When a place calls itself a “tavern,” I picture a casual, OK-looking pub with better-than-basic-bar menu and plenty of beer — for a moderate price. There are exceptions: Chicago’s Tavern on Rush, New York’s Tavern on the Green, and Maltby’s Restaurant and Tavern in Los Altos.
Maltby’s is prettier than average pubs — picture British Banker’s Club meets Hobees. It also strives to raise the bar on tavern fare, offering appetizers other than beer-battered onion rings (excellently beery and crispy here, for $6.95, but skip the runny dip) to include seared black-pepper-crusted Ahi tuna and baked brie.
And while $13 to $19 prices for dishes like duck cassoulet and braised lamb shank aren’t bad, you’ll pay Los Altos prices for things like meatloaf here. (Sandwiches, burgers and lunch specials are reasonable, however, with soup and salad for $7.95 or soup and sandwich, with fries and slaw, for $9.95.)
It’s the perfect place to take a client for a “casual pub lunch” without all the embarrassing drunken patrons or noisy kids. And though Maltby’s is a family-friendly restaurant — we saw pods of kids-parents-grandparents dining together on a Sunday night — parents are admonished, on the kids’ menu, that Maltby’s welcomes well-behaved children who stay seated during the meal. That said, there were two tykes (not mine) orbiting during dinner who didn’t get bounced, so I can’t say how strictly enforced this is.
Maltby’s offers a prime rib roast dinner on Sundays. It’s not spectacular, but it’s filling and worth a visit. The soup du jour was a rich, thick fennel soup (cup $3.95; bowl $6.95) with the texture of a potato soup; the flavor was powerful, not overpowering. But the entrees showed up very quickly, while I was halfway through the soup.
The Sunday prime rib special ($21.95), offered from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., was moderately tender with good flavor, served cooked to order. Potatoes, steamed veggies and Yorkshire pudding round out the dinner.
The wild ravioli mushroom with prosciutto and grilled chicken ($16.95) entree was a small serving of ravioli alongside a small portion of tender and flavorful grilled chicken — very good, but both completely covered with a thick layer of prosciutto and mushrooms. Sage cream sauce lurked underneath, somewhere, but it, too, was overwhelmed by toppings. I’d have preferred more ravioli than prosciutto, but with the steamed al dente veggie side, no one goes home hungry.
The lunch and dinner menu is the same, with only the Sunday brunch menu (starting at 10 a.m.) varying. For $18.95, Niman Ranch braised lamb shank with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed veggies was a slightly extravagant lunch, but tasted quite good and tender, fresh out of the oven. This large meal takes a while to eat, though, and after cooling it begins to get tough. The lamb-y flavor becomes more apparent, too, since the shank isn’t seasoned with heavy herbs like rosemary.
French dip sandwich au jus ($11.95) is more “lunch-sized.” A classic on fresh bread with melted Swiss cheese, it showed no missteps. Rich jus was good for dipping both sandwich and skinny fries, with a creamy side slaw complementing the sandwich. Can’t go wrong ordering this.
Children get their own menu, though sometimes you have to request it. It has about a half-dozen choices like burgers, followed by a scoop of ice cream. Potions should satisfy even a starving 12 year old. Fusilli with tomato sauce is better than your average spaghetti marinara, with enough parmesan cheese to please any child. ($5.95)
Of the Maltby’s desserts I tried, both sounded better on paper. They weren’t bad, but like much I tried at Maltby’s (even the more complex dishes), tasted like comfort food, nothing fancy. Most desserts run $7.95, the price of lunch at some restaurants, but you could split these between two people. Blackberry and apple cobbler had more apple than berry, and chocolate-cherry bread pudding with homemade caramel sauce and ice cream had a good flavor, but the texture was too soggy for my pudding-purist friend.
Drinks here include European draft beers, an unusual selection of wines, tea, juice, coffees, and milkshakes (malted or not). The creamy strawberry shake ($4.50) tastes like real strawberries. I like that this tavern also offers ciders.
For almost a decade now, Maltby’s has been welcoming diners with tidy, attractive surroundings, an interesting variety of foods, and an unrushed atmosphere. I would like to be checked on a little more by the wait staff after my entree arrives, including being asked if I’d like dessert. Otherwise, the service was very competent and helpful.
Female guests must find an excuse to powder their noses in the trippy ladies’ room, a sunset-red boudoir guaranteed to raise a smile.
Maltby’s Restaurant and Tavern
101 Plaza North, Los Altos (near the corner of State and Fourth streets)
(650) 917-8777
www.maltbys.com
Hours:
Sunday-Saturday: brunch 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., dinner 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Sunday: brunch: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
