Movida

Livermore goes city-chic with a new small-plates restaurant.

Photography by Cedric Glasier

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A good start is the spinach salad, warmed but not wilted by bacon vinaigrette and topped with shaved hard-boiled egg and a meaty fried oyster. Almond-crusted hanger steak is rich with flavor and pairs well with a side of garlic-seasoned spinach, or chili-spiked Broccolini. Beef short rib ravioli are stuffed large with thick strings of juicy beef, then dressed with an au jus reduction and raw savoy cabbage. Occasionally, a dish falls short, as in a goat cheese salad with mediocre mixed greens.

Chef Pajarillo brings an urban education to Movida—he graduated from the California Culinary Academy and trained at Aqua in Las Vegas, and One Market and the Four Seasons in San Francisco. But, he says he’s had some trouble bringing his local staff up to speed.

“Here, everybody comes from the Old Spaghetti Factory or Cheesecake Factory. They’re not trained in fine dining,” Pajarillo says.

Pajarillo’s been teaching the waitstaff how to represent Movida’s food and concept, and how to introduce diners to service such as the waiter pouring bisque out of a teapot into the diner’s bowl. “I’m working on training the servers to explain what they’re doing,” Pajarillo says.

He’s also working on bridging a cultural gap with some of his customers. In spite of Movida’s popularity, Pajarillo has noticed that diners tend toward the familiar when it comes to ordering food. Smoothly textured steak tartare topped with a quail egg has scored low on the popularity list. Delectable tangerine panna cotta, garnished with grapefruit sections, has languished in the kitchen. Meanwhile, orders for the mini hamburgers, truffled mac ’n cheese, and chocolate lava cake fill the servers’ notebooks.

“Some Livermorians don’t know what panna cotta is,” Pajarillo says. “People who order steak tartare and tuna carpaccio are foodies.” But, he plans to change that. By mixing the familiar with the gourmet, Pajarillo says he hopes to broaden Livermore’s palate. If he can keep bringing people back for the burgers, he says, eventually, they’ll try the tartare.

CONTACT: 2417 First St., Livermore,
(925) 373-1002.
HOURS: Lunch Sat.–Sun., dinner daily.
PRICE: Small plates $7–14; not-so-small plates $16–22.
ALCOHOL: Full bar.

at a glance

WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL: Ultra-swanky decor and well-dressed clientele, with city-quality food to match.
THE SPACE: White-top bar and lounge area on one side; sleek red, white, and silver dining room on the other.
WHEN TO GO: For a fancy date, birthday celebration, or girls night out.
WHAT TO ORDER: Try the spinach salad, steak tartare, or the panna cotta—all are memorable. Also delicious are the crisp whole-leaf Caesar salad, garlic prawns, and chili powder–dusted vegetable tempura.
BONUS: Great wine list that draws from both local and far-off wineries—try the Oregon Pinot Noir. Fancy cocktails, too—some made for sharing.