|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Back in the good old days visiting Mom during Michigan summers, we’d often disagree about where to eat. I preferred outside on her beautiful deck facing Fonda Lake, while Mom chose inside. “Less work – why move everything out and back in?”
Summer is short no matter where you eat, but maybe it can feel a little longer, or at least a little more LIVE if we choose outside. Lucky us, the Peninsula has many Meals with a View – old classics and new ones you probably haven’t head of yet.
Let someone else carry it all back inside….
Palo Alto
Newly opened this June, Palo Alto can now enjoy this San Francisco cocktail superstar. Wonderful to see a woman in charge of the kitchen. Executive Chef Johanna Frégoso Ruiz, serves up New American cuisine with some of her personal favorites including umami-packed Korean Crispy Wings ($20) and tasty Duck Fat French fries ($11). For the plant-based among us, check out Mango Lime “Ceviche” ($14) made with plant-based tuna that tastes amazingly real, or Miso Linguini ($26) with dashi, spinach and wild mushroom. Interesting menu.
Especially known for their artisan cocktail program, Horsefeather pushes the limit of what to expect from a beverage. The bar looks like an artists palette of pretty glass bottles and colorful home made tinctures. In Daywalker, ($18) they mix tequila with mango, chipotle, cinnamon overproof (?) and tepache foam, a fermentation byproduct when making tepache, a Mexican pineapple drink. Delicious! The zero-proof drinks are equally complex with deep flavor; try Dr. Feel Good ($16), a blend of Lucano and peach bitters, Floral Aperitif, Pathfinder Amaro, and orange oil smoked.
Word up is the outside seating area will open in the next few weeks.
855 El Camino Real, Suite 151 (inside Town and Country)
Tuesday – Friday 11 AM – 9/10PM
Sat/Sun 4 PM – 10 PM Closed Monday
A Food Party! favorite – this entirely plant-based restaurant and bar offers a fresh look at seasonal California cuisine. The menu features classics re-imagined, like Spaghetti and (jackfruit) Meatballs ($21) or the Wildseed Burger, homemade with mushroom, spinach and tomato chutney. These folks are serious about plant power. Owner Adriano Paganini believes in fighting “climate change with forks,” and creating menus that “make a difference in the lives of our local farmers and the community.” Check out their website to learn more about this approach to food, and specialty events highlighting seasonal foods and partner farms. This is a creative space that likes to party with plants! Enjoy lunch or dinner on their Town and County patio restaurant.
855 El Camino Real Building 4, Palo Alto
Monday – Thursday 11:30 AM – 9/10 PM (varies check website).
Saturday 11 AM – 10 PM. Sunday 11 AM – 9 PM
Sushi rules at Stanford Shopping Center. Located next to Pacific Catch – i.e. the old California Pizza Kitchen, grab a seat on the well‑shaded outdoor patio, or better yet plan your next friend birthday party here (more on this later). Not a big eater of fish-in-the-raw, I’ll let others comment on Sushi Roku’s quality – like my dinner guest thoroughly enjoyed it. I went for vegetables, with good options for those of plant preference. Look for Cauliflower, red date, pine nut ($15) and Hanabi – crispy rice balls with choice of topping; avocado, yellow tail, tuna or wagyu ($13 – $24). Any Roku roll can be made vegetarian – so request away! Wish the menu offered more plant protein options. But back to that birthday party…dessert was wild! If I could post the video I would – so you must see for yourself. Treat a birthday buddy to Carnival Cake ($14) – a big ol’ ball of pink cotton candy with surprises revealed when set on fire! There was a birthday when we visited, and the staff came out with the cake plus sparklers – so festive and fun. Flaming cotton candy? What will they think of next?
