Cibo shakes it up Cibo shakes it up (August 12, 2005)

Creekside Inn restaurant produces creative twists on classic dishes, with mixed results

By Mandy Erickson

Cibo is a restaurant that refuses to settle into a niche. It describes itself on its Web site as "serving a fusion of California and Mediterranean cuisine," but Philadelphia, New York and Louisiana all make an appearance on the menu.

And while chef/owner Anna Jamie frequently follows the classic recipe of a well-known dish, she also takes liberties to produce new twists on old favorites. Sometimes they deliver; other times they don't.

Cibo (pronounced SEE-bow; the name is a Latin word for "food") is housed in the Creekside Inn on El Camino Real and has a bit of a hotel restaurant ambience. A maroon-and-yellow color scheme and booths lend a cozy feel; bistro scene prints on the walls create a travel mood. It all makes Cibo a fine oasis for weary travelers, whether they're staying at the inn or roaming El Camino during a lunch break.

The best dish I had at Cibo was the earth and surf ($7.80) -- fried calamari, red and green bell peppers and lemon slices. Fried squid is nearly always made with a simple white flour batter, but Jamie uses cornmeal, which creates a hearty, crunchy coating. The batter, which stuck to the squid and veggies, remained crisp throughout the meal.

A spicy aioli dipping sauce, rendered pink with tomato puree, accompanied the squid and peppers. The portion was impressive: Though we ordered earth and surf from the appetizer menu, it would have made an adequate lunch for even a hungry diner.

The cornmeal-battered calamari is another example of a creative interpretation that succeeded. One of those that didn't work so well was the tortilla chicken soup ($3.45), usually a simple broth with chicken and strips of freshly fried tortillas flavored with lime. Though the tortilla strips were pleasantly crisp, Jamie's addition of onions and carrots rendered the soup cloyingly sweet.

A classic veal piccata ($16.20), was well executed, however. The veal was darker than milk-fed veal, meaning the calf was older when slaughtered and partly weaned, resulting in a meat that's a cross between veal and beef.

Cibo's piccata was quite tender, with a well-balanced lemon-butter-caper sauce. The accompanying rice was buttery, and the steamed vegetables -- zucchini, broccoli, carrots -- were done just right.

The crab louie ($13.45) veered a bit off the beaten track with its addition of steamed broccoli and romaine instead of iceberg but otherwise stuck to the standard recipe. With its fresh and crisp vegetables and well-balanced louie dressing, it could have been a great rendition, save for the generous topping of Dungeness crab, which was a few days past its prime.

Another classic is the bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado sandwich, but Cibo's California BLT ($7.45) was a tad disappointing. Too much bland avocado obscured its fellow ingredients, which was a shame because the BLT is really all about the bacon. But a Cibo burger ($8.75) -- a tower of a sandwich with avocado, provolone, bacon, lettuce, tomato, a thick slice of red onion and mayo -- had everything going for it: juiciness, taste, texture and size.

Sandwiches and burgers come with French fries or coleslaw. I usually choose a salad over grease and starch, but this time I was glad I went for the fries. My friend's coleslaw featured droopy slices of cabbage and carrot in an overly sweet dressing.

Cibo offers a selection of classic desserts -- cheesecake, ice cream, apple pie -- though these, too, had their quirks. The apple pie a la mode ($5.25) contained too much cinnamon, which overpowered the pie. The dish also came topped with strawberries, an odd and ultimately unsuccessful companion to apples and cinnamon.

The fruit crepe ($4.95) would have been perfectly respectable, but the crisp melons inside just didn't jive with the supple pancake. Strawberries or another berry, while admittedly less adventurous, would have been a better texture.

Being a hotel restaurant, Cibo serves breakfast, and these dishes stick to the traditional recipes. After all, few people like surprises in the morning. My Florentine Benedict ($8.85) was well executed, but lacked personality. Without the Canadian bacon's strong flavor, it needed more kick.

A small bowl of fruit with the Benedict was a nice touch, but the fruit was lackluster and the banana slices were bruised. The requisite home fries lacked a crisp, well-done browning and were slightly undercooked.

The kids' meal of scrambled eggs ($3.50) with potatoes and toast, however, received a thumbs up from my young dining companion. The eggs were soft and buttery and came with real, toothsome whole-wheat toast -- not squishy white toast dyed brown.

On all three of my visits to Cibo, the hostess seated my guests and me in booths adjacent to those of other diners. Clearly it's easier on the servers when everyone is close, but I would have preferred some privacy, especially when plenty of other tables were available. In a similar vein, the service was always competent, though not terribly friendly.

I visited Cibo for dinner after a long day and was happy to park myself in a comfortable booth overlooking a lush planter box of ferns and impatiens. The restaurant is an ideal place to unwind; I just wish the food weren't so hit-or-miss.

Cibo 3400 El Camino Real, Palo Alto; (650) 493-2411 Hours: Breakfast and lunch: 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Dinner: every day from 5 to 9:30 p.m.

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