Author: punchwpadmin

Words by Johanna Harlow

New American restaurants worthy of flagging.

farm house belmont

Belmont

Tucked within a 1936 building in a charming residential area near Twin Pines Park, Farm House exudes neighborly charm. Though the brick-walled interior is certainly cozy, enjoy warmer weather from its spacious backyard patio, brightened with cheery orange chairs. The menu ranges from the tried-and-true to the truly adventuresome. So while the comfort food crowd can opt for buttermilk fried chicken, daring diners can sink their teeth into gator bites with jalapeno and Cajun aioli. Also open for brunch on the weekends, the restaurant serves a standout French toast with coconut cream, caramelized bananas and toasted coconut on thickly sliced bread. Wash it all down with a cup of French press-brewed coffee. 1301 6th Avenue. Open Wednesday through Sunday.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Greg Kuzia-Carmel

camper

Menlo Park

Organic and local is the name of the game at Camper, a California-influenced restaurant with a seasonal menu that sources from top-notch farms on the Peninsula and Central Valley. Seeking recommendations? Try the handmade agnolotti—little stuffed pasta pillows that might contain toasted walnuts, morel mushrooms and Carmody cheese one month, then sweet corn from Portola Valley’s Webb Ranch the next. In all honesty, whether you opt for the suckling pig with grilled asparagus and a charred tomatillo salsa verde or Calrose rice with garlic chive kimchi, mushrooms and spicy yuzu citron, you’re sure to be a happy camper. For dessert, the restaurant’s s’mores are a staple—evoking nostalgic memories of campfire gatherings while completely reinventing this classic. Think toasted graham cracker shells filled with creamy Guittard chocolate and a meringue topping toasted to golden perfection. 898 Santa Cruz Avenue. Open Monday through Saturday.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Umay Isik

west park bistro

San Carlos

Make yourself comfortable. The huge funky light fixtures, earthy tones and inviting patio suits West Park Bistro’s motto to serve “feel good” food. Before selecting your drink, wander over to the restaurant’s wine racks and peruse its extensive 300+ bottle collection. Since they specialize in California vintages, keep it local with a cab from Paso Robles or a zin from Napa. As for the meal, meat lovers will appreciate the succulent Berkshire pork chops and filet mignon with chianti butter, while vegetarian and gluten-free diners are equally indulged with curry roasted cauliflower, butternut squash gnocchi and pistachio-crusted goat cheese with truffle honey on crisp crostini. 788 Laurel Street. Open daily.

Words by Kate Daly

Given that chocolate makes just about anything better, it seems fitting that the creation of Woodside Chocolate Company brought hope in a dark time. “We were searching for ways to keep everyone employed” at Bacchus Management Group’s restaurants during the early pandemic, explains Tim Stannard, the founding partner and president of the hospitality company behind The Village Pub and The Village Bakery in Woodside as well as Selby’s in Atherton.

“Some of the pastry chefs got together to make candy bars and they were spectacular,” he recalls. After some packaging and branding work, a “tiny little company” called Woodside Chocolate Company launched three product lines: gourmet chocolate bars, hot chocolate bombs and bonbons.
Woodside Chocolate Company has brought new life to the mignardises, the sweet finale at the end of a meal. The bonbons get rave reviews when they are handed out to dinner guests as after-dessert desserts at The Village Pub and Selby’s, and “sell like crazy” at The Village Bakery and the company’s café at Spruce in San Francisco, Tim shares.

Andi Rouse has worked for Bacchus restaurants for several years and became its chocolatier and pastry chef in 2023. She and her apprentice keep busy, devoting their attention full-time to the making of sweet creations in a pastry kitchen located upstairs from Selby’s.

Andi says the most popular item in the rotating lineup of their seasonal, well-balanced confections is an eye-catching dark chocolate caramel bar covered in edible 23-karat gold leaf. That bar is likely to stay in the repertoire while new flavors are explored. This spring, they are experimenting with flavors derived from fresh berries grown at the organic SMIP Ranch on Dale Djerassi’s property in the hills above Woodside, and there are plans to play around with chamomile, cherry blossom and rose petal infusions. In her search for the perfect citrus-flavored bonbon, Andi is experimenting with bergamot, the fragrant orange native to southern Italy that perfumes a cup of Earl Grey tea.

Research and development typically take place on Fridays. The rest of the week is devoted to production, since most of their confections are so labor-intensive they require three days to make.

Andi describes how the bonbon-making process starts by preparing about 80 polycarbonate molds. After cleaning and polishing them, the focus turns to the tempering machine. That’s where molten Valrhona chocolate is run through multiple temperature settings, allowing crystals to form that give the finished treats their highly-prized “snap and shine,” she says. For the best shine, Andi decorates the molds and leaves them overnight.

Next, ganache fillings are made and shells formed, once again using the key ingredient: Valrhona chocolate, a premium brand that has been manufactured near Lyon, France, for over 100 years. The chocolate is sourced from close to 17,000 cocoa producers spread out in the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Africa. The day after filling the bonbon shells with ganache, Andi and her partner use a capping machine to make the flat bonbon bottoms.

For Valentine’s Day, a box of bonbons included white chocolate raspberry rose, dark chocolate caramel and a “vibrant” milk chocolate passion fruit. Of the seasonal flavors, Andi favors the gingersnap cookie bonbon they concocted for Christmas.

As for what you might find in future boxes? Who knows! Constantly inventing, Andi says there’s no telling what the next flavor combinations will be. She subjects new possible combos to a series of taste-tests, gathering feedback from her apprentice and Bacchus partners.

What should Peninsula gourmands be on the lookout for? Three words: hot chocolate bombs. “Those are so much fun; they look like little bath bombs,” Tim says. “You drop them into hot milk and they melt and explode.” Changing its offerings with the seasons, Woodside Chocolate Company crafts snowmen-shaped bombs filled with hot cocoa mix and peppermint marshmallows at Christmas as well as heart-shaped bombs featuring heart-shaped mini-marshmallows for Valentine’s Day.

Their chocolate bars also come in all sorts of intriguing flavors, ranging from strawberry shortcake to chocolate pistachio, green matcha tea to cookies and cream, or cherry and almond, and white chocolate with strawberries. Tim’s personal favorite: a dark chocolate bar topped with Cadbury’s crunchy mini-Easter eggs.

“Everyone has a different palate,” Andi reasons. And the Woodside Chocolate Company sweetly embraces them all.

sweet indulgence – woodsidechocolates.com

Words by Kate Daly

Woodside resident Richard Draeger has a big anniversary coming up. Next year, the family business turns 100. Draeger’s Market, the specialty grocer that offers hard-to-find imported products, full-service butcher counters, an expansive selection of prepared foods and top-notch baked goods, had humble origins. It traces its roots back to a small deli in San Francisco.

