guacamole

If you haven’t tried it, you’ve been missing out. Paradiso restaurant in San Leandro used to have the Crab and Guacamole Salad as a special, but now it is on the main menu permanently. The Dungeness crab is beautifully layered with guacamole and topped with baby greens. Wedges of fresh mango and grapefruit complement the tangy salad.

“What a pleasant surprise,” says diner Christine Gonsalves, “to find a salad with fresh crab, guacamole, citrus and mango. Where am I? Baja, Mexico? No, I’m in San Leandro – the fine dining at Paradiso restaurant!”

If you do not cherish fresh Dungeness crab, there are lots of other choices  – excellent pizzas made in their wood-fired oven or the linguini with fresh clams in a wine, lemon and butter sauce. And there is something about their wood roasted chicken, simply cooked with butter and herbs, that makes it seem to melt in your mouth.

Back to appetizers, other big hits are the Kobe Beef Sliders with caramelized onions, Calamari Fritti, Filet Mignonettes seared in wine with fresh mushrooms served on crostinis and Portabello Tempura served with Chipotle aioli sauce. Paradiso also has a great wine cellar and ever-evolving cocktail menu.

Learn what other diners think about Paradiso’s on KQED’s Check Please! 

Paradiso Restaurant is located at 685 Bancroft Avenue (at Oakes Blvd) in San Leandro –  (510) 430-9310. And parking is easy. There’s even a free lot.