront and the Rosie the Riveter Museum, which is just across the street from the restaurant, often enjoy lunch here following their visit. We were told that Assemble has a full lunch crowd nearly every day of the week. Soon after we were seated, our waiter, Eric, greeted us and asked for our drink order. I chose a mocktail named FRITo PIE kaleigh’s Creamsicle, which Eric explained is a cream soda mixed with orange juice. My guest opted for a Hank’s Black Cherry Soda, and both drinks were delivered to our table by the bartender. There are many choices of drinks available which are listed on the reverse of the single page food menu. noteworthy is that the bar is always open when Assemble is open, even during breakfast hours. We looked over the menu as we enjoyed our drinks, noting that several of the selections were named after local history; for example, the Buffalo Riveter Sandwich, the Victory Salad, and the Craneway Turkey Club. The weekday lunch menu includes starters, salads, sides, sandwiches/ entrees, burgers, and flat bread pizza. The weekday breakfast menu is geared toward “grab and go” patrons, who want something quick to take with them to work or other destination. offerings include house made Danish pastries and cinnamon buns; bagels, toast and English muffins; yogurt parfaits; and seasonal fresh fruit bowls. Hot oatmeal, as well as limited hot cook-to-order breakfast selections, are also available such as a veggie scramble, a breakfast B.l.T., and a breakfast burrito. My guest and I started our meal by ordering two starters: Pan-Seared Brussels Sprouts with garlic parsley oil, and Frito Pie. We were surprised when the Frito Pie arrived at our table, prepared and served in an individual portion bag of Fritos corn chips! The bag was split open on a plate, and the pork and beef chili was poured over the Fritos, and topped with cheddar and jack cheeses, onion, jalapenos, and sour cream—all neatly contained inside the bag. Although the portion appeared somewhat small for the price ($11), it was very filling such that we couldn’t even finish it all. The Brussels sprouts were cooked to a perfect tenderness and had a delicious, garlicky flavor. MARk, ERIC, AngElo,ADRIAnA, MICHEllE


Contra Costa Marketplace - July 2016
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