Richard, the chief operations officer and co-owner, never knew the founder, his grandfather Gustave Draeger. Gustave died before Richard was born, but he still delights in telling the story of how a young merchant marine from Prussia jumped ship in Texas. Gustave spent time in Chicago driving a taxi and working in restaurants before finding his way to San Francisco during its boomtown years after the devastating 1906 earthquake. By 1925, Gustave had saved up enough money to open Draeger’s Delicatessen in the Richmond District.

Gustave copied the self-service practices he’d seen in Midwestern stores and introduced the first shopping carts to San Francisco. At the time, customers would request the items and the shopkeeper would fetch them off the shelves. Thanks to this labor-saving innovation, Gustave greatly reduced the cost of his operations, Richard recounts.

Gustave was at the forefront of another big change, Richard recalls. After years of Prohibition, in 1933 his grandfather anticipated the legalization of alcoholic beverage sales and was the first to secure a liquor license from the city of San Francisco.

After opening five liquor stores, Gustave built the largest market in the city in 1945, and his sons, Frank and Gustave Jr., joined the business. In 1955, Frank bought out his older brother and built the Menlo Park store. In the
years that followed, the business grew to include stores in San Mateo, Los Altos and across the Bay in Danville.

Richard and his nine brothers and sisters all grew up in the family enterprise. “From the age of 12, we worked on stocking shelves, carrying groceries to cars, checking out groceries, cooking—we literally did all of the aspects of the business throughout our high school and college years,” Richard says.

Every Sunday night was family night. His parents, both amazing cooks, would spend hours preparing and serving a meal for about 20 people, including grandparents, aunts and uncles. As for the kids, “we’d be the labor crew,” Richard recalls. “We did all the dishes, chopped all the produce.”

Frank always made sure to bring great French wines to the table, both for drinking and for use in sauces. “He wanted us to understand why it is so important to have a great wine with whatever we were eating,” Richard relays. Frank lived by the mantra, “It’s very easy to cook great food—use great ingredients.”

Considering the size of those weekly dinner parties, he may have been his own best customer. “He worked until the day he died, when he was 86 years old. He loved being in the business,” Richard says.

Pride in this family tradition carries on today, as six of Frank’s 10 children work for the company and serve on the board. “We are more or less on the same page. We do get along pretty well, as a result of growing up in the business together.”

Richard, who oversees merchandising, forecasting, payroll and staffing, spends his days in Draeger’s administrative offices in South San Francisco, where he’s also in charge of the expansive kitchens where baked goods and deli counter offerings are prepared for all the stores. The rest of the responsibilities are divvied up among his other siblings. John heads up human resources, meat and seafood operations, Tony manages IT and pricing for produce, wine and liquor. Jim serves as president and legal counsel and Peter handles most of the office management and banking as CFO. Sister Mary Claire Draeger-DeSoto oversees communications, advertising and design.

Richard and his wife Mary Ann raised their three children in Woodside. Now adults, Richard’s kids have moved on to do other things, but three of their first cousins have become the fourth generation of Draegers to carry on the family business. John’s son Frank is training in accounting and being groomed to become CFO, while his daughter Kacie works in payroll. Tony’s daughter, Tori, is the marketing director.

Richard feels optimism for the company’s future, in part given its good fortune to be anchored here on the Peninsula. Buying smaller lots with hard-to-find wines, artisanal cheeses and other specialty items has long set the market apart from larger chain stores. Comparing Silicon Valley to Paris, London and New York, Richard says, “The customers here are the highest educated people on the planet, they travel to the best places on the planet and they are making product recommendations to us … Our clientele does a lot of the sourcing for us.”

And don’t discount the appeal of the tantalizing spread of prepared foods in the expansive cases at the deli counter, where you can take home everything from chicken cordon bleu to potato pancakes, savory sesame noodles to plank-roasted salmon. Draeger’s German potato salad is based on Richard’s great-grandmother’s recipe, and is one of many convenient “meal solutions” to entice busy shoppers short on time.

A trend that surprises Richard is the rise in Instacart shopping. It has tripled at Draeger’s since before the onset of COVID. He predicts that AI will increasingly become a strong planning tool for keeping track of inventory, delivering instant information on what’s popular and what’s not. He sees potential savings in harnessing that data.

In the challenging grocery store sector, change is a given. Draeger’s no longer runs a cooking school, and in 2020 after a 23-year run, closed its upscale Viognier restaurant located on the second floor of the downtown San Mateo market. The markets’ bistros, floral departments and extensive houseware sections, however, are still going strong. Richard clearly enjoys upholding the values his parents instilled, partnering with his siblings to carry on a family legacy for generations to come.

Stock Up – draegers.com

Words by Johanna Harlow

It’s another blissful evening at Menlo Tavern, the sophisticated, “new American” restaurant tucked within Menlo Park’s timeless Stanford Park Hotel. Over glasses of wine, diners relax into conversations surrounded by old photographs and leather-bound books, while a fireplace brings a glow to the low-lit room. Such serenity makes it easy to forget that behind every candlelit dinner, a bustling kitchen staff is making the magic happen.

“Cook with your ears and your eyes,” Louis Salvatore (Chef Sal) instructs his team over the hiss of hot skillets and the brisk drumming of knives. “Live in your food—listen, smell and hear.” When Sal joins me in the dining room later, he expands on this sensory approach. “Your food’s almost a small world,” he says. “It’s a hyper-focus on what you’re doing because the food will tell you what is going on.” Let the sizzle of the steak guide you to that perfect sear.

Though Menlo Tavern’s elevated ingredients and exquisite plating might merit the label “fine dining,” Sal isn’t a fan of the phrase. “It’s like me saying I have the best food in the world,” he grimaces. “We make good food. And it isn’t uppity.” The former executive chef of Left Bank Brasserie adds, “I’m not trying to make a fake mushroom and it tastes like cake. That’s not the idea.”

Sal first learned that elevated dining could be fresh and innovative during his time at Town and Country’s Mayfield Bakery and Café (owned by the same group behind Spruce in San Francisco and The Village Pub in Woodside). He fondly recalls brainstorming sessions around the table, outlining new menu items with the team. “It would look like chicken scratch,” he chuckles. But “we’d sit across from each other and bounce ideas off each other … It was a dialogue that we kept going. It opened up my creativity again.”

He’s brought this spirit to his Menlo Tavern team. “It doesn’t have to be this strict brigade with somebody yelling at you,” Sal notes of commercial kitchens. “I never wanted to push that on my guys because you don’t work well. You can’t be creative.” The title “line cook” is another phrase Sal can do without. “We’re molding them as chefs,” he insists. And when this dream becomes reality? “I want to eat one day with them.”

For someone as sensory as Sal, it tracks that his dishes are as aesthetic as they are appetizing. Order a salad and be presented with an entire head of butter lettuce expanding outwards like a flower, its leafy “petals” adorned with blossoms, lardon and a drizzling of Dijon vinaigrette, a chili-sprinkled poached egg at its center. Meanwhile, the king salmon topped with microgreens features a fan of asparagus with pansies perched atop each potato. “We call it a craft, but you can consider it an art form,” Sal says of cooking.

