Chef Redux Jeffrey Stout is back, dishing up casually elegant eats at his new Campbell restaurant, Orchard City Kitchen. 82 South Bay Accent REVIEW B y S u s a n H a t h a w a y Second acts can sometimes outshine their predecessor. Steve Jobs, Jimmy Carter, Michael Milken—these are just a few people who had remarkable comebacks after failures (or felonies). Deeply talented local chef Jeffrey Stout has also had a worthy rebound, with the result pleasing the tummies of South Bay food lovers. The founding chef of Alexander’s Steakhouse, Stout helmed the pricey, white-tablecloth restaurant through growth (a sister location in San Francisco) for eight years until being dismissed in 2012, with the restaurant later losing the single Michelin star he had earned it. But Stout has bounced back with a vengeance, opening a new place, Orchard City Kitchen—nicknamed O C K — i n C a m p b e l l ’s Pruneyard, which has been an unqualified hit since it opened in late 2014. OCK is “very casual, very at ease,” as Stout describes it, with a mostly small-plates menu, kick-back, rustic decor and prices that don’t bust your card’s credit maximum. But the breezy concept decidedly doesn’t include Stout’s cuisine, which is even more inventive than the sophisticated fare he delivered at his former digs. Inspired by whatever’s in season, the menu is constantly rotating, with a particular emphasis on seafood and veggies (although a juicedripping New York steak for $50 is available). Stout’s famed hamachi shots from Alexander’s here lighten up the portion of pricey raw protein while still showing off the luscious ponzu sauce, featuring thin radish slices, herbs, avocado and the clever addition of herb pesto. Beyond fabulous are seared scallops, whose accompaniments vary but are always divine. Our version had magnificently cooked baby artichokes with a whisper of black garlic mayonnaise, delivering soft bites of shellfish with multi-textured veggie. Double yum! Bite-sized mounds of seared tuna with eggplant caponata, curry oil and truffle crema were also worth fighting over. Grilled octopus seems to be in vogue but OCK eliminates any chance of rubberiness by including shreds of tender meat in an impressive tomato sauce wrapped around T h e D i s h o n H o t L o c a l E a t e r i e s
South Bay Accent - Jun/Jul 2015
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