It’s easy to understand why the Little Store restaurant has such loyal patrons. It’s cozy, informal and a great place to relax with a plate of comfort food or a fountain drink, possibly at a table next to a Woodside neighbor, council member or wine maker.
Not that out-of-towners aren’t welcome. But judging by the scene during two recent visits to the small landmark eatery, the Little Store in Woodside is somewhat of a community hub, complete with an outdoor bulletin board crammed with fliers for local events and services, and patrons lingering at the front-porch picnic tables.
When the restaurant closed in January after more than four years of operation by Dick and Lynn Eastley, Little Store loyalists were a morose lot. But in late March, Dominique Devillez, former owner of Le Pot au Feu in Menlo Park, reopened the doors.
Galdino Bravo, Little Store chef for the Eastleys, remains in the kitchen, with Devillez stepping in for relief on occasion.
The menu at the Little Store is small, with an emphasis on sandwiches and salads. It’s the same for lunch and dinner, with specials changing regularly, Devillez says.
There’s a rotation of about 10 specials, including barbecue ribs, roasted half-chicken and a carnitas platter, he says.
On a recent evening, a friend and I sat out on the porch in perfect weather, looking out as the last light faded on the gently swaying treetops across Woodside Road. It’s a great way to unwind after a crazy workday.
We started with warm Napa cabbage salads from the appetizer menu ($5.95), which proved to be a good choice. It’s the “mini” version of the entree salad by the same name, and consists of lightly sauteed cabbage with bacon bits, mushrooms, blue cheese, pine nuts and a silky house-made vinaigrette.
I ordered the blackened catfish, on the regular menu for $13.95. It’s marinated in a well-balanced Cajun seasoning and pan-seared before baking. The menu says “baked to perfection,” and it was. Crisped on the outside and succulent inside, it was delicious.
It comes with soup or salad; I chose the black bean and sausage soup, which came with a spoonful of tasty tomato and cilantro salsa and a dab of sour cream.
My friend ordered the New York steak, also on the menu at $14.95. He ordered it rare, and rare it was — and very good.
Both meals came with a heap of French fries, which were light, clean and addictively tasty. Both plates also came with a scoop of sauteed mushrooms and spinach; it was an under-seasoned and uninteresting mix.
Devillez notes that the Little Store doesn’t emphasize desserts ($4.25), but those with a sweet tooth should consider the offerings, which include peach Melba, chocolate cake, mud pie and ice cream. We needed to satisfy serious chocolate cravings, so went for the cake and mud pie, and had no complaints.
The Little Store’s liquor license arrived only recently, and Devillez says he’s working on expanding the wine list. We were happy to see two Woodside Vineyards wines on the still-too-short list, and enjoyed a 2004 Kings Mountain cabernet ($30) with our meal.
A range of beers, soft drinks and fountain drinks is also available.
Another friend and I took advantage of the warm afternoon weather recently to have lunch out on the porch. There was a healthy crowd — Devillez says business has been very good — but unfortunately only one person was waiting on tables, as far as we could determine.
My friend, a Greek salad aficionado, was disappointed with the entree-sized Greek salad ($8.50), a bowl of greens that included only a trace of feta, a miserly number of olives, and no tomatoes. We couldn’t remember if the menu indicated that tomatoes would be included, wondering if perhaps the chef forgot them. But we didn’t get a chance to ask, because our waitress never checked on us after serving our food.
We took a look at the menu on the way out: Yes, there should have been tomatoes.
My BBQ pulled pork sandwich ($8.95) — slow-roasted shredded pork with barbecue sauce on a perfectly toasted bun — was outstanding. The accompanying fresh green salad was dressed in a delicious balsamic vinaigrette.
Chef Bravo and Devillez have kept many of the popular Mexican-style items on the menu, including the “Killer Nachos,” burritos and quesadillas, and two specialty salads.
The taco salad with chicken or carnitas ($10.95) is served in a flour tortilla bowl, and in addition to lettuce and tomatoes includes refried beans, cheddar cheese, salsa and guacamole. The “ensalada fresca” with chicken ($11.50) includes a char-grilled, boneless, skinless chicken breast on greens, with guacamole and salsa, red onion, and jack and cheddar cheeses.
Other salads on the menu include Cobb, spinach and Caesar.
Sandwiches are served with fries, potato salad or green salad. They include focaccia with prosciutto, mozzarella and peppers ($9.95); roast beef with horseradish sauce ($8.50); Croque Monsieur or Madam ($8.50 and $9.50, respectively); Reuben ($8.75); tuna melt ($7.95); BLT ($8.25); and Southwestern chicken ($9.50).
Hamburgers with various fixings range from $7.95 to $9.95, and a jumbo hot dog is $6.95. A “garden burger” is $7.95.
Devillez plans to bring back the popular “Banjo Night,” beginning July 9. A trio of banjo players will entertain every Monday night, he says.
The Little Store isn’t the kind of place to head to if you want an elegant, sophisticated dining experience with a server at your beck and call. It’s for people seeking out the comfort of a homey kitchen serving satisfying food at reasonable prices.
The Little Store
3340 Woodside Road, Woodside
(650) 851-8110
Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.
Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
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