New on Resy: Bird Dog, CDP, Chalkboard, and More

BarVale is a Spanish tapas bar in the heart of NoPa serving up unpretentious cocktails, wine, sherry, and cider alongside shared plates and paella from executive chef Patricio Duffoo. Here, authenticity is taken seriously; just as in Spain, pintxos are served at the bar only.

Yet another tapas-oriented joint, Bask focuses on traditional Basque Country fare in various forms — cold, warm, fried, sautéed. The cozy, Spanish-style atmosphere (and rich wine list!) makes enjoying dishes like grilled octopus and stuffed peppers all the better.

Influenced by Northern California, Japan, and other bastions of fine ingredients, Bird Dog is helmed by chef Robbie Wilson, who is crafting dishes like wood-grilled avocado with ponzu and fresh wasabi and fried chicken thigh with green curry, egg yolk, and smoked oyster emulsion. Chef Wilson’s focus is on creating inventive and inspired hyper-seasonal fare; a welcome addition to Palo Alto.

CDP is an intimate and modern cocktail lounge, attached to two-Michelin-star restaurant Commis, that celebrates a diverse array of spirits distilled from fruit (read: brandy), housing an extensive collection of single vintage Armagnac and Calvados as well as non-vintage blends of pisco, grappa, kirsch and eau de vie. Not only are the drinks masterful (note, also, that the menu features an impressive selection of sparking wines), but you can eat here, too. Enjoy a five-course prix fixe menu of contemporary California cuisine, alongside caviar service and some dishes from Commis.

Located in Healdsburg, Chalkboard honors the best ingredients the region has to offer. Executive chef Shane McAnelly’s menu of small plates is inspired by produce from a dedicated four-acre garden, and paired with local wine flights and inventive cocktails. The daily-changing menu sources ingredients from local purveyors and farmers, ensuring peak delectability: from crudos to just-picked salads, handmade pastas, and roasted or grilled meats and seafood.

Well-known for its delicious beers, brewed in Konosu, Japan, this branch of Hitachino (Beer & Wagyu) is the first iteration of Kiuchi Brewery’s set of tap houses. With menu offerings ranging from omakase to fine cuts of Wagyu beef, and an interior lined with tabletops made from cherry blossom barrels used for aging sake, a meal here feels like a trip to Japan.

ottimo is chef Michael Chiarello’s ultimate Italian marketplace, with pizza “fritta” crisped in olive oil and finished in the brick oven, house-made mozzarella, an espresso and dolci café, craft beer and wine, and a tasting bar featuring family recipes central to Chiarello’s rustic Italian cooking. The spacious interior offers ample bar seating, plus a full outdoor patio, making this standby a Napa Valley haven.

A modern supper club, if you will, The Brass Rabbit serves dishes that pay tribute to American culinary classics (think grilled Gulf shrimp with cocktail sauce, Dungeness crab Louie, and rabbit pot pie). The centerpiece of the kitchen is a wood-burning Grillworks grill (complete with a rotisserie and plancha) — an indication that they take their craft seriously.