Tracey’s 4-star review:
Usually wandering far and wide then down an unlit road for miles then coming upon a single main street one block long is a recipe for culinary disaster. More so I'd say, if one was doing so in the deep East Bay across from the un-loveliness that generally defines the city of Vallejo. But I had hopes for this place, originally started by Slanted Door alum, and was justly rewarded for the trek.
In movie production, the "golden hour" refers to the perfect time at which to roll film. Arriving in the evening, just after the sun had set, Bull Valley felt like it was experiencing its golden hour. The old wood interior, the wall of vintage photos, the Victorian settees - everything was bathed in a cinematic light reminiscent of some enchanting film. It felt naturally occurring, not manufactured, perhaps a byproduct of all of its history (the tiny town of Port Costa was once the world's largest wheat port).
Authentic to its ambiance, Bull Valley specializes in pre-Prohibition cocktails with an entire menu dedicated solely to such. On Wednesday nights they feature "the dram shop", with guest bartenders mixing up old time spirit concoctions. It wasn't Wednesday, but the lure of the 1880's was strong inspiring two at my table to indulge in brown liquor concoctions. Vintage cocktail recipes are certain to kick your evening into "high" gear.
The food menu here is a wonderfully eclectic mash-up of cuisines, sourced locally , and designed to be shared amongst table-mates. This often inspires in me the desire to sample everything so it was smart that I'd come with a party of 4. The culinary stars of the evening were the Grilled Caesar ($13), the Pork Stew ($28), and the Lemon Risotto ($27). Runners up were everything else: Chile-Honey Chicken Wings, Salt Cod Brandade ($16), Kale with Garlic & Chiles, and Roasted Macaroni Gratin. Oven-roasted Bone Marrow ($18) was the only dish lacking and only because the bones seemed to have a dearth of actual marrow. Regardless, my dog found lots to enjoy about those bones after the fact.
For dessert, a couple of scoops of delectable honey ice cream (made by local bees, natch) arrived accompanied by a silver spoon etched with the word "INDULGE". With its enchanting mix of old-timey, locavore/farm-to-table, and San Francisco pedigree, BVR is a really magical place at which to do just that.
Other stuff:
* With main courses running from $27 - $41 BVR can get a bit spendy but it's great for a special occasion splurge.
* Since courses are served to the center of the table and designed to be shared, a party of 4 will allow you to sample most widely from the menu.
* The evening closed out with old-time postcards delivered to the table and the understanding that the restaurant would stamp and send them if we would write them. We did, but disappointingly no postcards ever arrived. Oh well...