Entries Tagged 'food - misc' ↓

Kitchen Not So Confidential (Wall Street Journal, Paid Subscription)

Formerly word-of-mouth eateries are drawing crowds — and alienating the same foodies they once sought to attract.

Why Roots Matter More

For food evangelists — consumers who might shop at a co-op or who can explain terms like eco-gastronomy, food miles and the food shed — a local label is sometimes more important than an organic one. That group, which market researchers say make up about 10 to 15 percent of food shoppers, are most likely to spend time in the store pondering whether an organic pepper from Chile is better than one grown in a nonorganic field less than 250 miles away.

Rachael Ray: Branding Goddess?

Rachael Ray is interested in what food becomes, how food turns into meals, social occasions, brimming kitchens, people communing, families eating…and talking…and being a family.  This enterprise begins with food and moves briskly on to the emotional, social, and cultural benefits that food gives us. 

A curious blend of Vietnamese and Thai food blended with uninteresting decorated restaurant and typical prints that happen to be plastered in various Palo Alto cafes.  Not a strange combination of cuisines considering there are a good mix of asian food available on University Ave.  Lime Leaf (452 University Ave, Palo Alto next door to Borders Bookstore) opened today with little fanfare.  If you weren’t getting your meals confused with another table, you could really enjoy the food.  I was dining alone so I didn’t want to look like a pig and order alot, so I ordered the pad thai(10.95)  Nothing too exciting.  The basic mix of noodles, eggs, slivers of tofu, chicken and 3 little pieces of shrimp.  Some fresh sprouts on the side and sugary salt and hot pepper flakes on the side.  I could tell that all around many folks had poor service.  Either the orders were wrong or being sent to the wrong table.  It was a huge distraction that the service was bad, so if you were in a hurry or felt uncomfortable sitting alone in the middle of room staring out the front door that overlooked down Kipling things could have been better.  Overall the prices were reasonable, the portions were generous, I can imagine eating here family style however most were ordering their own meals.  The menu had a good mix of soup, rice noodles, and rice dishes.  I think for a first night it was tricky and they didn’t have enough servers.  I’ll give them 2 more months before I return.  I wish I had a dining companion because I really wanted to try the dessert called FBI, fried banana with mango ice cream.  For now the place has a left a sour experience for me, however in time it would be in their interest to spruce up their service.

…or how about some cooking classes before the foodfests of the holiday arrive.  If you’re in the Palo Alto area there are two offerings I’ve found over the last couple of days. 

Main Course Cooking Classes
An amazing assortment of quick easy meals, holiday sweets, and such comfort food such as soups and bread.

Palo Alto Adult School: Cooking
From ethnic cooking, holiday sweets, and even how to learn to wield the chef’s knife.

Draeger’s Cooking Classes

I can’t tell if chef-owner Hung Lee(owner of Three Seasons) is trying to lure the tech savy folks of Silly Valley with the “i” in front of their name, but in terms of ambience the place is mash up of things old and new, hip and classic.  It’s definitely not like the Apple Store down the street.  At the former location of Pasta Pomodoro/Left at Albuquerque (445 Emerson St Palo Alto), it’s difficult to tell if the place is trying to really mix it up with old Charlie Chaplin movies play up near the ceiling and an interesting mix of paintings/photographs. I know for sure the genre of music playing wasn’t really a reflection of the amazing mix of small plates(tapas).  I appreciated the cultural nod to the representation of small plates around the world and after reviewing the menu you can definitely wonder ooh, “where is this one from?” or “I wonder what wine I could get to match what we’re eating?”

What we ate…started with duck tacos(12) interesting plate of tortilla chips, sliced duck(amazingly the fat was cut out), with sides including mango salsa, guacomole and sour cream.  It was an ok starter but I think we would have gone for another dish more like our lamb chops(14) which is a typical small plate offering.  The lamb chops came with mashed potatoes and some broccolini which was really nice and would have been even better if it was paired with a nice spicey red wine.  I eyed the couple next to us with their 2 flights of red wine.  Although with the small tables it looked more like a balancing act of drink alot, eat fast, bring more …

Along with the lamb we opted for the seared scallops(13); slightly seared and cooked just right placed on top of creamy risotto.   I was glad the broccolini came out alone because we got a chance to really savor its freshness with the hint of garlic that wasn’t overpowering like in typical asian restaurants.   For dessert we selected the cheese plate (12) that had 3 cheeses, cheese crackers, quince paste, and a mix of fresh fig and grapes infused with bits of mint.  It was a nice way to end our dinner.  Flavorful but not overpowering.

The designer sense…they really need to work on the branding and typography used on the restaurant, menu, business card. I didn’t get a sense that they had a “mood” or personality in mind when putting it all together but the food IMO allowed me to momentarily forget those details.

Currently no lunch offering but dinner is nightly starting at 5pm.  The attention waned when there were more people but it was ok since we were already waiting for our check.  I can see they are aiming for more couples with the high ratio of two-seat tables and bar dining compared to the few large tables.  The placement of waiting area to the bar is a little awkward since you have to traverse a railing and high bar stools along with the waiters going back and forth.  I was disappointed that they didn’t offer a sampler highlighting the different cuisines of tapas.  Outdoor sidewalk dining was available.

I’ll probably return in a month to see if there are any adjustments to the ambience or the menu.  I’m hoping they make more vegetarian friendly section since I felt it was lacking in excitement, it should have been just called sides and not treated like whole plates.  We’ll see where this one goes.

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Cyrus joins the four-star elite

October 21st, 2006 — food - misc, restaurant, review

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At Fog City, chocolate’s in the news / Small Market Street newsstand touts more than just magazines

October 21st, 2006 — food - misc

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CULA-confidential

October 21st, 2006 — food - misc

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