Rants + Raves

The Avenue arrives, Abbey’s departs; and Cafe Baklava opens

Tue, 8 Jun 2010 10:16:03 -0700

Windows are covered but it looks like they’re doing a welcome makeover to Abbey’s Diner, which never really had any momentum. Heck, the name is even better for the diner motif than was Taxi’s. Let’s hope the food is better, too.

Cafe Baklava is now open on Emerson between University and Lytton; you’ll find it similar to their Castro Street location in Mountain View. The lacquered wooden tables sport white linen tablecloths, lending an air of casual class. The front window walls open completely, so pleasant in this weather. The dinner menu is divided into mezzes (appetizers), salads, entrees, and items from the charcoal grill, which are mainly kabobs (spelled kebabs by them); the lunch menu has wraps as well. Mezzes are $6-13 ($6-9 at lunch), salads are $7-8 ($7-14 (for the salmon) at lunch), wraps $9-13, entrees $13-21, and grill items $13-26; at lunch the mains (entrees and kabobs) are $12-15 (there’s your bargain category). There are 70 wines in a pretty nice selection including some from Greece and Turkey (not the cheapest wines on the list, mind you), but the vintages are not listed. I inquired about the Cape Mentelle Shiraz from Margaret River in Western Australia and it’s a 2005 (not a 2008 like I expected); go for that one.

Robaii gives way to Siam Orchid

Mon, 24 May 2010 12:43:54 -0700

Little “Persian bites” place Robaii has closed and is being replaced by Siam Orchid, featuring organic Thai cuisine. An opening date has not been established. The food was good at Robaii – I ate there not too long ago – but the location on the corner of Cowper and Hamilton was a bit off the beaten path. Frankly, I never found a reason to go there instead of Gyros Gyros (Cowper and University), which also does a strong evening and late-night business. We’ll have to see how Siam Orchid copes with the same location and tiny space. It’s all about traffic.

Meanwhile, Baklava is nearing readiness to open on Emerson, where Bistro d’Asie most recently resided. More on that when it does.

Reader Gordon G. comments on Café Renzo

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:16:43 -0700

“I went there last night after you recommended it. The hostess was very friendly, our waiter was from Italy. I had the tagliolini with mushrooms and tiger prawns. It was outstanding - the flavors were distinct yet worked well together.

My companions had the vongole soup - clam chowder in a bread bowl, and the prawn salad. Both were very happy with their meals.

We were served complimentary limoncello after dinner - I assume this won't be standard with all meals in the future. But it sure was a nice gesture from a new restaurant.

The food was good, the ambiance nice, service very friendly, prices were quite reasonable. We'll be back.”

Worst meal I ever had at Mandarin Gourmet

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:19:51 -0700

I don’t know what went wrong at Mandarin Gourmet last night but everything was off. One of my companions dines there about every fortnight and confirmed that indeed it was way off. The hot and sour soup was way too salty and the changsha chicken also too salty. My big disappointment was the kung pao tofu, which bore hardly any resemblance to kung pao chicken. The tofu was tough and there were few peanuts, nary a vegetable in sight, and none of the kung pao piquancy I so enjoy, and I had asked for it spicy. The tangerine beef was a huge portion of beef rectangles that I found tender and fairly tasty but the tangerine peels were dumped in rather than delivering a subtle flavor aspect; there were no vegetables in the dish. We told the waiter that the kung-pao tofu was terrible but he did nothing about it.

SliderBar Cafe open and busy, Crepevine open and not so

Thu, 1 Apr 2010 21:44:06 -0700

SliderBar Cafe (324 University) seems to have something for everyone, because everyone is trying it out. Here’s the deal: sliders come with all sorts of fillings, and are priced in units of 1, 2, 3, and 12. Single prices range from $2.49 for vegetarian to $3.99 for lamb or Kobe beef; multiples come at a discount. Sides are extra, and there are breakfast and dessert varieties, too. They offer a nice selection of draft beer and all wines are available by the half-glass and glass as well as bottle. I’d say the wine selection is well chosen for an inexpensive list, and vintages are shown. Early reports suggest a lot of unevenness in the food and service; I’d give it a month or so to get organized, but the atmosphere is fun.

Crepevine (367 University) might take a while to catch on. Warm weather and open front windows will help. But for now it’s been a little sparse. I have not been in myself.

But I did step into Cafe Renzo (473 University) for the cream of mushroom soup and, yes, it was yummy, and creamy, and large.

Café Renzo’s wine list looks like a winner

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:49:58 -0700

So here’s the lowdown: 25 Italian whites (7 by the glass), 54 Italian reds (10 by the glass); an almost identical lineup of California wines. No others. Stick with the Italians. They are really well chosen and very attractively priced, with the vast majority in the $20s and $30s. Imagine – six selections of Nero d’Avola, Sicily’s signature grape, reflecting the variety of soil types from the volcanic plains in the east (near Etna) to the shale northwest past Palermo, plus Aglianico, several Primitivos from Puglia, and good stuff all the way up to not just Amarone but also Valpolicella from Veneto. When is the last time you had a good Valpolicella? The only thing missing is Rosso di Montalcino but with so many other choices you won’t go home thirsty. Vintages are scattered from 2003 to 2008 with a lot of interesting choices from 2004-2007. It’s nice to see so many with a little bottle age. Renzo knows every wine on the list himself. There is also a full bar with a growing selection of Italian liqueurs and soon there will be five beers on tap, all from Europe.

