Did Palo Alto really need another Peninsula Fountain?
Yes, according to Rob Fischer, sole proprietor for the past 12 years.
"We were over capacity in our downtown location. We stopped seeing regulars. They would tell us the lines are too long," Fischer said.
With easy parking out front (especially once mall construction ends) and a large and lovely patio, featuring a fireplace that will be put to work soon, the Stanford location offers many advantages over the original. There's also room for large parties in the back, with long grape and teal leather banquettes. Bright skylights illuminate the room on sunny days.
"Best of all, there's no line," Fischer said. (At least for now.)
Fischer captured the feel of the 1923 place with pressed tin ceiling tiles, ceiling fans, colorful floor tiles and of course, fountain seats and the essential jukebox. There's penny candy for sale at the cash register, and huge pies, cakes and cookies in a glass case.
While the Peninsula Fountain looks like a diner transported from another era, this is no greasy spoon. Niman Ranch supplies all the meat -- freshly ground beef, pork, hotdogs and turkey. All bread -- including hamburger buns -- as well as pastries, cakes and pies are made in-house daily. Milkshakes, with real ingredients (no powders here), are made by "genuine soda jerks," (short for soda jerker, so-called for pulling, or "jerking" soda levers to draw a glass of soda).
If you order nothing else here, milkshakes ($4.50) are a must. These thick, homemade ice-cream-based drinks could easily convert me to a liquid diet. With 12 flavors, I'd never get bored (there are about 18 flavors downtown; freezer space at Stanford is smaller). While we're big fans of chocolate, mocha chip and Oreo cookie, peppermint was a delight -- a baby-pink, creamy concoction. You get a glass, plus a generous amount in an ice-cold silvery cup to keep it from melting. I just wish coconut ice cream, from the Emerson Street location, was available here.
You can also get an old-timey, East Coast delight called an egg cream ($3.25). But there's no egg in it, just layers of chocolate syrup, malt and vanilla ice cream. When fizzy soda water was added, the ice cream scoop floated to the top, looking like an egg.
Burgers go hand-in-hand with shakes. While there's a host of fancy toppings, we favored the plain burger ($5.75) and regular cheeseburger ($6.50) best. Patties were grilled to order and placed on toasted buns with grilled, caramelized onions. They weren't too thick, but were bigger than your hand and tasty, tasty, tasty.
Some sandwiches didn't quite measure up -- grilled cheese was a bit too thin and plain, so you've got to pair it with French fries. Usually a perfect cross between crisp and soft, fries were, on separate occasions, greasy or soggy. No complaints however about onion rings ($4.75), a massive pile of wide, lightly battered slices.
Potato salad ($1.75), with soft spuds, crunchy onion and an eggy, mustard-mayonnaise base, was a better partner for a classic BLT ($6.75). In the peak of tomato season, dull, lackluster red slices added a slightly off flavor.
Heartier comfort food is on the menu at dinner, which begins nightly at 5 p.m. The roast turkey dinner ($10.25) featured a nice pile of white meat; sage-tinged but soggy dressing; tart, whole-berry cranberry sauce; and creamy mashed potatoes.
We were disappointed by a cup of corn chowder ($1 extra with entrČe) which was thin, watery and void of fresh corn flavor. Our expectations for baked macaroni and cheese ($8.95) were also too high, for the very small portion of noodles in a thin cheese sauce was the least exciting item we encountered here. All dinners come with a big, fat and yeasty dinner roll, about 10 times the size of the store-bought kind. They'd be even better served hot.
For dessert, a gigantic brownie sundae ($4.75) took center stage. A thick, fudgey chocolate-walnut brownie and a fist-sized scoop of milky-smooth vanilla ice cream were adorned with real whipped cream and maraschino cherries.
Breakfasts, popular downtown, are gaining momentum here since making their debut in August. Need a quiet weekday morning meeting place? Head here. You'll find the usual suspects, only better. Pancakes ($5.75), big as a platter, came three to a stack, topped with strawberries, or naked.
These thick and dense buttermilk cakes soaked up sugary, pure Vermont maple syrup like a sponge. So did buttery-rich brioche French toast ($5.95). Contrast that with Caribbean French toast ($7.95), served with a tropical, tart and yummy fruit compote. Homemade buttermilk coffeecake ($1.95) looked like a muffin, but was crumbly on top like this breakfast comfort food should be. Served warm, the cinnamon-laced pastry released its enticing scent.
Service needs to get a little snappier on the uptake. Often we sat for at least five minutes or longer before being noticed by the wait staff. From then on, it was smooth sailing. Polite, friendly servers knew ingredients in all dishes, took back a too-rare burger with no questions, filled water and promptly brought the check. We only wish the menu had better descriptions of dishes so we wouldn't have to ask servers so many questions.
We applaud Peninsula Fountain for its sense of humor. The menu, which purports to be the same since 1923, is a good read. The bubbly burger ($150.75) comes with a bottle of Dom Perignon. Fischer said they get several orders a week, and servers get very excited when a table orders one. The PF&G watch ($75), called "cool" on the menu, is retro in style, and glows in the dark.
You won't find a separate children's menu here, but with food like this, it's not needed. Peninsula Fountain is both child and adult friendly -- it's OK to be loud, and parents can still have a night out, and enjoy a glass of wine ($7.50 for a glass of Pezzi King Chardonnay or Merlot) or beer
Above all, Stanford's new Fountain is not only a refuge from shopping, it's also a shelter from the post-Sept. 11 world. But Fischer and his restaurants are mindful of the terrorist attacks. He took part in the Windows of Hope fund-raiser Thursday night, donating 10 percent of dinner receipts at both Peninsula Fountain locations to aid families of World Trade Center victims who worked in the foodservice profession.
And any day now, N.Y.F.D. T-shirts will be available for sale, in an effort to help the Palo Alto Fire Department raise money for the New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund. Fischer gets choked up just thinking about what the shirts ($20) have printed on them: "All gave some, some gave all." This generous spirit indeed prevails at the Peninsula Fountain & Grill, where happy days will one day be here again.
Peninsula Fountain & Grill, #2A, Stanford Shopping Center, 180 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, (650) 327-3141
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun. 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
Atmosphere: Happy days are here again -- or at least your toes will be tapping to the jukebox tunes and the 1950s-era interior will transport you back to a more innocent age. Casual and comfortable or super-chic are acceptable dress codes. Families feel especially at home, but so do big groups or small, intimate gatherings. The patio at the Stanford location offers a refuge from shopping. No lines here (at least not yet).
Highlights: Milkshakes galore. Keep those soda jerks busy with orders for thick, frothy treats, in far-out flavors such as mango, peppermint and mocha chip. Sometimes the simple things in life are the best, such as the plain hamburger and cheeseburger, with big, thin Niman Ranch beef patties, served on homemade toasted buns. Thick-cut onion rings, lightly battered and crunchy, win favor over fries. Comfort food reigns supreme at dinner, including a roast turkey dinner complete with creamy mashed potatoes and tart cranberry sauce. Breakfast is a winner too, with bigger-than-a-plate buttermilk pancakes and thick brioche French toast.
Reservations: For large parties Credit cards: Yes Parking: Yes Beer & wine: Yes Noise level: Medium to high Wheelchair access: Yes Takeout: Yes Highchairs: Yes Catering: Yes Outdoor seating: Yes
Have a tasty tidbit or comment? Contact Food Editor Mary Orlin at (650) 326-8210, ext. 312 or email morlin@paweekly.com.