Mountain View
Enjoy this modern-day saloon lined with dark wooden booths, a comfortable bar, and sunny patio during happy hour. Creative drink options include artisan brews, an impressive whiskey selection and their signature Farmers Market Cocktail made with seasonal ingredients. Steal the Glass on Wednesdays – enjoy featured brewery and snag the glass for home. Good selection of soups, burgers and salads, with specialties like Fried Pickles and the popular Mac and Cheese Balls ($12.5). There are 25 Eureka’s around the states and a Loyalty Program for frequent feasters. We chose that table in the sun and started with Lettuce Wraps ($17), available in chicken or tofu – chunky and filling with a mix of cashews, Fresno chilies and zing. Protein Bowl ($15.25) came next – which gets Best Bowl from The Food Party! Twenty-one grams of veggie protein grace this staff favorite. What makes it so special is that it is served warm drizzled in a pesto sauce (which might have been stronger in zing by the by). Bowls are often served cold – but why? Warm bowls make for a better dinner.
Southwest Salad ($13) caught my guest’s eye, but not a fan of peppers, sje asked if the kitchen could leave them off. Our server’s reply was most appreciated: “Most of our dishes are made from scratch so we can build your meal however you like.”
191 Castro St, Mountain View
11 AM – 12 AM daily. “Hoppy Hour” Mon – Fri 3 PM – 6 PM
Tucked into a sunny corner of Mountain View, Johnny and Sanny’s is where retro diner charm shakes hands with modern California cool. The air lingers with the scent of Grandma’ Meatballs ($15) and an amazing Olives and Ricotta – whipped cheese topped with fried capers and honey ($16). Part of the Doppio Zero group, the restaurant pays tribute to a golden era of Italian-American restaurants – think bow tie waiters, twirling Pasta Carbonara around your fork, big plates of Eggplant Parmesan, and mom’s Ravioli. Now that’s amore! Please leave room for the homemade Tiramisu, even though it needed a touch more Marsala, rum, or whatever was used in the making. Extensive cocktail and mocktail list and a good selection of Italian wines. Eat inside or outside, enjoying the hustle of walkable Castro Street – closed to traffic since covid.
110 Castro St, Mountain View
Happy Hour 4:30 – 6 PM
Lunch and Dinner – 11:30 – 2:30 / 4:30 – 10 PM (varies/check website)
Portola Valley
A working vineyard in the middle of Portola Valley? What a gem. Grapes have grown for decades on Spring Ridge (adjacent Windy Hill), producing an 80’s vintner’s legend – Varner Chardonnay. When the land changed hands in 1995, new owners Holly Myers and Kirk Neely continued that vine legacy with Neely Wine, now managed by their daughter Lucy Neely. The Neely’s have added a winery, tasting barn and blocks of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. They are one of only two Santa Cruz wineries who grow the uniquely alluring white grape Gruner Veltliner. All grapes used in production are grown on the property. It’s a family affair of good spirit and beauty; the Tasting Barn patio is a perfect spot to enjoy a summer afternoon, or even a blustery one with comfortable couches, heaters, soft blankets, and oh…what a view.
Winemaker Sarah Green recently released a fun addition to the library of wines – Leona Rouge – chardonnay touched with Pinot Noir. Call it a white wine made like a red, or a red wine made like a white – kind of Rose’, but not. The winery describes Leona as “a delicious, summery enigma, bursting with strawberry and grapefruit rind, with a trace of something like amaro.”
Learn more about the winery, the natural history of the area, and realities of farming in the Bay every Saturday on a Vineyard and Winery Tour ($40). This gorgeous walk heads out from the Tasting Barn through the rolling vineyards and oak forest, climbing to more great views from the winery and production facility, 200 feet above. Lucy led our group with stories and surprising finds. Did you know vineyards house nests for baby birds? This land is rich with history and value to humans and the wildlife that live among the vines. After the hike, book an Estate Tasting with Small Bites and enjoy the taste of Portola Valley in a glass. ($35)
Winery is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday. Call for reservation or reserve online.
575 Portola Rd, Portola Valley
Tuesday – Saturday 11 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday Farm Tour: 10:30 AM – 12 PM