Corkage is $18. I’m pretty big on bringing my own wine but I don’t think I’ll need to here.

Note: Renzo has the website www.caferenzo.com on his card but the site is not active yet.

Renzo’s is open, menu looks good (make that really good)

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:14:43 -0700

The new Italian eatery Café Renzo opened for business yesterday where Loui Loui Steak was, and you’ll find the same attractive surroundings and a much friendlier menu. Count three soups, seven salads, 11 antipasti, 12 pastas/primi, seven prescribed plus DIY pizzas and calzones, and 10 mains. Consider the primi: prices from $10-18 with most $12-16, and that includes gnocchi and risotto as well as pastas (and the meatballs are veal and beef, not pork). The only mains over $20 are the filet mignon at $22 and a complex mussels dish at $26; even the coniglio is only $19. You will find a nice selection of antipasti from $4 to $10. Basic pizza or calzone is $10; extra ingredients are $1, $1.50, or $2. Minestrone is not the only soup always on the menu; I’m planning to have the cream of mushroom my first time in.

If the cooking is as good as the menu, Café Renzo will be a winner. I will report later on the wine list and corkage.

Best chicken sandwich I ever ate

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 22:42:40 -0800

At lunch the other day I honestly had the best chicken sandwich ever. I was at a meeting at IDEO (Downtown Palo Alto’s world-famous design house) and they graciously brought in box lunches, each of which contained a sandwich and green salad. (Drinks and cookies were on the side.) I chose one labeled simply Chipotle. The white-meat chicken was moist and tender with a little bit of sauce, and the flavor exploded in my mouth. I would call it slightly spicy in that it not only tasted good, it felt good. I don’t often order chicken out because it is so easy to make well at home, but this was a revelation. Source of these lunches was (wait for the fanfare): Sprout Cafe.

Speaking of sandwiches, Quiznos, on Emerson across from the new Lytton Plaza, quietly went out of business. I guess everyone realized it just wasn’t Santoro’s (Route 1, Saugus).

Loui Loui Steak finally closed

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 22:23:22 -0800

As predicted, they lasted just to the beginning of March. Hopefully Renzo’s will open in the space soon.

Once again, among the 100 or so entries on the Restaurants Page, there is not one with the category Steak. I guess you have to hoof it over to Stanford Shopping Center for Flemings. (Or have the Steak Frites at little Cafe Epi [look under Deli] for $12.95!)

Garden Fresh (Chinese vegetarian) to replace Hahn’s Hibachi

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:36:57 -0800

Not 50 meters from Mandarin Gourmet comes another Chinese restaurant. Garden Fresh’s casual atmosphere and all-vegetarian menu will likely draw a somewhat different crowd from Mandarin Gourmet’s subtle elegance and slightly higher prices. What could be possible is that the presence of both on the 400 block of Ramona (between Lytton and University) will bring increased traffic and business for both to what is otherwise a rather quiet block. Look for an opening the first or second week of March.

Blue Chalk Cafe bites the dust (a pun you saw coming)

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 20:31:46 -0800

It lasted longer than I expected. Long ago Blue Chalk ceased to be a restaurant destination, and even longer ago a billiards destination. Lately it survived more as a nightclub and a place for private parties (a dessicated market, that). I thought the demise of the Southern menu was the beginning of the end, and the Southwest menu (from Left at Albuquerque) wasn’t really why people went there. It just gave them something to eat, and it made it easy for the owners, who also own(ed) that chain. Note that the last two of what were once twelve Left at Albuquerque locations have been closed at the same time as the Blue Chalk Cafe.

The closing was sudden and not announced in advance. It will take an ambitious restaurateur to turn so capacious and remote (from University Avenue) a space into a profitable property, so I don’t expect we will see a replacement in a similar genre for, maybe, ever. Look for alternative use or subdivision.

Paly students, tell me what you like (and what sucks)

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 15:23:41 -0800

This website could really use some feedback from the many Paly students who frequent downtown. Could you tell me where you like to go for food, and where you like to avoid? The top part of the page entitled Kids serves younger ages and in fact is directed at their parents, while the bottom part of that page is for kids out alone, so I’d like your help in keeping it up to date. And if I hear from enough of you I will add a separate page for teens who are out NOT with their parents. Please note that this website does not cover Town and Country, just good old Downtown Palo Alto.

Every main page ends with
Comments? Write me at PaloAltoRestaurants.
If you click on the hyperlink an email window should pop up and you can have your say.

Monique’s Chocolates is open, sort of

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 15:12:04 -0800

Finally, a new business has opened on Dead Street, the east side of Bryant (number 539) between University and Hamilton, previously cut off from pedestrian traffic by the Walgreens fire and reconstruction. Monique’s Chocolates features exquisite little chocolate things, all hand made on the premises. They specialize in varieties of chocolate made from beans all harvested in one area, rather like single-vineyard winemaking. Among these locations are Colombia, Venezuela, and Madagascar (this one is totally serious chocolate). There is also a house blend. Most are dark chocolates, with cacao content (mostly in the 60s percent range) posted; there are also some milk chocolates. The pure chocolate itself is made by specialty producers in Switzerland, Belgium, and other places, and the cream is local and organic.

