osteria

palo alto, ca

link to yelp

classic italian-american dishes. basically everything you expect from a family-run italian place. except for the fact that my pasta and clams came in red sauce, which overwhelmed the clam flavor. plus the clams were already shelled, which always makes me suspicious that it might have come out of a can or a jar. derek loved this place because he could order the basics - spaghetti in red sauce and grilled chicken. personally, i didn't find anything special about the food here. sure, it's classic italian. and its better than olive garden and buca di beppo (which is still great fun). but if it's just spaghetti, i prefer to make it myself at home with good ol' rao's red sauce.

lavanda

palo alto, ca

website

an extremely varied menu includes mediterranean, italian, and croatian dishes. i've never had croatian food, so i decided to try something from the croatian menu. "sarma" -- stuffed cabbage with minced beef, onions, rice, fresh herbs, served on mashed potatoes. basically - meatballs wrapped in cabbage and doused in tomato sauce. it tasted fine, but it wasn't anything special.

i love cake, so, for dessert i ordered the cake with passionfruit sauce. the cake itself was okay, but it was drenched in overly sweet sauce. the menu had other items that sounded appealing - pastas, steak, schnitzel, and fish. although i didn't have a lot of success with the two dishes that i ordered, lavanda is a nice spot to have a glass of wine with some bar snacks. probably won't be back for dinner, but maybe for wine.

yucca de lac

palo alto, ca

website

the stanford shopping mall is just one of those places where palo alto people tend to congregate. the mall, the dish, university ave, california ave, that's about it for palo alto hot spots. so we really shouldn't have been surprised when we ran into m+s there, the day after eating dinner with them at madera. palo alto is a small world.

yucca de lac has a very modern exterior with an appealing patio area - bright & sunny with comfortable-looking lounge chairs. according to its website and the description on the menu, it's a popular hong kong eatery. i've never heard of it before and after eating here, i can't imagine that it's actually popular in hong kong. it's basically expensive healthy-ish chinese food. my fried rice was decent but bland, hot & sour soup was pretty good but over-priced. there's a tiny chance that derek and i will eat there again if we're stuck at the mall and want to sit on a comfy lounge chair while drinking cocktails, but this is not a destination restaurant by any stretch of the imagination.

madera

palo alto, ca

website

madera is now one of our favorite special occasion restaurants in the area, right up there with evvia. it's a favorite restaurant (also hotel/spa) for the venture-capitalist/hedge-fund/dot-com/silicon-valley types. not that derek or i fit into any of those categories, but we know good food when we taste it. we've been here twice already in the last few months - once to introduce m+s to silicon valley (they recently moved from berkeley) and again when derek's parents visited. it's a beautiful location - sit outside for dinner if it's not too chilly and you'll have a gorgeous view of the sun setting behind the mist covering the distant hills.

my favorite dish here is the appropriately titled "rich & salty" - which consists of three split bones with roasted bone marrow topped with osetra caviar. yes. bone marrow topped with caviar. i know! the toast points on the side were underwhelming - bland, thin, and too crunchy. i wish they would serve a proper toast accompaniment - like the crispy bread with garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar at casa mono. but i'm just being picky. the rest of the food at madera was good, but everything paled in comparison to the rich, fatty, salty goodness of this simple yet extravagant appetizer.

sundance the steakhouse

palo alto, ca

website

even though we're in sunny, laid-back palo alto, the interior of this restaurant reminds me of old-school new york steakhouses like wolfgang's, spark's, or smith & wollensky. except in palo alto, you're more likely to run into a venture capitalist than a mob boss. nevertheless, it was an appropriate spot to take the summer interns out for lunch. one note - parking is annoying - a tiny lot with a weird one-way entrance/exit. i ended up parallel parking on el camino which was unpleasant for me (and probably for the drivers around me as well).

