412.682.FIRE

It's the first restaurant I fell for when I moved to Oakland in 1998 (partially because it's the first place I ever ate a sweet potato fry); and it remains the only Oakland restaurant that I still patronize regularly, keeping its number for take-ahhhhtt in my phone fourteen years later. Fuel & Fuddle on Oakland Avenue is a fantastic eatery within blocks of our beloved Cathedral of Learning; and I can say with certainty and years of experience that it is one place that has never disappointed or dissatisfied.

Over those years, I've watched the menu evolve ever-so-slightly (I wouldn't mind if they brought back the "C'mon Iwanna Leiya" Hawaiian pizza); I've watched numerous people order "Rosemary's Breasts" and chuckle to themselves; I've watched MAB order "Rollafatty" when she was eight, nine, ten, and eleven, all the while being totally oblivious to the reference; I've eaten orders of "Campfire Steak & Potatoes" multiple nights in a row; I've celebrated, commiserated, and first dated there; and I've eaten so many of those complimentary fortune cookies that I should be able to speak Chinese.

My point? With an open kitchen centered around a brick oven, Fiestaware stacked high, competent staff, an unassuming decor, and a bar; it's easy to like. Once you eat, it's even easier.

Even though I would eat anything and everything on it's eclectic menu, here's a list of my most highly recommended items for a rookie diner:

• Thai Me Up Skewers ($7)
• Rollafatty ($7.5)
• Kick-Gas Nachos ($7, $8 with Rosa's Chicken Chili)
• Smoking Hen ($8.5)
• The Flying Buffalo ($8.5)
• Campfire Steak & Potatoes ($9.5)
• Rosa's Chicken Chili ($3.5 & $4.5)
• Joe Mama's Meatloaf ($8.5)
• Bloody Mary's ($2 on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
• Hangover Helper ($7.5 on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
• Caramel Apple Granny ($4.5)

Oh yeah... the 100 proof bourbon barbecue sauce is perfect and there are house brews. Enjoy!



(4 stars, 4.4)