Caylen's New American Kitchen

Discover a kid’s slice of heaven at Caylen's in Orinda

65 Moraga Way, Orinda (925)258-3888

On a recent Friday night, the bar at Caylen’s New American Kitchen buzzed with couples young and old. Groups of friends and families gathered around tables. Wine and laughter flowed freely.

Caylen’s is not only Orinda’s newest restaurant, it’s the most promising. Formerly Cugini, the large, airy dining room is splashed with rich colors, and diners need only look up to see chef and owner Bren Caylen Boyd at work in his open kitchen on the second floor.

Kids might go for the wood-fired pizza, as the simple, sparsely seasoned thin-crust pies will easily please the less discriminating. Pizza-picky adults should stick with tasty delights like the excellently balanced Caesar salad and deliciously unadulterated crab cakes, the latter arriving cleanly fried alongside a spicy rémoulade. Grilled marinated lamb with soft, rosemary-roasted potatoes is a nearly flawless dish, as is a Niman Ranch pork chop smothered in onion gravy.

Caylen’s is Boyd’s first restaurant; he worked in catering for years. That’s why you’d think he’d be careful when hiring the front-of-the-house staff. But with such care put into his food, we trust Boyd will have fixed some early service glitches by the time you read this. Lunch Tues.–Fri., dinner daily, Sunday brunch. ð‘ ð· $$$.