For holidays or private events, the tavern’s chef is known to invent entire menus around the lyrics of a song or the lines of a poem. For Valentine’s Day, Sal prepared five courses to represent the different stages of love. The First Date course featured duck atop puff pastry (signifying the many layers of that first conversation) and flourishes of truffle foam (symbolizing the nervous bubbles in your stomach). The Proposal, a surf-and-turf dish of wagyu beef and lobster, portrayed two separate entities coming together as one. And the dessert finale, Together Forever, formed a solar system with bonbon planets orbiting a red velvet cheesecake sun.

Sal’s imagination extends to the use of unexpected ingredients. Right now, he’s developing an homage to fried chicken made of duck confit. “‘American’ is a lot of things, right?” he points out. Sal also got inventive with the Menlo Tavern meatball. Though initially inspired by his Italian grandmother, he completely revamped the dish. The outcome is an unexpectedly-light, snowball-sized appetizer made with wagyu beef, sauced in pomodoro, crowned with shavings of grana padano cheese and topped with cheery microgreen sprigs.

Sal is cooking up another idea just in time for summer: Fire and Flame, a series of twists on barbecue. “That’s what man did first,” points out Sal, who once headed the kitchen at The Pub at Ghirardelli Square where he dished up ribs and brisket. His new series, hosted Saturdays out on the hotel’s garden patio, will range from Argentine-style meats prepared on the parrilla to spit-roasted Italian porchetta. The warm weather also ushers in Stanford Park Hotel’s annual outdoor live music, held all season long, and best enjoyed with a song-themed cocktail in hand, like Oye Como Va or Dock of the Bay.

But Sal is a man of action, not just ideas. “I’m not here to just write a menu,” he insists. “Every single chef I’ve met that was amazing, was humble … They would be there with you, in service. And not just calling a ticket.” Accordingly, he likes to stay in the mix, teaching and growing in the kitchen. “I even take advice from my dishwasher!” He pauses, then admits, “My dishwasher used to be a chef, actually.”

“A good chef’s always learning—constantly,” Sal says as he rises and prepares to return to his hardworking team behind the scenes. “I’ll be learning until I die.”

american classics – menlotavern.com

Words by Johanna Harlow

Arya, a Persian steakhouse, takes pride in its roots—evident from the tapestries depicting the poet Rumi’s ancient tales and the winged lion logo inspired by an artifact from the First Persian Empire. But make no mistake, the restaurant’s halal menu welcomes every diner with open arms. Catering to an array of dietary needs and preferences, it ranges from Iranian dishes like tender kebabs to succulent steak to vegetarian and fish options. There are even a few Italian dishes, thanks to executive chef Mike Hashemi’s time living in Florence, Italy. “Everyone finds something that they like,” promises Mike, who owns the restaurant with his wife Fera Hashemi.

While Mike’s domain is the kitchen, Fera presides over the front of the house and oversees behind-the-scenes tasks like marketing and staffing. But this dynamic dining duo unites over a shared vision. “We want to be fine dining, but we want to be fine dining with a personality,” Fera says, smiling at a pair of diners enthusiastically scooping up borani bademjan eggplant dip with hunks of flatbread. Mike nods, “Friendly fine dining!”

After opening Arya Steakhouses in Cupertino and Redwood City, the couple relocated the restaurant to Palo Alto two years ago. “I love the mix of cultures!” Fera says of Palo Alto, pointing out that University Avenue sees a steady flow of Stanford University families and international executives. “Sometimes, standing in the front of the restaurant, I cannot believe we have this many cultures in one place, under one roof.’” Mike wholeheartedly agrees. “You get to talk to them and learn.”

Arya’s interior channels this spirit of camaraderie. “I wanted it to be a cheerful steakhouse and I wanted it to be warm,” describes Fera. “You go to a typical steakhouse and it’s white and black. It’s very dark.” Grounded with earthy tones and accented by golden yellows and emerald greens, Arya is anything but stark. Its old-world charm is enhanced by wood ceiling beams, framed tapestries and rough-hewn stonework reminiscent of a castle.

Obviously, this isn’t the Hashemis’ first rodeo. Mike has opened 10 restaurant locations over the years, six with Fera by his side. With a voracious appetite for learning the industry, Mike spent his younger years training under “very mean, good chefs,” until he felt confident he could make it on his own. He also grew up helping at the family butcher shop and market in Iran. “I was butchering lamb and cow when I was 16 years old,” he notes.

This background has served him well. Expect exceptionally tender cuts of meat at Arya, from the lamb tenderloin kebabs over saffron yellow basmati rice to the filet mignon served with a head of roasted garlic and herb butter melted with a chef’s torch at your table. All steaks are dry-aged and cut in-house, then seasoned with Arya’s custom rub.

They serve Australian as opposed to Japanese Wagyu—a choice some customers question at first, Fera says. That’s because Australian Wagyu is halal, complying with Muslim guidelines for humane treatment of the animal. “It tastes great and is much juicier. And people are like, ‘Oh god, I converted!’”

Discerning diners won’t stop there. Begin your meal with an order of meatballs, tangy from the pomegranate pinot noir sauce—and end with the cheesecake. Arya’s fusion twist on this classic dessert includes a drizzle of honey to complement the tangy filling, a flaky baklava-like crust and a sprinkling of pistachio for texture. It’s “Paris meets Tehran,” Fera describes.

When asked for insights into the food industry, Mike dishes out this sage advice: “Always use the best quality—or you end up spending more to replace it,” he shares. “Use the best quality for anything in your life. Food or anything else! That is why I have the best quality wife.” Beside him, Fera cracks up.

Quality over quantity applies to their decision to dial back from several restaurants to one. The couple wanted more time to support their three children—which meant attending their soccer games, concert performances and figure skating competitions. “We want to make sure we’re there for them when they need it,” Fera says. “If we’re so busy in the business world and we don’t have time for that, then what’s the whole purpose of it?” Mike adds that their guests also appreciate the extra face time. “They don’t say, ‘We’re going to Arya.’ They say, ‘We’re going to see Fera.’ ‘Let’s go see Mike.’”

There’s one more ingredient in Arya’s recipe for success: their tableside finesse. Fera interacts with guests before engaging in some mealtime matchmaking in order to pair them with the right server. “Just from a ‘Hello, how are you?’ I can kind of assess their personality or their day. Are they bubbly? Are they all business? Is it, ‘I don’t want to talk to you.’ Is it a date night?” She’s trained her managers to take a similar approach. “After a while, it’s a gut feeling. I don’t know how to explain it,” she muses. “Intuition.”

