The Google Cafe

[edawerd]

Has anyone been fortunate enough to be eat at the Google Cafe. I ate there recently and I was really surprised at how good it was. Anytime you have to feed thousands of people in short periods of time, quality tends to suffer. But Google seems to be the exception. I ate at the No Name Cafe, which served a variety of gourmet foods. I had stuffed quail and scallops glazed with some really good sauce. Imagine that! It was completely free too!

They also have this Cafe 151 or something, where all the food there is grown locally within 151 miles of the Google campus.

I would really like to hear other peoples' Google stories!

[John S.]

Has anyone been fortunate enough to be eat at the Google Cafe. I ate there recently and I was really surprised at how good it was. Anytime you have to feed thousands of people in short periods of time, quality tends to suffer. But Google seems to be the exception. I ate at the No Name Cafe, which served a variety of gourmet foods. I had stuffed quail and scallops glazed with some really good sauce. Imagine that! It was completely free too!

They also have this Cafe 151 or something, where all the food there is grown locally within 151 miles of the Google campus.

I would really like to hear other peoples' Google stories! 

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Is it at the main campus in Mountain View?

[Kent Wang]

Because it's free, I wonder if there's an incentive for employees to pig out and therefore gain a bunch of weight.

[HYoungJoo]

I've had quite a few meals at the google cafe. They have a good variety of food- ranging from chinese to indian to mexican and so on. It does seem to stay pretty constant but occasionally they will switch it up with side buffets of rack of lamb, lobsters and such. I think they tend to go through freshman 15 the first year. The no name cafe has more healthy stuff I think and I learn a lot walking through there. They seem to have enough people to fill everything up in a timely manner so the quality is great.

[alanamoana]

while the exec chef is an actual Google employee, the cafes are run and staffed by Bon Appetit (a catering company). i don't think the employees pig out or gain weight because the company does offer other perks like gyms and that sort of thing to balance everything out. also, the offerings are healthier than the chain options that are near the campus, i imagine.

[edawerd]

Because it's free, I wonder if there's an incentive for employees to pig out and therefore gain a bunch of weight.

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Well I heard that the saying "Google 15" was made up because employees gain 15 pounds their first year at work. I totally would pig out!

[rancho_gordo]

They're probably one of my biggest accounts. I just squeeze into Cafe 150 but there's also American Table which specializes in regional American food and all my beans are new world so it works out great. there's also Euro, which is new and in talking to the chef and hearing his ideas, I think it's going to be killer.

[tupac17616]

Because it's free, I wonder if there's an incentive for employees to pig out and therefore gain a bunch of weight.

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Well I heard that the saying "Google 15" was made up because employees gain 15 pounds their first year at work. I totally would pig out!

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Indeed. I have friends who are living testaments to the Google 15. It is no joke.

[hapacooking]

I have friends who are prep chefs for the Cafe. It seems that most of the chefs are Google employees not Bon Appetite folks. Bon Appetite supplies the support staff.

It is unreal the quality and quantity of food that goes through there. Outrageous would be a better definition.

[eje]

I have a friend who works for a google related business. Even though I have told them to stop torturing me, they still occasionally send me the daily menu:

Entrees

Grilled Flank Steak With Veal Demi-Glace

Braised Rabbit Mirepoix, Tomatoes and Red Wine

Vegetarian

**Soy Riso Cabbage Tofu Pot, Cabbage, Onions, Soy Riso and Tofu in a Vegetable and Red Wine Stock

*Zucchini and Green Bean Sauteed, In a Mustard Cream Sauce

**Israeli Couscous

Composed Salads

*Greek Salad, Crisp Cucumber, Tomatoes, Feta Cheese and Kalamata Olives in a Red Wine Vinaigrette

Succotash, Blanched Green Beans, Fresh Corn, Lima Beans and Basil in an Orange Citronette

Curried Chicken, Shredded Chicken, Chickpeas, Romaine and Raddichio Lettuce, Mushrooms and Peppers Dressed in an Orange Curry Vinaigrette

...

Desserts

Lemon Meringue Tart

Chocolate Eclairs

Butterscotch Pecan Bars

Homemade Oreos

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

[Pephemie]

I work at Google, in one of the kitchens, so I thought I'd butt my head in here in case anyone had questions.

I think we have about 17 cafes now.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I work at Google, in one of the kitchens, so I thought I'd butt my head in here in case anyone had questions.

I think we have about 17 cafes now.

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Can you invite me???

BTW, Welcome! Why don't you tell us what you made today or what are some of your perennial favorites!

[Bueno]

Hahah. I'm reminded of when you needed an invite in order to use Google Mail.

Do you need to use air quotes in order to ensure you get relevant food to what you ordered?

I'd like a steak, but NOT Porterhouse AND some "mashed potatoes", please. +Red wine sauce.

Edited November 10, 2007 by Bueno (log)

[pax]

This struck me as funny. I guess the excited salads won't stay on the plates.

Composed Salads

*Greek Salad, Crisp Cucumber, Tomatoes, Feta Cheese and Kalamata Olives in a Red Wine Vinaigrette

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[eje]

Gonna torture you again with today's google subsidiary menu, be sure to scroll down to the veal meatloaf with chaterelle gravy...