but onto the food -- an appetizer of raw oysters was perfect to share: light and refreshing, tasting just a hint of the sea. sundance is apparently known for their prime rib, which most of the guys at the table ordered. it seemed a bit much for lunch, so i ordered the french dip sandwich with au jus. the prime rib meat inside was pretty good - rich and flavorful, but the bread was boring and didn't complement the meat. i was quite jealous of the juicy looking prime rib slabs on everyone else's plates. next time, definitely ordering that instead.

pampas

palo alto, ca

website

this is a favorite special occasion spot for derek and myself. peak times require a reservation, but we prefer to dine early when it's less crowded and everything is fresh. it's a churrascaria, similar to churrascaria plataforma in nyc - a set price for all-you-can-eat. they give you a disc that is green on one side, red on the other. flip it to red while you check out the salad bar (my favorites are the marinated mushrooms and the coconut couscous). flip it to green for servers to come by and slice you a piece of meat. my favorites are the top sirloin, the skirt steak, and the tri-tip. they also bring around filet mignon, lamb, spicy chicken, housemade chorizo, and grilled pineapple.

one of their tricks to keep you from eating too much expensive meat is to put really good sides on your table - gougeres, fried polenta, and fried bananas. the gougeres are amazing, especially fresh out of the oven. pacing yourself is key when you eat here - it helps to order a good bottle of red wine. we like the napa cabernet sauvignon from their wine list. flip the disc to red, take a wine break, maybe even a little conversation with your dining companion, then flip it back to green for more meat.

hobee's

palo alto, ca

website

hobee's is a chain of restaurants in the bay area. looks like a shari's-type family restaurant and we thought it would be a good place for brunch. clearly they are famous for their blueberry coffee cake - we saw everyone order the blueberry coffee cake and they even sell it at the front desk. breaking one of our cardinal rules (order what everyone else is ordering), we got the peach walnut coffee cake (pictured). it was okay - a little dry, very light, but could have used more peaches.

for our entrees, we each ordered the hash browns with various toppings. mine was topped with cheese, mushrooms, and onions. derek's was topped with chicken apple sausage, green peppers, tomato-basil sauce, and cheese. we were really hoping for the shredded-style hash browns like the ones they serve at joanie's. no such luck, they ended up being small wedges of potatoes. not a fan. it seemed like a popular spot, but derek and i really should know better than to stray from our favorite brunch spot, joanie's.

chairman bao

sf bay area, ca

link to twitter

i've seen this food truck featured on numerous tv shows and in numerous magazine articles, but it's usually parked up north, in san francisco. i was thrilled to find out last week that it would actually be parked right outside my office building in palo alto. it's so much easier when good food comes to me rather than vice versa. their menu has steamed buns, which are small white mantao pockets (pictured on the right). the menu also offers baked buns, which are much larger (as you can see on the left).

not that you can tell from my blog, but i'm trying to eat a little healthier. when faced with chairman bao's amazing menu, i decided to order the steamed bun with pork belly (smaller portion of pork belly) and the baked bun with tofu (larger portion of healthy tofu). what i actually received was a steamed bun with spicy chicken and a massive baked bun with ridiculous amounts of pork belly. i did not discover this discrepancy until i had already walked the 20 yards back to my office. clearly too far to turn back, right? the pork belly was crispy and fatty, the baked bun was slightly sweet, and the pickled radish balanced the flavors - very very good. i hope they come back.

kirk's steakburgers

palo alto, ca

website

the picture of the giant steakburger, stuffed with toppings, dripping with sauce, outside the restaurant was too appealing for derek and i to pass up. while the topping bar is cool, the burger itself was dry and tasteless. i didn't even finish mine. what i did finish, however, were the chili cheese fries. the chili had great flavor and nice chunks of beef. the cheese was well-melted. the onions were tasty. but i doubt we'll be back just for the chili cheese fries.

