Menlo Park/Palo Alto/Mountain View

[Abra]

Although I used to live on the Peninsula and be up on restaurants there, now we only get down from the Seattle area about once a year to visit my ancient father. He's too old to keep up with the restaurant reviews anymore, and I know I'm missing out on some nice new places when we're down there. On our last visit we ate on Castro a lot, but where else might we want to try when we come down in a couple of weeks?

[tanabutler]

Do you like Indian food?

[bong]

Have you checked these recent threads?

Menlo Park thread: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=45335

San Jose eats (covers Mountain View): http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=45237

San Jose Vietnamese: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=48739

I will add Zucca Ristorante on Castro street in Mountain View to my list of recommendations. Surprisingly good food for a neighborhood restaurant.

[Abra]

I do like Indian, and thanks very much, bong, for the link to the threads. I don't normally read this board, and it would have taken me a while to zero in on these.

[ludja]

Here's a few ideas:

It's not a new place, but you may enjoy "La Bodeguita del Medio" (a Cuban restaurant) on California Ave in Palo Alto. Semi-fancy place; good food, nice bar with mojitos and nice atmosphere overall.

Another favorite place is "The Los Altos Grill" in downtown Los Altos. Used to be called "Banderas". American cuisine, comfort food but updated; all well done; also has a nice cocktail bar if you enjoy that and very congenial atmosphere.

Just went recently again to one of my favorite Afghan restaurants in Sunnyvale--called, "Afghani House" on El Camino in Sunnyvale (near Santa Clara border). Beautful service and great food.

[pim]

Here's a few ideas:

It's not a new place, but you may enjoy "La Bodeguita del Medio" (a Cuban restaurant) on California Ave in Palo Alto. Semi-fancy place; good food, nice bar with mojitos and nice atmosphere overall.

or you can grab a mojito there and then cross the street for dinner at Bistro Elan. It's not new, but has been my Palo Alto favorite for years.

[Abra]

We ate at La Bodeguita last time we were there, and stayed at the Hotel California. We really enjoyed it, and their mojitos rocked.

[ludja]

Here's a few ideas:

It's  not a new place, but you may enjoy "La Bodeguita del Medio" (a Cuban restaurant) on California Ave in Palo Alto.  Semi-fancy place; good food, nice bar with mojitos and nice atmosphere overall.

or you can grab a mojito there and then cross the street for dinner at Bistro Elan. It's not new, but has been my Palo Alto favorite for years.

I've heard good things about Bistro Elan for a number of years but have never been. Thanks for the reminder!

[Painting]

Here's a few ideas:

It's  not a new place, but you may enjoy "La Bodeguita del Medio" (a Cuban restaurant) on California Ave in Palo Alto.  Semi-fancy place; good food, nice bar with mojitos and nice atmosphere overall.

or you can grab a mojito there and then cross the street for dinner at Bistro Elan. It's not new, but has been my Palo Alto favorite for years.

Went to Elan on Aug 3rd with my friend tharrison that used to love the place, I wasn't impressed and suprizingly, she wasn't either.

Does anybody know if anything has changed here or we just hit a bad day?

Edited August 21, 2004 by Painting (log)

[alexhills]

I had dinner at Bistro Elan around xmas time, good but not special and a little overpriced I thought. The concept of California-ized bistro French seems nice to me, the dishes were simple and well thought out if not particularly original - foie seared on brioche with peach, crab cake with an avocado salad, steak frites, duck confit and so on. Really rather bland cheese plate - although I had eaten at Danko a couple of weeks before and was therefore rather spoiled on that front... I didn't think the execution was so great in general, things cooked a little long and underseasoned. Certainly not a bad meal, but to compare roughly like with like, Bistro Jeanty impressed me way way more.

I can't say I really love any Palo Alto restaurants, although both the Indian places on Emerson, Darwa and I can't remember the name of the other one, are very enjoyable.

Oh, actually the Mexican on California Ave, Palo Alto Sol, is very very nice I think, a little unconventional and very reasonable. Very good margaritas too. A Mexican friend actually missed the place when she was back in Mexico last summer!! The higher end places mostly strike me as not really foodie restaurants, much more power lunch venues, but I've not eaten at too many of them.