And how does she know if they got it right? At the end of the meal, Fera says, “When I see a guest hugging that server at the door, I’m just like, ‘Spot on! Yes!’”

steak out – aryasteakhouse.com

Words by Jennifer Jory

A disco ball sparkles against a yellow ceiling, the aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans hangs in the air and canary-colored chairs greet me as I step into a cafe in San Carlos. This is not your monochromatic, subdued coffee shop. Groovy Goose brings a lively and playful twist to the independent, craft roasting genre. After opening in August, 26-year-old owners Nathan and Siera Conte’s passion and learning curve are through the roof. “There is no way to get experience in owning a business,” Nathan confides. “It’s sink or swim—and we are swimming. We are going to do whatever it takes.”
The line out the door on the weekends suggests Nathan’s all-night roasting sessions have paid off. “It’s fun to see people really like the beans and come back every few days,” he beams. With limited kitchen space, Nathan roasts the eight varieties of light to medium-dark blends through the early morning hours. He says bags of beans are flying off the shelf. “There has been no shortage of challenges,” Nathan confesses. “Keeping up with coffee production and making steady, consistent batches is just one example.”

The husband-and-wife team met during a college gap year program at Joshua Wilderness Institute at Hume Lake, California, where they began going on coffee dates, driving over an hour to a cafe to sample their favorite blends. Siera, a veteran barista, convinced Nathan of the importance of the taste of each cup and introduced him to coffee culture. “Siera opened my eyes to compare and realize that quality matters,” Nathan says.

While Nathan and Siera may be young entrepreneurs with a whimsical brand, they are serious about coffee in all of its complexity and are on a mission to make their mark in the roasting world. “Coffee is kind of like wine,” Nathan describes. “There are so many nuances, from growing, harvesting, roasting and serving. I enjoy the detail. When I am roasting, my goal is to perfect the beans, duplicate it and be able to share it. I want people to enjoy quality from farm to cup.” Nathan feels fortunate to source beans from all over the world that come into the Port of Oakland, including countries in Africa, South and Central America. “I appreciate all of the hands that have touched the beans,” Nathan stresses. “There’s a worldwide effort to get a cup of coffee to you.”

The house blend, Golden Hour, ranks among regulars’ favorites, which Nathan describes as having flavors of graham cracker, honey, brown sugar and blueberry in a medium-dark roast. They offer pastries baked fresh daily as well as breakfast and lunch sandwiches made to order. One popular option, the High Roller, comes on a freshly baked English muffin with tomato, pesto, scrambled egg, arugula, prosciutto and crème fraîche. The cafe also offers a variety of fresh fruit smoothies, inventive toasts and creative seasonal drinks such as a lavender honey oat latte and strawberry matcha.

Born and raised in San Carlos, Nathan feels a strong loyalty to the community and benefits from family members nearby who rolled up their sleeves and swung hammers to completely remodel the cafe space before opening. Last summer, the couple took the San Carlos Avenue store down to the studs to transform the property and add a second story. “We worked with a contractor,” shares Nathan. “However, my dad Tony and I ended up doing almost all of the work. My mom Gina and Siera designed the inside.”

Nathan got his start in the restaurant business at Sneakers in San Carlos where he worked his way up to assistant manager and head bartender. “A coworker noticed how hard I was working,” recalls Nathan. “She told me that if I continued with my work ethic, I might own my own restaurant someday and it stuck with me.” Later on, while living on Maui, Nathan and Siera dreamed of opening their own place. Nathan honed his roasting skills, while Siera worked at a nearby craft coffee shop. Returning home to the Peninsula several years later, Nathan stepped into the general manager role at Drakes restaurant, owned by his brother Christian Conte—just a block away from where he would soon open Groovy Goose.

The coffee shop’s walls are vibrant with brightly-colored murals that splash across the walls. Smoothies with playful names like Groovy Greens and Purple People Eater show Nathan and Siera’s desire to add whimsy and a unique branding to their menu and signature roasts. “We love that coffee is approachable for everyone,” Nathan says. “Almost anyone can afford a cup of coffee.” Nathan believes that they are in the business of creating community. “We want to offer a place where people can let their guards down and be seen,” he adds.

With ambitions to open more craft roasting locations, the couple’s dreams fuel a growing business, while managing a growing family as well. Their three-year-old son Theodore, nicknamed Goose, inspired the cafe’s name, enjoys visiting his parents at work with his one-year-old sister Magnolia. “It feels very deeply rooted, being born and raised here,“ Nathan concludes. “I feel I owe the city this. I enjoy serving and it is an honor to be a part of the legacy of this community.”

feelin’ groovy – groovygoose.coffee

Pizza, pasta, prosciutto—Italian restaurants with pizzazz.

pausa bar & cookery

San Mateo

If you’re looking for a breather from the Silicon Valley hustle, the stylish trattoria Pausa is the place to hit pause. In the mood for charcuterie? Take your pick of the trattoria’s wide array of house-cured meats and cheeses—but if assessing prosciutto di parma and porchetta, gorgonzola dolce and primo sale becomes too much, you can always go with the house selection. With the monkfish in black garlic puree, pork ossobuco with truffled sheep ricotta gnudi, and a well-loved range of wood-fired pizzas and pastas, you’ll have to come back more than once to truly do the menu justice. 223 E 4th Avenue. Open daily.

Cover Photo: Courtesy of Pausa / Photo: Courtesy of Nadia Andreini

donato enoteca

Redwood City

Benvenuto to Donato Enoteca! While you make a thorough investigation of the menu, order a glass of barolo and the housemade salumi charcuterie board, rows of thinly sliced meat in appetizing rows of pink and red. From there, we recommend heading straight to the fresh, handmade pasta. Whether you opt for the bigoli e coda (braised oxtail with thick comforting noodles) or agnolotti del plin (small ravioli stuffed with sausage, veal and rabbit in a red sauce), you’re in for a treat. For a taste of Chef Donato’s hometown in northern Italy, order the ravioli bergamaschi with wild greens, sunchokes and brown butter. And don’t disregard the wood-fired pizzas! 1041 Middlefield Road. Closed Mondays.

doppio zero

San Carlos / Mountain View

It’s rarely a good move to go to a pizza place and order the pasta, unless that place is Doppio Zero. While you can’t go wrong with one of its top-notch Neapolitan pizzas, like the deliciously simple Bufalina or mushroom-topped Fungo with fontina and goat cheese, it would be a shame to miss out on the homemade pasta. Try the fettuccine in a rich, slow-cooked wild boar sauce, or spinach ravioli plumped with mushrooms and ricotta, served in a fondue truffle sauce. Finish your meal the Italian way, by lingering over a potent digestif of limoncello or amaro accompanied by the house-made panna cotta. 160 Castro Street, Mountain View and 617 Laurel Street, San Carlos. Open daily.