rick's ice cream

palo alto, ca

website

slowly but surely, derek and i are discovering all of the little hidden gems in the south bay. rick's ice cream is definitely one of them. tucked away in a little strip mall (as everything in california tends to be), there's a little ice cream shop serving incredible small-batch ice cream. my mocha almond fudge tasted of strong coffee, rich chocolate, and had tons of almonds. there's so many other flavors i want to try - salty caramel, sideways (cabernet flavored!), rocky road, computer chip, chocolate brownies, black raspberry crunch ... i'm sure we'll get to them all eventually.

indochine

palo alto, ca

website

derek and i like to be able to walk to restaurants. now that we no longer live on university avenue, we have fewer walkable choices. indochine is one of them. it offers thai & vietnamese cuisine. i'm always wary when a restaurant offers more than one cuisine - it usually means that they don't do either well. but we've ordered takeout from here a few times and they make a pretty good pad see ew with tofu.

one night, i was craving pho and we decided to walk over and try indochine in person. the pho was not good. the meat had clearly been cooked (and over-cooked) before it was added to the soup (real pho should have sliced raw beef placed in the soup just as you're about to dig in - the beef cooks in the hot soup). the broth was bland. very disappointing. we'll still get pad see ew here, but we'll trek over to madame tam on university when we want pho.

la bodeguita del medio

palo alto, ca

website

this is one of my favorite lunch spots on california avenue. lovely ambiance, white tablecloths, and excellent iced tea. it takes a little bit longer than some of the other spots nearby so my co-workers and i come here only if we have the time to spare. we always ask for their bread because they serve it with an amazing chili oil - so good. i get the fish sandwich - similar in appearance to a filet-o-fish, but its actually delicious. crispy flaky fish filet topped with tartar sauce in a soft bun.

so i had high expectations when i brought derek here for dinner. the prices are quite a bit higher in the evening and they don't offer the fish sandwich. sticking with the fish theme, i ordered a white fish they had on special. a little bland, unfortunately. derek's dish, however, was excellent - the ropa vieja - shredded skirt steak in a rich and buttery sauce served with delicious plantains. well, now i know what to order if i come back for dinner.

so gong dong tofu house

palo alto, ca

link to yelp

the volvo ended up requiring overnight repairs so i was stranded. derek left work to pick me up and we decided to grab a meal nearby at so gong dong tofu house. i had been there before when we first moved from new york and i remember having a very disappointing bibimbap.

well, i've either forgotten what good korean food tastes like or so gong dong tofu house just does a better job with their soon du bu (spicy tofu soup). my soup was quite tasty and derek actually enjoyed his kalbi. i need an real korean person to try this place out and let me know if my taste buds are still working.

alison bakery

palo alto, ca

website

the volvo needed a check-up, so i left the car at the volvo dealership and walked across the street to find a place to study for my exam. the giant starbucks looked like an obvious spot, but i noticed alison bakery right next to it. the glass display full of giant croissants, cakes, and cupcakes drew me in (we all know how mediocre starbucks' baked goods are). the bakery also had ample seating with a sunny interior, so it looked like an excellent place to study.

the proprietor was quite happy to see me walk in. this bakery recently opened and it must be difficult to get people out of their 'bucks habit. no espresso drinks but they have an excellent and cheap drip coffee. the proprietor mentioned that the banana muffins had just come out of the oven, so of course i ordered one of those. the muffin would have been good, but ordinary if it was cold. however, fresh out of the oven it was extraordinary -- crunchy on the outside, warm and moist on the inside. yum.

como esta taqueria

palo alto, ca

website

we were exploring our new neighborhood and were thrilled to find a taqueria hiding next to walgreen's. looked like a popular neighborhood spot with a colorful chalk menu and outdoor seating. what is interesting for this hole-in-the-wall spot is that they really care about the quality of the ingredients and they offer various healthy options (whole wheat tortilla, low carb burrito, etc.)