PANTRY

Create Your Own Salad

R**Organic Field Greens

R**Chopped Baby Romaine

Salad Toppings

Roasted Skinless Chicken Breast Strips

Applewood Smoked Bacon Bits

Tuna

Bay Shrimp

*Grated Parmesan Cheese

**Spicy Crispy Tofu

R*Feta Cheese

R**Watsonville Silva Apples

**Chickpeas

**Roasted Delicata Squash

R**Carrots

**Roasted Chanterelle Mushrooms

**Roasted Chioggia Beets

**Kalamata Olives

R**Red Onion

*Hard Boiled Egg

**Sunflower Seeds

**Olive Oil Croutons

**Candied Pecans

Dressings

Tossed to Order

*Non-fat Honey Lavender Yogurt Dressing

**Toasted Walnut Sherry Vinaigrette

**Persimmon Ginger Vinaigrette

*Ranch

Caesar

CROCKERY

*Polenta Soup with Chanterelles and Roasted Garlic

Onions, Garlic, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Cream, Vegetable Stock

Shrimp Bisque

Rock Shrimp, Leeks, Celery, Carrots, Onion, Rice, Garlic, Thyme, Bay Leaf, Shrimp Stock, Cream

POT LUCK SALADS

*Apple and Blue Cheese Salad Butter Lettuce, Grilled Red Onions,

Black Arkansas Apple Slices, Sliced Organic Red Grapes, Walnut Bread Croutons and Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing

EAT YOUR VEGETABLES

**Steamed Broccoli di Cicco

*Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Skin On Red Bliss Potatoes, Garlic, Butter, Milk, Salt, Pepper

**Cannellini Beans With Sage

Cannellini Beans, Onions, Bay Leaf, Thyme and Sage

ROAST

Veal Meatloaf with Chanterelle Gravy

Ground Veal, Eggs, Cream, Panko, Onion, Garlic, Thyme, Parsley. Chanterelle Mushrooms, Garlic, Shallot, Butter, Flour, Cream

Citrus Snapper

Filet of Snapper, Satsuma, Basil, Jalapeno, Shallot, Orange Juice, Butter

[samgiovese]

This article from the Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition (12/1/07) should be of interest.

[PamelaF]

This article from the Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition (12/1/07) should be of interest.

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I wonder what's on the menu at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash. I had to buy Windows Vista. The least Bill Gates could do is send me a burger. That's something that's not easy to come by at Google.

Since Mr. Sokolov raises the question about what Microsoft offers, I will comment on that. I hope that this will not be too off topic.

I have had the opportunity to visit Microsoft's Redmond, WA campus several times in recent years, as a contractor and as a guest. Never been an employee.

The Redmond campus has over 40 buildings and several cafeterias. Each cafeteria has some unique items, but for the most part they are pretty standard cafeteria food. Each cafe has several different stations, made to order burgers and hot sandwiches, stir-frys, pasta entrees, curries and the like. There are usually also salad and sandwich bars where you can put together your own items. Also some pre-made sandwiches and salads so you can get something quickly.

Employees do pay for their food, although the prices are low. I assume that the company subsidizes the cost. Most employees pay by scanning their employee badge, I believe the total is deducted from their paycheck (could be wrong here). As a contractor, I would need to pay cash, but the prices were the same as for employees. As a guest I was usually given a voucher that would be charged back to the appropriate department.

Then there is the free coffee and soda topic.

Microsoft has generous coffee stations throughout their buildings. There are convenience store-style refrigerators at each coffee station stocked with a full array of sodas, juices, bottled water and milk. Coffee here is just standard office coffee, along with a nice selection of teas.

If you want a more elaborate coffee beverage, the cafeterias have a Starbucks outlet, where you can get those for a price.

Finally, another big part of the office culture is catered meals for meetings. If you arrange your schedule correctly you might never need to visit the cafeterias at all. I have heard rumors that there is an internal web site that lists where you can find the conference rooms that have leftovers from a meeting.

P.S. Long time fan of Raymond Sokolov's books, particularly "Why We Eat What We Eat".

[sygyzy]

I've eaten there along with 2 of my friends and we all got in free, no questions asked, because of an employee (also a friend, obviously). He has sent me menus previously and it really is great. We went to one of the main cafeterias and it's crowded. The food is good and they have multiple plasmas showing movies. I think they had Matrix playing when I dined there. The exec chef came out to say hi.

The only problem I have with Google's food program is that it's easily abused. I mean, this doesn't affect me at all, but I feel bad for them.

[Pephemie]

Technically employees can invite two people a month, though I know just about everyone abuses that. I keep wondering if I'll have a job in 6 months. I am a Bon Appetit contractor, not a Google employee.

In response to Carolyn, some of the things I've liked that I made recently: salty chocolate cookies and apple-quince galettes.

Update about cafes... I guess Bon Appetit been cracking down on illegal immigrants and paperwork issues during the past week. Our cafe lost prep guys (which sucks, everyone has been working OT to make up for it). I heard one cafe lost 15 workers in one day.