Recipes and photography by Paulette Phlipot

With spring in full bloom, flowers are everywhere. But why limit yourself to a bouquet in a vase, when you can put petals on your plate? Adding edible flowers to your dishes and drinks is more than a feast for the eyes. They add a nutritional punch from antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Pansies, violas, nasturtiums, calendula, roses and lavender are standouts with endless recipe possibilities. Many herbs and vegetables also yield lovely, delicious edible flowers, such as cilantro, rosemary, oregano, chives, squash, fennel, broccoli and arugula. Search for them at the farmers market or make good use of any flourishing in your very own yard. Fresh or dried, these colorful delights will enhance the look and taste of your meals. Incorporated into salads, infused into vinegar, frozen into ice, blended into creamy cheeses, baked into treats and even pressed into melted chocolate—their flavors and colors combine in an endless array of possibilities.

When choosing flowers, handle with care, selecting only ones that are safe to eat. Make sure the blooms have not been sprayed with chemicals or pesticides. To prepare, trim the stems, rinse them gently in water and let the floral fun begin!

Chocolate petal pops

Chocolate and flowers are a natural pairing—especially enjoyed this way!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
Edible flowers (fresh or dried)
2 cups chocolate chips (white,
milk or dark)
½ teaspoon peppermint extract

EQUIPMENT
Lollipop mold and sticks

+ Remove flowers from stems, making sure they are free of debris and completely dry, then set aside.
+ Place a lollipop mold onto a tray that fits in your refrigerator and place lollipop sticks in the mold.
+ Melt the chocolate chips in a double-boiler or heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat.
+ Carefully spoon melted chocolate into the lollipop molds. Tap the filled mold onto the counter to get rid of air bubbles and level the chocolate.
+ Quickly and carefully press fresh or dried flowers on top of the chocolate. Using a toothpick can be helpful.
+ Keeping the lollipop mold on the tray, carefully place it into the refrigerator until chocolate hardens, about 40 minutes. Then carefully remove the lollipops from the molds. Enjoy within a day or two, while the flowers look fresh.

Rose + Cardamom Lemonade

A little twist on well-known rose water. Adding a splash to lemonade brightens the color and enhances the flavor. If picking roses from the garden, gather them in the early morning when they’re most fragrant.

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup dried rose petals (or
¾ cup fresh rose petals)
1½ cups water
4 green cardamom pods,
lightly crushed with the
back of a spoon
1 pitcher of lemonade
Lemon blossoms to garnish

+ In a small saucepan, combine the rose petals, crushed cardamom pods and water.
+ Cover and bring the water to a boil, then reduce temperature to low. Simmer with the lid on for about 10 minutes or until the petals have faded.
+ Turn the heat off and let it cool completely with the lid on.
+ Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a glass jar. Add to lemonade and garnish with lemon blossoms. Store jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

No Beans Fava Salad

Fava greens are a fantastic choice for salads, offering a subtle taste reminiscent of fava beans—mildly sweet and delicate. Naturally, they pair well with fava flowers! This recipe is inspired by Cheryl Sternman Rule’s Cucumber-Halloumi Salad.

Serves 4

SALAD
2 cups fava leaves
3 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 tablespoon avocado oil
8 ounces Halloumi cheese,
sliced ¼-inch thick
1 cucumber, sliced
Fava and calendula flowers to garnish

DRESSING
2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste

+ In a cast-iron skillet, toast fennel seeds over medium heat for a few minutes until they become aromatic. Remove and set aside.
+ Heat the same skillet to medium-high. Add avocado oil and swirl it around to coat the bottom. Place the cheese in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Cook the cheese until it is browned on each side, then set aside.
+ In a large bowl, whisk salad dressing ingredients together. Add fava leaves, sliced
cucumber and fennel seeds and toss it well.
+ Divide the salad into four bowls, adding cheese slices, then garnish with fava and calendula flowers.

Petal Ice Spheres

Turn heads and elevate your cocktail game by swapping out plain cubes for colorful ice spheres.

INGREDIENTS
Edible flowers
Distilled water
Fresh herbs (optional)

EQUIPMENT
Ice sphere mold

+ Boil distilled water, then set it aside to cool. (This will create clearer ice.)
+ Remove the flowers from their stems and rinse.
+ Place flowers into the base of the ice mold. You can also add herbs, if you choose.
+ Pour the room-temperature
water into the ice mold,
covering flowers completely.
+ Place the mold in the freezer until frozen solid.
+ Remove from the freezer and wait a few minutes before removing the ice spheres.
+ Add to your favorite beverages for an elegant pop of color.

Words by Johanna Harlow

New dining destinations in divine spaces.

izzy’s on the peninsula

San Carlos

If you’ve eaten at Izzy’s in a previous decade, it’s time to revisit this old friend. After Cinderella-like renovations, this steakhouse has transformed into a dark and dreamy lounge with lamps illuminating every table and lining the bar. Since you’re at a steakhouse, you’re probably not here for the chicken. Try filet mignon, perfectly cooked to order and served with a sinful and silky herb butter (or your choice of other sauces). This is best accompanied with a side of Izzy’s Own Potatoes—served au gratin, with buttery layers highlighted by the gentle tang of cheese—and maybe something from the novelette-sized wine and spirits list. If you’re feeling cheeky, order the Notable Harlot, a cocktail with vodka, vanilla, passionfruit and lime, served with a bubbling rosé sidecar. 525 Skyway Road. Open daily.

hurrica restaurant

Redwood City

For seafood that will sweep you off your feet, head to Hurrica. Docked right beside Westpoint Harbor, the restaurant overlooks a fleet of yachts, including its namesake, the sleek Hurrica V, a boat filmed in The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Diners savor bites of chili crisp-topped tuna sashimi while moon jellyfish drift by in the restaurant’s enormous tank. There are no bad choices on this carefully-crafted menu, but the whole hearth-roasted dorade on a bed of tangy fried rice is the creamiest fish you may ever taste. In warm weather, try the refreshing house-cured king salmon served with chilled soba noodles, crunchy curlicues of cucumber and pops of cold roe. Stick around for the Michelin-worthy desserts and the artful interior, which includes copper wire fish and curved woodwork mimicking the hull of a boat. 150 Northpoint Court. Open daily.

che fico parco menlo

Menlo park

Bold both on and off the plate, Che Fico boasts funky tropical wallpaper, a flashy red ceiling, chandeliers like dragon fruit and shelves upon shelves of potted plants. The handmade pasta—from the gnocchetti to the tortelloni—would gain any Italian grandmother’s nod of approval. Meanwhile, the seared octopus with a citrusy tomatillo salsa verde and an herb medley of mint, basil and marjoram is a complex dish that finishes differently than it starts. For a sharable showstopper, try the vongole in crosta with Washington manila clams and ‘nduja butter baked inside a pizza dough shell. It’s cut open at your table in a cloud of steam and drenched in lemon juice. Expect meals at Che Fico to linger decadently on in typical Italian fashion with the Wagyu ribeye and roasted chicken taking an hour to prepare. 1302 El Camino Real. Open Tuesday through Saturday.

