preperformance dinner Palo alto
Hi - going to see Merce Cunningham Nov 1 at Stanford LIvely Arts. would like to get to PA early and beat the traffic which would entail eating in Palo Alto that night. Any suggestions for dinner: Asian/fusion/California - anything but pizza or burgers Thank you.
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bbulkow
Oct 30, 2011 10:56 AM
There's a lot of places that can be recommended within a short shot of campus.
Commonly recommended as tops in PA is Evvia. High end Mediterranean. Get something from the mesquite grill, and bright white wine. A little staid.
Since you like Soi 4, you might try Tamerine. It's sort of a slanted door kind of place. The best way to experience is the shared tables near the bar, so you don't get caught in the fancy trappings of the dining room, and somewhat let down by the food.
I've come to enjoy Zibbibo again. Long wine by the glass list, plenty of tables, good mezes. Mussels on the iron skillet. A great place to hang out.
On the inexpensive side, you can't beat Oren's Hummus. I've never had hummus like that anywhere in the world (never been to isreal).
I'd really direct you to Junoon, because I think it's closest to Soi 4 in interesting dishes in a medium-high-end setting. However, driving by last night, the sign changed to Amber Something, so new owners. Will have to see how much they've rejiggered their menu. If you like a drink before a show, consider Mantra. Good happy hour. Food is a little less bright than it should be, but I like the atmosphere and the food ain't bad. They've taken off some of my favorite items, like the 'nanizza'.
Don't eat chinese in PA, unless you go to Da Sichuan or Su Hong Palo Alto - which are a bit south of where you want to eat. Da Sichuan has interesting dishes, Su Hong is good Shanghai style if you dig into that side of the menu and ignore the "american classics".
The California Ave cluster is also close. New-ish Birch is interesting. Jin Sho is probably the best sushi south of the menlo park cluster and north of Los Altos. My favorite french place around (casual but the kind of *really good* you actually get in france) is Cafe Brioche. On the cheap side is Simply Med.
La Strada doesn't get enough love. Solid northern-cal-italian. The only wood fired pizzas in PA, but a good charcuterie. Renzo is on the southern side - not brilliant, but solid.
For a bit more fun but still good NOLA gets top marks. Reposado has been mentioned recently - high end Mexican, not stunning, but always satisfying. Go for more complicated things on their menu.
Mayfield Bakery is also tops. Closer to campus and easier to eat at. A little less special occasion, yet still expensive. If you're east bay focused, it's sort of like A Cote without the cocktails and a less quirky menu.
If you're coming down the peninsula, consider Village Pub. If you haven't been there it's an extraordinary experience. There's no place in the east bay remotely like it, it's like Big 4 in the city, but the real deal. I know you said no burgers, but the bar menu has one of the best burgers in existence, and you can get it either with Fois Gras or Truffels (sometimes a choice of white or black, depending on season). That's off menu.
There's just too many ---- narrow it down -----
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A Cote
5478 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618La Strada
335 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301Su Hong
1039 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA 94025Jin Sho
454 California Ave, Palo Alto, CAVillage Pub
2967 Woodside Rd., Woodside, CA 94062Reposado
236 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301Mayfield Bakery & Cafe
855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94301Cafe Brioche
445 S California Ave, Palo Alto, CADa Sichuan
3781 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306Oren's Hummus Shop
261 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301›2 Replies-
re: bbulkow
A key aspect of a pre-performance dinner is getting you out on time without worries. Some of these places, while the food is delicious, are slower-paced and probably not the best choice before a performance (Village Pub, Tamarine, and Cafe Renzo in particular). Our favorite pre-performance place in Palo Alto is Vero - a great Italian place downtown just off University.
Su Hong's food tastes to me like it's loaded with MSG - and I'm not hugely MSG sensitive - so avoid unless you like that style.
Michael
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Tamarine Restaurant
546 University Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301Vero
530 Bryant Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301Village Pub
2967 Woodside Rd., Woodside, CA 94062Cafe Renzo
473 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301-
re: mdg
bbulkow
Oct 30, 2011 03:14 PM
Good point on all counts.
I like Vero as well. I especially like sitting at the counter in the back. Fairly straightforward italian.
I usually get fast service at NOLA, Mayfield, Brioche, Oren's.
I got very good service at Madame Tam's Bar last week. The food was good enough, fun atmosphere, but not worth it if you don't drink.
I've never had an issue with Su Hong's MSG factor, but I keep strictly to Shanghai style - things like the Lion's Head Dumplings and the XLB.
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Vero
530 Bryant Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301
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