Daytrip was a restaurant as unusually good as its unusual, ’70s party-style decor. Finn Stern and Stella Dennig brought an unnatural level of creativity to their Temescal bistro — playing with things like miso fermented pasta and lemon-verbena chlorophyll — all complemented with eclectic natural wines and an overall groovy vibe.
Bon Appetit named Daytrip one of the best new restaurants in America in 2022. The same year, The Mercury News chose it No. 1 out of its Bay Area’s Best 50 Restaurants, with critics praising it as a “place where you will experience funky, palate-opening wines alongside dishes so lively and scrumptious, they make standard fine-dining fare (we’re talking about you, roast chicken) an absolute bore.”
Well, Day Trip shut down in December due to what Dennig called an “increasing shrinkage of the top-line revenue.” It reopened on May 9, and you’ll never guess what it’s serving: That very same “roast chicken,” which here is absolutely not an absolute bore.
The rebranded Daytrip Counter is as informal as its name suggests — saunter up to a countertop and order your chicken by the half or whole, and accessorize it with seasonal salads and sides. It seems simple but the chefs’ creativity makes it sing. They’re going after Daytrip’s “same flavor-maximalist take on California Cuisine with a healthy twist,” they say on their website, and deliver with bold ingredients and cooking in a (bukawk!) bird-friendly form.
The vibe: Daytrip’s fondness for Disco Age nostalgia still reigns in a color scheme that’s Heinz mustard-yellow and an actual disco ball hanging from the ceiling. There are a few tables and a small bar for seating, but the restaurant seems geared heavily toward take-out business. (Delivery options from DoorDash will begin on May 14.) Still, it wouldn’t be an uncomfortable place to take a first date or even a family who wants to dig into a chicken feast.
The food: With the rock-bottom baseline for rotisserie chicken being Costco’s $5-plus-change bird, Daytrip is a little extravagant at $27 for whole and $17 for half. Still, with many Bay Area restaurants charging that much for a chicken breast on a plate, it ain’t terrible. (There are also family-friendly combo options with sides and salads for a bit more.) And then you’re getting what you paid for: a supremely juicy, slow-roasted bird with golden skin and a perfect amount of seasoning, plus lime wedges for squeezing.
The chicken comes drizzled in “schmaltz sauce,” a rich gravy that conjures Thanksgiving dinner. Diners will quickly realize that sauces are a key component here. There are more than half-a-dozen on the menu, and the very good chicken turns excellent when dunked in a tomatillo vinaigrette, say, or a three-herb pesto or potent fish-sauce aioli. The Caesar French fries come with their own sauce, a Caesar aioli, and with some melted Parmesan are akin to elevated Jersey-style Disco Fries ($7).
There are four kinds of salads made with lacinato kale and Romaine lettuce hearts. You can add quinoa to make them into bowls or top them with shredded chicken or an umami egg ($12.50-$17). The Thai-style Crispy Spicy salad is a bright, zesty melange of herbs, pickled onions, green beans and “shallot granola” — it’s a delight for texture and heat lovers. A side of sesame cauliflower is deep and comforting like gooey mac-‘n’-cheese ($7.50), and the thumb-sized gigante beans in broth is a hit from left field. You’ll find yourself sipping the flavorful broth, feeling weird about yourself, then going back for more ($7).
Drinks and dessert: The beverage menu is fairly pared down, at least compared to Daytrip. The market-priced wine comes as White, Orange, Rose, Chilled Red and Red, available by the glass or bottle. There’s canned and bottled beer in the fridge for perusing, and zero-proof offerings that include homemade salted-honey limeade and local Grand Coffee cold brew ($4.50). For something sweet, diners might end on a black-sesame coconut cookie ($3) — but many no doubt will go for the Straus Family Creamery soft serve, with toppings like passion fruit or rosemary and olive oil ($5-$6.50)
Details: Open 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. daily at 4316 Telegraph Ave., Oakland; daytripcounter.com, instagram.com/daytripcounter