Words by Elaine Wu

At first glance, a physics degree or decades of experience in the tech world doesn’t sound like a recipe for making a successful restaurateur. Omer Artun and Koray Altinsoy, the owners of Turkish fine dining restaurant Meyhouse in Palo Alto, would disagree. It’s that love for both science and food that ushered Omer into his career as executive chef. As for Koray, his business acumen and corporate experience have made him the ideal guy to manage the day-to-day operations, overseeing a swanky dining room that invites diners to linger over sea bass and sips of Sauvignon Blanc. “There’s a clear division of responsibility and together it makes the whole thing work,” Omer explains.

A passionate home cook, Omer ran his own software company, but after hours he poured his energy into researching and experimenting in his kitchen. Then a friend suggested he try hosting a pop-up dinner. “I started doing them every two months and they became very popular and sold out within minutes,” the chef recalls. “That was my first foray into people actually paying for my food.”

In 2018, after 10 sold-out dinners, each one serving 18 themed courses to 150 guests, he partnered with his friend Koray to start a small restaurant. “I came from a tech background, but I love food as well,” declares Koray, who had helped his wife’s uncle open a restaurant in San Francisco. “Omer and I decided to start with a small space in Sunnyvale. It became super successful and within a few months we were profitable.”

When they opened their second Meyhouse location in August of 2023, however, they decided to dream big. The Palo Alto location is more stylish, sophisticated and contemporary than its Sunnyvale sister, while maintaining what Meyhouse is best known for: a warm, communal vibe. The Palo Alto restaurant includes an intimate back room for live jazz performances on Thursday nights and weekends.

With dishes ranging from gilt-head sea bream and salt-cured Atlantic bonito to grass-fed lamb and Turkish tartare made with tenderloin, Meyhouse’s interior mirrors its surf-and-turf menu. The restaurant pairs leafy plants, earthy wood accents and dark green upholstery with a display of fresh fish by the entrance that’s echoed in the striking artwork above the bar. Omer, a gifted ceramist, created the plates and bowls to evoke the ocean’s floor (he also made the dozens of pendant light shades and the dramatic tiles on the host stand).

The restaurant’s concept comes from the word “meyhane” which means “wine house” in their native Turkey. It’s a place where friends linger over small shareable plates of food and glasses of wine while enjoying good music and great conversation. It’s a concept that differs from the Turkish kabob houses more commonly found in the U.S. “The food, the decor, the music, the vibe, everything is part of the total experience,” asserts Koray.

Though this is a fine dining establishment, the last thing Omer and Koray want to serve is pretentious dishes. “We serve bold, clean flavors. This is ‘real’ food, meaning you can dip your bread into your dish, take big bites and really enjoy it,” Omer says proudly. “I wanted to do the best version of traditional dishes using the best ingredients and execution techniques possible. A lot of the dishes we serve here you can find in Turkey.”

Popular menu items include the steamed Turkmen dumplings, grilled octopus, olive oil-braised artichoke bottoms with poached shrimp, and kopoglu (a layered appetizer of eggplant, yogurt, peppers and garlicky tomato sauce). “All of the items on our menu have been carefully selected to represent different cooking styles and cuisines from different parts of Turkey,” Koray explains. “Everything is unique.”

It’s said that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. For Omer and Koray, that certainly seems true. “In the restaurant business, you get real results immediately: when you see the reactions on the faces of our customers while they’re tasting our food,” Koray says. “Omer and I love that. If you don’t, it’s hard to be successful.”

Settle In – meyhouserestaurant.com

Words by Johanna Harlow

Everyone loves a cooking grandmother, keeper of the family recipes, master of her craft. With no need for cookbooks, she learned from countless hours leaning over stovetops, dispensing judicious pinches of this and splashes of that. If you aren’t lucky enough to have one of your own to learn from, don’t despair. Nearby, you’ll find grandmas willing to ladle out lessons to a new generation of home cooks.

Which is what brings me to a hilly neighborhood in San Carlos. I’m on a quest for kimchi. But I won’t be learning this well-known Korean dish of tangy fermented cabbage in a typical cooking class. For a start, it’s the first one I’ve taken in my socks. And I’m not slicing veggies on a stainless-steel countertop in a commercial kitchen, but on a sturdy wooden table in a room with family photos and funky abstract art. Not under the direction of a polished culinary school graduate, but a venerable Korean grandmother who effortlessly eyeballs rather than measures her ingredients.

Grandma Moon Soon Choi stands at the head of the table and instructs me and five other students in Korean while her daughter Kelly Choi translates. We dutifully chop scallions on our bamboo cutting boards. Close by, there’s a tub piled high with pickled Napa cabbage heads, an amber bottle of fish sauce, freshly ground garlic and ginger, large Korean radishes, a jar of salted shrimp and a bright bowl of chili flakes (sun-dried by our instructor out on her deck).

Moon Soon is one of the Grandmas from Around the World, a cooking series hosted by The Moonlight Collective. The San Carlos organization offers “authentic and intimate experiences guided by locals right around the corner” with Kelly serving as one of its co-founders.

Kelly met Moonlight Collective co-owner Maggie Wang through a Facebook group for San Carlos moms back in December. Maggie posted about her interest in creating a platform to unlock intimate, hidden experiences in private spaces—and Kelly, who’d started a similar concept in Taiwan, sensed a kindred spirit. “So we met over coffee and we were getting goosebumps because we have the same vision, the same idea of what we wanted to achieve!” Kelly recalls. Two meetups later, the pair had become business partners.

Their cooking classes range from pasta-making with an Italian chef to rolling out cookie dough with a French-trained pastry chef. Other events include flower arranging, candle making and wine tasting. “We want to unlock the local talent,” explains Kelly, adding that they refer to their teachers as “guides” and participants as “explorers.”

The aim of a Moonlight Collective class goes beyond teaching a new recipe or skill. “It’s not: go in, do X, Y, Z, and then you leave,” emphasizes Kelly. “It’s more around creating intimacy… How do we create moments of connectivity where you meet with your neighbors?”

And there’s certainly an air of camaraderie as the other students and I pull on gloves to mash the kimchi mixture, then rub the bright red paste into cabbage leaves. It’s messy and therapeutic, like only squishing something between your fingers can be. As we finish, Moon Soon whips up a few dishes on the stove, juggling three burners like it’s child play, while Kelly brews some tea. We all sit down to feast family-style, lingering over kimchi jeon pancakes, cups of tea and good conversation.

