200 DINING HOT SPOTS
90 South Bay Accent
Scroll Bar Waterside Kitchen (Pullman San
Francisco Bay), 223 Twin Dolphin Drive, Redwood
City. 650/598-9000. Globally inspired
Californian cuisine and full bar put this waterfront
restaurant on the map. $$$
The Shadowbrook, 1750 Wharf Rd., Capitolaby
the-sea. 831/475-1511. Visitors to one of the
nation’s 100 most romantic restaurants (as voted
by OpenTable diners) take the iconic “cable car”
tram or walk alongside waterfalls and lush gardens
to reach this ivy-covered dining destination. Equally
enticing are the seven different dining rooms
within the Swiss chalet-style building, the impeccable
service and award-winning cuisine as well as
creative nightly specials. Shadowbrook’s beautiful
Rock Room Bar (with live music on weekends) is
a favorite with locals and visitors alike while offering
more casual fare and portions. For nearly 75
years following its opening in 1947, Shadowbrook
has delighted generations of diners who come to
celebrate special occasions or just to enjoy a fine
meal in an atmosphere of Old World charm and
grace. $$-$$$
Sun of Wolf, 406 California Ave., Palo Alto.
650/325-8888. Serving a variety of dishes with
Californian-Mexican influences, this eatery’s
vibrant atmosphere is as lively as the cuisine. $$
31st Union, 5 S. Ellsworth Avenue, San Mateo.
650/458-0049. A popular locavore eatery featuring
artisanal California food and drink with seasonally
changing plates. $–$$
Village Pub, 2967 Woodside Road, Woodside.
650/851-9888. Local favorite features a gorgeous
interior and a menu that shows a serious devotion
to meat dishes. $$$
Verge (Toll House Hotel), 140 South Santa Cruz
Ave., Los Gatos. 408/884-1054. California-at-heart
cuisine featuring a fresh and unique combination of
cultural regions and styles of preparation. $$–$$$
Viva, 15970 Los Gatos Blvd., Los Gatos. 408/356-
4902. Upscale neighborhood eatery fuses diverse
California and Mediterranean cuisine with comfortable
family-style dining. $$
CAMBODIAN
Chez Sovan, 2425 South Bascom Ave., Campbell.
408/371-7711. This authentic, delicious food will
make you a permanent convert! Among favorites is
the popular Cambodian dish Amok. $$
CARIBBEAN/CUBAN
Cha Cha Cha Cuba, 112 S. B
St., San Mateo. 650/347-2900.
Authentic, zesty Cuban flavors
are served up in a vibrant,
friendly space. $$
Coconuts Caribbean Restaurant
& Bar, 642 Ramona
St., Palo Alto. 650/329-9533.
Tropical cocktails, music and
authentic Caribbean dishes quickly
get diners in the island mood. $$
La Bodeguita del Medio, 463
California Ave., Palo Alto. 650/326-7762.
Enjoy coastal cuisine enhanced with flavorful
Cuban influences and fantastic fish! $–$$
CHINESE
Chef Chu’s, 1067 North San Antonio Road, Los
Altos. 650/948-2696. Savor great food at this popular
restaurant, such as the outstanding signature
minced shrimp in lettuce cups. $$
TASTE TRIPS
Santa Rosa in Sonoma County calls itself the epicenter of California
cuisine with a motto of “We feast like farm-raised royalty on Sonoma-grown
food and wine.” Several restaurants burst onto the scene last year taking advantage
of the local bounty, making a visit to Santa Rosa worth the drive.
“Make it zoftig,” Matt Spector’s uncle used to say of the generous
sandwiches Spector made working summers in his uncle’s
butcher shop. That philosophy lives on at Zoftig Eatery (57
Montgomery Dr.), created by Spector and his wife, Sonjia,
a pastry chef. The ingredients they use in their sandwiches,
salads, wraps, plates and bowls are local and
fresh. The Korean Burrito, for example, is stuffed with
grass fed beef and other locally sourced goodies.
Delicious food people will come back for week after
week is the simple mission of Beer Baron Bar and
Kitchen (614 4th St.). The popular downtown gathering
place highlights craft beer and cocktails created by
mixologists eager to please. The Baron Burger is created
with house ground beef using short rib, tri tip and brisket cuts,
served on a brioche bun and served alongside duck fat fries. The list
of craft beers on tap is impressive, as are the fine whiskeys listed in the restaurant’s
“Whiskey Bible.”
First came The Naked Pig (544 Mendocino St.), a tiny brunch and lunch café in
an old oil change garage transformed by Dalia Martinez and Jason Sakach in the
historic Cherry Street district. It was an immediate hit thanks to an ever-changing
menu featuring local organic ingredients. Then in 2016 they opened the dinner
spot Flower+Bone (640 5th St.). Martinez curates what she describes as a story
told in six courses of dishes she’s invented, often using herbs and other produce
from her own garden.
Miso Good Ramen (507 4th St.) is all about serving up tasty ramen, rice
bowls and other modern Asian-inspired dishes at a fair price. Start with
one of the generous bowls of steaming ramen, then add on more
ingredients for a heartier meal. The small plates have small prices
and are the perfect nibbles before the meal arrives. Choose from
among Japanese-inspired salads, dumplings, fried shrimp or
chicken, or poke.
There are specific mottos followed by the staff at The Pharmacy
(900 Sonoma Ave.), a breakfast and lunch spot: “Local
organic food matters;” “Honor Sonoma County;” and “Food is our
medicine,” to name a few. Breakfast features fresh baked toasted bread
with toppings ranging from egg salad to avocado or locally sourced goat
cheese or house-made almond butter. The lunch menu offers creative salads and
sandwiches. And there are special desserts, including the lemon meringue in a jar,
which patrons call “out of this world.” —P.M.
Crow’s Nest
Porta Blu