For drinks you will soon be able to choose from multiple varieties of hot chocolate, all made directly from just the chocolate, and some good coffee made with a locally-invented press method. I am listing Monique’s on the Restaurants page under “Coffee, Tea, Juice” and under “Chocolates,” a new category I just created (for Monique’s and Shokolaat). Oh, I forgot to mention the French s’mores. These irresistable cubes contain the marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker already mixed together. If part of your pleasure was the mess on your hands, you’re out of luck. If most of your pleasure was the flavor, you’re in luck.

If at 4th you don’t succeed...

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 15:07:59 -0800

We now have some idea what is replacing Bistro d’Asie on Emerson (sort of across from the Aquarius Theater). It’s called Cafe Baklava, and given the size of the space and the rent I’m pretty sure it will serve more than just coffee and pastries. I’ve put it in the Restaurants listing under European for now. I’ll say more when it opens.

I’m not sure what is the problem with this location. Before Bistro d’Asie there was iTapas, and before iTapas there was Left at Albuquerque. I don’t even remember what preceded Left at Albuquerque.

Loui Loui Steak changing owners, probably lots more

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:09:37 -0800

Loui Loui Steak is failing, so the owners have sold it and it will change into something different, though no one knows what yet. The name will become Renzo’s and it will probably be more Italian, not less. I do like the look inside so I hope they keep most of that. The current owners also used to own Madison and Fifth but sold that 18 months ago, and of course it’s now closed. Track record’s not looking so hot.

Loui Loui Steak remains open, perhaps for as much as a month, so if you want to take advantage of one place that won’t brand you as weird when you ask for spaghetti with your steak you might start making plans now.

Elbe morphs into sports bar

Wed, 6 Jan 2010 19:05:42 -0800

German restaurant Elbe is finally hanging up its lederhosen and converting into a sports bar. It is still tied to the adjacent Rudy’s Pub, but I guess Elbe will be where you watch people on the screen get pummeled whereas at Rudy’s Pub the pummeling is among the patrons. The kitchen at Elbe will still serve up its German fare but only on Fridays. Look for an opening possibly this month.

More on Crepevine...

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:25:31 -0800

Alert reader Kevin B. informed me that Crepevine is a chain, with eight other branches in San Francisco, Berkeley, Burlingame, and San Rafael. The menu fits mostly breakfast and lunch, with omelets, pancakes, salads, and sandwiches in addition to savory and sweet crêpes. The Berkeley location serves no wine or beer at all, but most of the others do. On Irving St. in SF they have about a dozen wines, four beers on tap, and a few beers in bottles. It’s definitely casual, with the food selections on a big chalk board above the counter. So the “vine” part of the name is mainly a pun, not a pairing. Pity.

Here comes Crepevine

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:36:02 -0800

Already we know the name of the restaurant that’s to replace Madison and Fifth at 367 University: it’s called Crepevine. Hmm, what could that mean? Let’s start with crêpes. They could be savory, or they could be sweet. Do I normally think of wine as the accompaniment to crêpes? I do not, but then again it’s been a while since I’ve been to France. Now, if I were to try to match wines with crêpes, I would base the match on the filling of the crêpes. Savory ones would get mostly white wine (no oak), of which there are many choices, especially if one looks beyond California to, say, the Loire or Alsace. Sweet ones would get either a nice dessert wine (preferably strong on acid rather than sugar) or, in the case of chocolate, a rich but not tannic red wine, like a well-fruited Zinfandel, Syrah, or Grenache. What would I match with Nutella? Warm milk, probably. (Okay, a 20-year old Hunter Valley Sémillon or just about any tawny Port.)

And next door to SliderBar Cafe comes Madame Tam

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 09:44:04 -0800

Gosh, we are seeing a trend of more eating places opening up. Madame Tam is soon to be occupying the showroom part of the former Gleim’s Jewelers (SliderBar Cafe occupying the former workshop part). I’m guessing it will offer some sort of Asian cuisine, so I’m listing it on the Restaurants page under Chinese, but if that changes I’ll let you know. It’s a longer way from opening than SliderBar Cafe, so expect February at the earliest.

One other new item: Monique’s Chocolates is soon to open on Dead Street (Bryant between University and Hamilton). I’ll say more when they do, even if they don’t show up on the Restaurants page.

SliderBar Cafe is related to......Mantra?

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 22:48:06 -0800

The new, all-American (at least from the name) eating joint to open where Gleim Jewelers used to be at 324 University Avenue is being promoted by Mantra, the fine Euro-Indian restaurant on Emerson next to Gordon Biersch. I’m astonished. Must be some joint ownership or management. I take this as a good sign for the food, since I really like Mantra. Their publicity promises Fresh, Fast, and Fun Dining. I certainly hope so. Opening is slated for February, but I think it could be sooner.