Kitchen Cozy – themoonlightcollective.com

Mix it up – more cooking classes

Sur La Table
For culinary creations that are simply the chef’s kiss, Sur La Table won’t let you down. Tucked into Palo Alto’s Town & Country Village, this cookware and cutlery shop offers lessons in classic French cooking as well as cuisines from around the world. Imagine yourself at a Parisian bistro while you simmer coq au vin in chicken stock and chardonnay, then whip up buttery pommes puree with chives. Or envision coastal Spain as you sauté shrimp in sherry and garlic while stirring up a hearty chorizo paella. Meanwhile, the sweets seekers among us can master lavender-sugared palmiers and chocolate-frosted eclairs. Sur La Table classes also come with discounts on everything in the store—so stock up on ramekins, pasta makers and cutting boards. surlatable.com

Taste Buds Kitchen
Looking for a place that will embolden even the most hesitant home cook? Cut your teeth at Taste Buds Kitchen in Palo Alto. In a space lined with sparkling work tables and chrome racks laden with stainless-steel mixers and stockpots, you’ll feel like a pro in no time. Tie on a lime-green apron, roll up your sleeves and try your hand at rolling sushi or assembling empanadas. Taste Buds Kitchen also offers lots of family-friendly classes to inspire even the littlest bakers and chefs. tastebudskitchen.com/palo-alto

Cozymeal
If industrial kitchens give you performance anxiety, get comfy with Cozymeal, a platform that partners with local chefs in cities across the U.S. Vetted chefs often host classes in their home kitchens, giving some intriguing insights into the cabinets and silverware drawers of the pros. Don’t tell us you’re not curious about what brands chefs stock in their own knife blocks and if they prefer cast-iron or carbon steel cookware. Since Cozymeal instructors hail from all kinds of backgrounds, you may find yourself pan-searing the perfect steak with the author of a best-selling cookbook or learning knife skills from a former Michelin-starred chef. Cozymeal can also arrange for teachers to come to you, if you prefer a night in. cozymeal.com/south-bay-peninsula

Palo Alto Adult School
If one-session classes leave you feeling like you’ve only just skimmed the surface, take a deep dive with the Palo Alto Adult School. A course might include six sessions on cooking healthy meals that don’t sacrifice flavor or a four-part series on Indian dishes tied to seasonal festivals. That being said, single sessions are also available. Return each quarter for new ways to expand your culinary repertoire. paadultschool.org

The chef-owner behind Menlo Park’s Camper and Canteen restaurants dishes about his strangest meal, celebrity encounters and the real reason he got into cooking.

What drew you to the culinary world?
I started working in restaurants when I was 14 as a means
to buy a car and fund a snowboarding hobby.

Tell us about the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten.
Ants, at Noma in Copenhagen, while 10 feet away from Jamie Lee Curtis.

When you’re not at one of your own restaurants, where do you usually go?
Our family likes to load up the car and head to Dad’s Luncheonette in Half Moon Bay for burgers from our buddy Scott Clark. The menu is small and you can (and rightfully should) be tempted to order one of everything.

Most memorable night at your restaurant?
We’ve had our fair share of interesting celebrities, but nothing will top the night Conan O’Brien traipsed through our dining room, chatting it up with guests and staff alike.

What is the dumbest way you’ve been hurt?
I threw out my back carrying a Caja China (suckling pig oven) at one of our staff holiday parties. Take note: If your age begins with a number three or higher, ask for a hand when lifting stuff.

What’s your favorite pasta shape?
Hand-rolled pasta from Liguria called trofie. My wife and I stayed in a portside town called Camogli, where we had these made by grandmothers in a rustic, seaside family restaurant.

What are people always surprised to learn about you?
I grew up snowboarding and narrowly missed pursuing a life in that industry.

Is there a dish that has a fond memory attached to it?
In the summer, we feature a sweet corn-filled agnolotti pasta that’s a bit of a retrospective to my times working at Per Se and Quince. Ours features corn from Webb Ranch in Portola Valley.

What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done?
Sold all of my belongings, packed a duffel bag and moved to Spain.

What do you collect?
Analog, mechanical things. I like watches, cameras and old Porsches—so mostly things I cannot afford! But I appreciate their craftsmanship.

Do you have a favorite food-related film?
Big Night. One of my mentors, Gianni Scappin, was the film’s culinary consultant and we had the opportunity to cook with its star, Stanley Tucci.

How do you recharge your batteries after a long day?
Walking our geriatric shelter dog Heath while listening to a podcast. (Shout-out to Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway from Pivot. Free meal on me if you are ever in town.)

Do you have a personal motto?
The journey is the reward. It’s been printed on every one of our menus at Camper since Day One.

Words by Johanna Harlow

Raise a glass to St. Pat at these charming Irish pubs.

alhambra irish house

Redwood City

There’s nothing like soda bread and stout on a fine spring day. If you’re in Redwood City, find your way to Alhambra Irish House, an earthy establishment with exposed brick walls and wood plank floorboards. That old-school atmosphere alludes to a storied past: a theater and saloon once stood on this site in the 1900s, and wiley outlaw Wyatt Earp once frequented it. Nowadays, guests happily quaff Kilkenny and tuck into hearty shepherd’s pies with ground beef and veggies, served in a rich gravy and topped with a creamy mash. Whether you’re fancying a cocktail or a cold one, this pub comes through. For a mixed drink in keeping with the spirit of the holiday, try the Dubliner (Teeling Irish whiskey mixed with Grand Marnier, Punt e Mes vermouth and orange bitters). Return for live music and line dancing lessons. 831 Main Street. Open Wednesday through Monday.

molly o’s

San Carlos

For a grand time over a glass of Guinness, pay Molly O’s a visit. In addition to a spacious layout and upstairs seating, this San Carlos gastropub goes modern with contemporary chandeliers and intricate green tilework behind the bar. The envelope-pushing menu dishes up Cal-Mex Irish fusion (think burgers with Irish bacon and quesadillas with corned beef) alongside more traditional fare. Try the sturdy Irish stew loaded with Guinness-infused beef, veggies and potatoes alongside potato skins and a tumbler of Jameson. Sláinte! 1163 San Carlos Avenue. Open daily.

fiddler’s green

Millbrae

Top of the mornin’ to ya! Fiddler’s Green greets the day with traditional Irish breakfast foods like black and white pudding, baked beans, bangers, grilled tomatoes and potato bread. If you’re there for a drink, choose from plenty of pale ales, IPAs and pilsners—or warm up with a splash of whiskey in your Irish coffee. Stained glass windows, parchment-colored walls and a wooden sign hanging out front add old-timey charm, so top up your glass and settle in for a spell. 333 El Camino Real. Open daily.

Words by Johanna Harlow

Step into bustling Barbayani Greek Taverna in Los Altos and find yourself transported. The blue shutters and faux balconies brimming with bougainvillea recreate the seaside homes of Santorini—while wicker chairs and woven pendant lights enhance the Mediterranean atmosphere. A bust of Poseidon, god of the sea, watches over guests dining on linguine with lobster cooked in ouzo. Outside, on a patio etched in string lights, an occasional burst of flames appears as orders of saganaki with kefalograviera cheese are pan-fried at tables.

