Best New Sibling Tag-Team

(March 2007)

By Warren Rojas

If you have to peek down to the bottom of this review to learn where Restaurant Vero is, it may already be too late for you to get a good table. Particularly since locals have already lain claim to this serene neighborhood charmer.

Inside, tea lights keep things low-key, while wine and mustard walls project a quiet calm. Co-owner Joy Reinhardt keeps a close eye on the front of the house, while her twin brother and the executive chef, Jay, keeps things humming in the kitchen. Meanwhile, co-owner Veronica Kunkel has cobbled together a thoughtful wine list designed to complement their worldly cuisine.

Seared polenta gets smothered beneath a mound of fiery, pulled duck (gloriously mercurial mallard). A slice of well-balanced quiche delivers smoky bacon and fluffy cheese in every bite. A hearty crab cake sandwich reveals a mustardy mound of shredded crab that's easy on the breading and heavy on genuine, seafood flavor. Tuscan pork ribs exude tomato zest and Italian spices; take your time prying the slow-roasted meat from the bone and even more time savoring the robust flavors from each bite.

For sweets, look to a homemade casserole of warm peaches covered in ginger-spiked granola (the real showstopper, here) and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.