of course, we didn't actually choose any of the healthy options. derek ordered the tortilla soup and a carne asada burrito (both decent). i ordered what is possibly one of the best vegetarian burritos i've ever had - the chile relleno burrito. delicious - the chile was stuffed with gooey cheese and covered in an eggy batter. refried beans, rice, and lettuce were added, then wrapped in an soft, chewy tortilla. top it all off with some of their excellent housemade salsas and it is vegetarian perfection.

su hong

palo alto, ca

website

you know a chinese restaurant is going to be good when you're handed menus written completely in chinese. derek and i considered relying on our limited chinese reading skills ("i think that says to-fu") but instead decided to play it safe and asked for english menus. su hong serves shanghai-style cuisine, which is one of my favorites as it reminds me of the food my mom makes at home.

we ordered "shi zhi tou" or "lion's head" meatballs. they were almost as good as my mom's and each meatball was the size of a baseball. it was an expensive dish ($16) -- but between the two of us, we only ate one meatball and the leftovers made excellent meals later in the week. the hand-shaved noodles were good, but our favorite dish of the meal was the crispy beancurd with hot garlic sauce (fried tofu). excellent crispy crust with soft, silky tofu inside. delicious.

evvia

palo alto, ca

website

one of the top restaurants in palo alto, it's been recommended by nearly everyone we've met since moving to the south bay. it's not the kind of restaurant where you can get a table on a whim, which is how we usually decide on dinner. but for derek's birthday, i made 8 pm reservations about a week in advance. the atmosphere at evvia was surprisingly cozy and welcoming for such an expensive restaurant.

pictured is the best octopus that i've ever had - grilled with lemon, oregano, and olive oil. perfectly charred yet tender. delicious. for my entree, i ordered the moschari souvlaki - beef filet, sweet peppers, mushrooms & onions with Cretan rice & Greek yogurt. the beef was well-spiced and served over excellent rice. everyone raves about the ice cream sundae - it was good, but a little bit too rich for my tastes. overall, a fantastic meal. there's so many other items on the menu that i want to try, but i'll definitely be back for the octopus.

madame tam

palo alto, ca

website

decent southeast asian food on university ave. solid bowl of pho, which is perfect for those cold california evenings. hey, sometimes the temperature can dip below 50 degrees here. the pho is served with slices of beef and a few meatballs. i'd prefer more tendon and tripe, but it still soothes the soul.

there are several other bright spots on the menu. i like the buddha's spring rolls - good fresh veggies wrapped in rice paper, served with hoisin. we also like the provincial beef stew, the thai drunken fish, and garlic noodles. pretty good asian food if you're stuck on the ave.

bon vivant

palo alto, ca

website

bon vivant is a new french restaurant that recently opened in downtown palo alto. the interior is bright and inviting, especially on a sunny day (which is about 90% of the time here in california). derek and i were in the mood for something new and different and decided to try this place. despite the fact that they stop service at 3, the kitchen graciously let us sit and order an appetizer and entrees at 3:15. yes, that's when we eat lunch.

my favorite was the appetizer that we shared - duck rillette, which includes shredded duck, wild arugula, red onion, shaved fennel, and toasted bread. the duck was deliciously fatty, but balanced well with the fresh greens. excellent. the crepes were also quite good - mine was filled with smoked salmon, but the duck rillette was definitely the highlight. overall - pricey, but tasty.

reposado

palo alto, ca

website

reposado is one of our favorite places to eat on university avenue ("the ave"). great raucous atmosphere - lots of people chatting and having a good time. excellent wine list and very good sangria. this is a good place to bring friends to - i brought anthony and his cousin here when they were in town.

my absolute favorite entree is the hanger steak. unfortunately it's not a very photogenic hanger steak, but it's delicious - perfectly grilled and served over an arbol chile demi glace. because i always get the guacamole (not quite spicy enough but perfect if you add their smoky salsa), i can never finish the entire steak. it's fantastic as leftovers, especially over some noodles. also - the chocolate gelato is homemade and amazing, but my favorite part of the dessert are the buttery mexican cookies they serve on the side.