This Eastern European restaurant is redefining fine dining for families
Marin Miyagi oysters topped with winter hibiscus tea granita, draniki garnished with Tsar Nicoulai caviar and macarons stuffed with goat cheese and salmon roe are just some of the inventive dishes you’ll find at lelé kitchen. But this isn’t your typical fine-dining establishment. Look toward the bottom of the menu and you’ll see a section for 12 and under; look in the corner of the restaurant and you’ll see high chairs. Forgot a diaper? You’ll find them there too.
Owner Lena Leskina is redefining what it means to eat out with young children with her newest restaurant lelé kitchen in Los Gatos. The menu is farm-to-table Californian fare meets Eastern European cuisine. A mother of three, Leskina knows it can be difficult bringing young children to higher-end spots. So she created her own restaurant to cultivate a family-friendly spot for fine dining. I sat down with Leskina and learned more about lelé kitchen, the subject of this week’s feature story.
The Foodist newsletter will be taking a two-week break in observance of Christmas and New Year’s Day (which both fall on a Wednesday!). But that doesn’t mean the food news stops – keep an eye on the website for more food stories!
Correction: In last week’s Edible Intel, an incorrect link was attached to a sentence regarding the Oaxacan Kitchen food truck.
Stay tasty,
Adrienne
A new Eastern European restaurant in Los Gatos is redefining fine dining for families
Fine dining typically isn’t a place for young children. But at lelé kitchen, you’ll find high chairs for babies and toddlers, diapers and wet wipes in the bathroom and even an elevated kids’ menu – amenities not often paired with Marin Miyagi oysters and Tsar Nicoulai caviar.
Croissanté is coming to Palo Alto, a longtime sushi spot is shuttering and a trendy brunch spot is on the move
- French bakery Croissanté will open its third location in Palo Alto’s former Nut House space.
- Sushi Sam’s Edomata in San Mateo will close on Dec. 28 and plans to reopen as Sushi Edomata in a new location.
- Son and Garden in Palo Alto permanently closed on Dec. 15, but it plans to reopen its Menlo Park location, which temporarily closed on Jan. 21.
- Want a Christmas box stuffed with Jina Bakes’ famous kalbijjim and injeolmi croissants but don’t want to drive to San Francisco to pick it up? The Japantown bakery is partnering with Bloom Bagels in Campbell and Daeho in San Mateo as pickup locations.
- Alhambra Irish House is hosting a European Christmas Party on Saturday with a buffet (including a carving station and Irish whisky- and honey-glazed bacon loin!), live music and dancing.
- Shang Yu Lin, a boba and cake spot, held its grand opening Nov. 14 in Cupertino.
- Looking to add more flavor to the holidays? Try a Santana Row Santa Crawl, suggests Embarcadero Media blogger Laura Stec.
Latte flight at 1 Oz Coffee
1 Oz Coffee has been my go-to coffee spot for years. With a welcoming atmosphere, a seasonal drink selection and delicious pastries from Neighbor Bakehouse (I’m looking at you, ube twice-baked croissant), the Mountain View location has been my choice for grab-and-go coffee on my way to the Caltrain, catching up with friends or working remotely.
My favorite beverage from 1 Oz is its honey lavender latte, which unfortunately is only available during the spring. In its absence, I decided to try the shop’s latte flight, which is a selection of four mini beverages: a classic latte, vanilla bean latte, matcha latte and ube latte, all served on an aesthetic wooden board.
The classic latte was smooth and rich, the vanilla bean latte sweet and comforting, the matcha earthy and luscious and the ube fragrant with a hint of coconut. All four drinks can be ordered separate from the flight in standard 12-ounce cups.
Created by Siberian immigrant and mother of three Yulia Kolchanova in 2012, the chain now has four locations, with three in the Bay Area.
1 Oz Coffee, 650 Castro St. #130, Mountain View; 650-254-8555, Instagram: @1oz_coffee. Open Monday to Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. 3051 Tasman Drive, Santa Clara; open Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 549 Benton St., Santa Clara; open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A new home for plant-based dining takes root in Burlingame
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