Restaurant Review: Upland

I had been hearing all about Upland lately from many friends, and one of them was gracious enough to give Jeremy and me her reservation that she ended up not using. It seems to be very hard to get a reservation here, so a table on Saturday night was much appreciated (thanks Hil)! We had a bunch of recommendations to choose from, and ultimately decided to try one item from each section - Pizza, Vegetables, One, Two, Three.

First they came out with an adorable mini loaf of bread that was fan-freaking-tastic. It was golden brown with a crisp, flaky crust and had large chunks of sea salt baked into the top. It was so fluffy inside that it collapsed once you cut into it. The bread tasted buttery- croissant-like. That didn't stop us from trying the butter they served with it too, which was creamy and topped with herbs and lemon zest.

We were discussing at length how much we were enjoying the bread when a random waiter came out of nowhere and gave us a new one before we even finished the first one. Perhaps we were exclaiming our delight loudly, but hey, it paid off.

Fresh baked bread

Our first selection was the sausage and kale pizza, with pecorino, stracciatella, and parmesan. It was quite sizable and very enjoyable. The dough was thick and chewy in a good way, and slightly charred on the bottom. On top there was a nice balance of cheese and other toppings. The sausage was crumbled, which I personally prefer over slices or chunks, and flavorful. I do want to emphasize that this pizza is pretty substantial for two people. Our waiter did not indicate that when we asked about it, so this is my warning!

Sausage and kale pizza

The brussels sprouts were a last minute add on. We definitely didn't need them, especially with the unexpected size of the pizza, but the waiter suggested we add a vegetable. They were seared and mixed with red onions, oregano, chili, and Meyer lemon. I liked the flavors, but I would rather the sprouts be roasted and crispy. These were soft and very greasy. There was at least a tablespoon of oil leftover in the bowl.

Brussels sprouts

From the "one" section, we went with the beef tartare. Presented well, but once you mixed everything together (as instructed) it kind of looked like dog food. That aside, the beef itself was great, mixed with trumpet mushrooms, anchovies, egg yolk, and a number of seasonings. However, there was puffed farro on top that was mixed in. I think this element was included to add a new texture - a crunch - however the flavor really overpowered the dish and tasted like cereal.

Beef tartare

From the "two" section we chose the estrella pasta dish with chicken liver. The pasta was homemade into a tubular shape and cut into about 3" pieces. The chicken liver, which was quite mild, was sort of crumbled and mixed in, and the dish was made with sherry, rosemary, and sage and topped with shaved parmesan cheese. I was craving some sort of sauce for this dish and thought while the flavors came together nicely, it was kind of dry. Though, Jeremy really liked this one and thought it was fine as is.

Estrella pasta with chicken liver

From "three," we ordered the Upland cioppino which came with clams, red shrimp, mussels, striped bass, Jonah crab, and gochujang (fermented Korean sauce). All of the seafood was in a spicy red broth that had a big punch of flavor. I thought there was a good amount of seafood there, and it was served with two thick slices of charred bread brushed with oil. You definitely wanted to use that to sop up that broth!

Cioppino

Overall, we enjoyed the experience for the atmosphere and service. The restaurant itself is spacious, busy (but not overwhelming), and had interesting/trendy decor. Our waiter was very attentive and knowledgeable and explained each dish to us as it came out. The food was a bit hit or miss. Everything was "fine," but I had higher expectations and hoped to be more wow-ed. If I ever went back, I would definitely get another pizza, keeping in mind how large it is, and try more of their seafood options based on the cioppino.