62 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {food coloring} in red wine and settled atop an earthy bed of mole rojo sauce scattered with roasted summer squash. It’s accompanied by a “polenta” made of sweet fresh corn. The tuna’s cooking method was inspired by a standout dish Joseph enjoyed in Paris 30 years ago. The brick-red mole sauce was developed in consultation with the Oaxaca-born husband of one of his Oak + Violet cooks. The result is an unexpectedly perfect pairing of Old World techniques and New World know-how that reflects the Bay’s culinary melting pot. Just don’t expect to find it on the menu when its ingredients are out of season. “I get asked, ‘What's your signature dish?’ I don't have any of those,” Joseph says. “But I have a style: product first. Then all of my influences— places I've been, things I've eaten and chefs I've worked with—all those things kind of come together.” That means Oak + Violet’s menu is constantly changing, sometimes from day to day. In September, halibut was served with meltingly soft baby leeks and a tart, crispy fennel salad as a counterpoint to the fish’s fragrant saffron and toasted garlic sauce. This dish is a best-seller, but if the weather is bad and the fishing boats don’t go out, you'll find something else fresh and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==