At the heart of this getaway from the everyday you’ll find Allen Isik. The taverna’s executive chef/co-owner (and interior designer) circulates the dining room alongside his servers. “I make sure everything is okay in the kitchen, then I’m jumping on the floor and going to every single table, asking about their experience,” Allen says. “That way, I’m seeing who is finishing their plate.” If someone’s food is barely touched, “I can change it right away… I have to make sure everybody leaves this place happy!” This commitment to hands-on hospitality embodies the spirit of this establishment’s namesake: Barba Yani (Uncle John, in English), whom the restaurant’s website describes as a “black-bearded innkeeper with a smiling face. From hearth to bedding, he tended to every need.”

To breathe life into this concept, Allen teamed up with co-owner Dino Tekdemir. The partners in hospitality oversee a dining trifecta that includes Anatolian Kitchen in Palo Alto as well as Naschmarkt, with locations in Palo Alto and Campbell. “Three years, three restaurants,” Allen says with a sense of wonder.

Barbayani, the newest addition to the family, is a throwback. As it happens, Allen’s parents inherited a Greek taverna from his grandfather in Istanbul. Growing up around the kitchen—a world of sizzling stovetops and spinning dinner plates—taught Allen many lessons. He recalls one piece of advice passed down by his dad: “If you don’t throw away your food from yesterday, then you’re going to throw away your guests,” Allen recites.

“Everything needs to be fresh!” Quality ingredients are also key to the restaurant today. “Our oregano and all the spices come from Greece,” he notes, their octopus pulled from the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
Many of Barbayani’s wines—including the smooth and acidic Gavalas Santorini and Meden Agan (reminiscent of pinot noir, but richer)—came from lush vineyards cultivated in the cradle of Western civilization. “We made a couple deals with the wineries,” Allen notes. “I was in Greece just a month ago.” Those who’d prefer cocktails with a Greek twist should order the Mykanos Lemontini or Apollo Cooler, both spiked with anise-flavored ouzo.

Those seeking distinctive dishes will welcome the octopus on a bed of baby arugula with roasted bell peppers, drizzled in red wine vinaigrette. Or the wild-caught fumée salmon marinated in Greek-style beet and pesto sauces.
A true standout is the lavraki, a whole sea bass. The initial salty lemony zing of the crispy skin gives way to the subtle flavor of fresh fish—appreciated all the more as diners take their time flaking delicate forkfuls off
the bones.

You’ll also find the traditional taverna staples like plevrakia (lamb riblets in a garlic and lemon vinaigrette), beef souvlaki with tzatziki yogurt sauce and spanakopita (briny feta and spinach layered between crispy phyllo sheets). Not to mention classic desserts like flaky baklava and creamy galaktoboureko with semolina custard.

Traditional Greek tavernas aren’t just eateries, but places brimming with music and dancing. “We’re going to start live music every Monday,” promises Allen, who wants to bring the sounds of bouzouki to the streets of downtown. “I want to bring some life here!”

Back in the present, Allen watches diners devour his dishes. “Always, my dad would say, ‘I’m not your boss. Your guest is your boss. I’m not paying your salary. They are paying your salary.’” He gives a satisfied nod. “When I see my plates empty, it gives me happiness.”

aegean eats – barbayanitaverna.com

Words by Elaine Wu

For those in the know, Romolo’s Cannoli in San Mateo is the go-to spot for the crispy, creamy classic. Owner Joseph (Joey) Romolo Cappello’s little shop is known for its authentic Italian treats filled with everything from the classic vanilla cream topped with pistachios, nuts or cherries to seasonal flavors like limoncello, pumpkin, hazelnut and tiramisu. But what you won’t find is any industrial-sized kitchen machinery. Joey insists on making everything by hand. “When I see a cannoli that’s been made by a machine, I instantly know,” he declares. “But when I see handmade cannolis, they look like little butterflies to me. I can tell.”

Originally started in 1968 by Romolo, his now 91-year-old Sicilian grandfather, Joey took over the business 15 years ago after what he affectionately calls a good deal of guilt-tripping from his 86-year-old grandmother, Angela. “My ‘Nonna’ is a beautiful, thoughtful woman and a good listener, but she also has a magic about her,” he claims. “She says when I was a baby, she used to rub mascarpone and rum on my gums to calm me down and then do a spell on me that would draw me back to her later in life. And it worked! I’m the only one in the family who was meant to do this.”

Growing up, Joey’s destiny wasn’t always clear to him. “I was a chemical engineer, worked in the music industry, produced concerts and festivals, and dabbled in real estate. I’ve tried it all and I have no regrets,” he declares. “When you let go and realize a choice has been made for you, you make the best of it. It’s been a real blessing.”

Romolo’s started out specializing in ice cream, but in the late 1970s and ‘80s, it became mostly a wholesale business, supplying spumoni ice cream wedges to some of the most famous Italian restaurants along Fisherman’s Wharf. In the 1990s, food trends shifted and the shop’s handmade cannoli began to take off in popularity. “Those little cannoli shells are fried, hand-filled and take a lot of time to make,” he explains. “We chocolate dip the inside of the shells so they stay crunchy twice as long as an undipped shell. And we fill them when you order them so they stay fresh.”

Everything from their cannoli cream fillings to their ice creams and cakes are made in-house from scratch. Joey insists on doing things the old-fashioned way, remaining true to his grandparents’ desire to keep their Italian heritage alive. “We haven’t changed a single thing,” Joey says proudly. “These recipes are thousands of years old. They’re so simple, but the customers who come here depend on us to make things as close to what they’ve known from their own families. It has to be as good as that, if not a little better.”

These days, large catering orders keep the business going. But Joey admits that longtime customers who stop by infrequently are his favorite people to serve. “We have corporate accounts and regulars, but the true, devoted customers see us only once or twice a year for an extremely special occasion,” he says. “Every day, there’s a customer who comes from afar who’s looking to reconnect with their past through these Italian desserts. It’s very special.”

Joey says he’s proud to continue his family’s legacy of quality and authenticity at a place that’s become a local institution. “It’s a special little seed. It’s not like a formula that anyone else can follow. It only works here, in this little spot.”

Candied Citrus

Joey uses finely ground citrus peel in the creamy filling of his cannoli. Here is his grandmother’s recipe, which can be used as a garnish or to flavor whipped cream. He works purely from memory, no measurements needed.

+ Peel off the rind, excluding the white pith, of as many lemons and/or oranges as you’d like. (The more, the better.) Cut the peels into quarter-inch slivers.
+ Put the slivered citrus peels into a cold-water bath and soak for about three hours. Drain, then repeat the process twice to remove the bitterness.
+ Place the drained peels in a large saucepan and cover with granulated sugar. Simmer on low for about an hour.
+ Remove pan from heat and let cool. Drain the peels and spread them out on a flat, dry surface, such as a rack, allowing for plenty of airflow and rotating occasionally until dry (about two days).
+ Store in a jar at room temperature. The dried candied peels can be used as a garnish or finely chopped in a food processor.