Guide to Good Eats
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As you can see, eating out is something we do quite often. To make the guide more user-friendly, we have categorized the restaurants by location. Restaurants are listed alphabetically based on cuisine type, i.e. American, Asian, Cajun, etc. For additional listings, check out www.citysearch.com, www.sfgate.com, http://www.yelp.com or www.bayinsider.com for more info on many of these establishments as well as for other places we might not have visited. Happy eating!
Campus Cuisine
Beckman and Fleischmann DNA Café
Located in the basements of their respective buildings. Similar to the cafeteria in the fishbow. Beckman Café has great burritos to order. This is the dealer nearest to the med school for the local delicacy, the It’s It ice cream bar. Go try one—you’ll be hooked. Beware of Margo Marvel’s.
Luttickens
Located in the CCSR building. Delicious, big sandwiches (try the veggie meatball sandwich!) and an interesting selection of entrees in the fridge. Great for a quick ice cream bar or those yummy frozen mocha drinks.
Student Lounge Café
Located in the fishbowl. Critics’ picks include boxed Thai food (especially, the vegetarian special and basil chicken) & avocado sandwiches. Location a plus since it’s adjacent to the Med School Lounge (aka the fishbowl).
Stanford Hospital Cafeteria and Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital Cafeteria
Good value. Especially good if you are in the mood to make your own sandwich or salad. Turkey Thursdays—a must! The Stanford Hospital Cafeteria Annex (right near the cafeteria) has yummy Mrs. Field’s Cookies! Great place to spot your clinical medical student friends.
Thai Café
Basement of the psychology building (Jordan Hall) in main quad. Very tasty and pretty much all entrees cost about five dollars. You’ll love it if you love spicy. Critics’ picks include chicken sauté, chicken noodle salad, vegetarian curry.
Bytes Café
Located in David Packard Electrical Engineering @ 350 Serra Mall. Serves interesting fare such as coconut curry chicken soup and grilled orange tamari chicken sandwich. Provides a great escape from the medical school.
Jamba Juice
Located at Tresidder. A student favorite, Jamba Juice serves a wide variety of healthy smoothies. Good for a quick snack or thirst quencher, or to grab a healthy option on the go.
Tresidder Café
Mexican, American, Chinese, salad bar, pizza by the slice, sandwiches. Not great, but a nice change of venue outside of the med school.
Sports Cafe
Located in Arrillaga Sports Complex. Great place to go after a noon workout. Serves a wide variety of hot lunches. Likely to spot some Stanford sports stars. Great smoothies and burgers.
The Coffee House (a.k.a., The CoHo)
Located at Tresidder. Sandwiches, salads, coffee, jukebox. Critics’ picks include peach melba on ice, frosty mint on ice, almond Italian soda, hazelnut mocha, the Cobb sandwich, Kalifornia Bowl. Cheap & convenient.
The Tree House
Located at Tresidder. Mostly Mexican food, also burgers and fries. Expect to find lots of veggies in your veggie burrito. Also try the delicious sushi made fresh daily during the school year by sushi chefs from Toshi’s.
Moonbean’s café
Located in front of Green Library. Quality drinks and fresh baked goods. Good for a late night caffeine fix or collective study break.
Palo Alto
American (Burgers, Chili, Etc.)
Empire Tap Room
651 Emerson St., Palo Alto (650) 321-3030
Outdoor patio seating for a romantic night on the town. Salad with pears
and walnuts is delicious. Great onion rings.
Fresh Choice
Stanford Shopping Center (650) 322-6995
Salad, pasta & bread bars. Many vegetarian options. LOTS of food
for eight dollars.
Gordon Biersch
640 Emerson St., Palo Alto (650) 323-7723
Good beer. Garlic fries are truly garlicky! Critics’ picks include
Hefeweizen.
Kirk's Steakburgers
Town and Country Village, Palo Alto. Awesome, BIG burgers flamebroiled!
MacArthur Park
27 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 321-9990
Variable. Great BBQ. Be wary of the three onion torte. Nice place to
take the family. $$$$$$.
Max’s Opera House Cafe
Stanford Shopping Center (650) 323-6364
Fun place for a birthday. The waiters are talented singers. Great desserts
and sandwiches. Huge portions. No reservations.
Peninsula Creamery
Stanford Shopping Center and Channing and High, Palo Alto (650) 323-3175
Amazing milkshakes, yummy burgers, and onion rings. Very popular. Great
place for a fun date or a group of friends.
Plutos
482 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 853-1556
Very popular. Critics’ picks include eggplant sandwich on foccacia
and Caesar salad. Purchase a side salad. Trust us, it is plenty. Farmer’s
Greens are terrific for veggie lovers.
Taxis
403 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 322-8294
Open late. Good spicy curly fries and milkshakes.
Asian
Long Life Noodle Co.
Stanford Shopping Center (650) 324-1110
Pan-Asian noodle joint. Has Japanese Udon, Pad Thai, etc. Critics’ picks
are the boiled wontons and ginseng ginger ale. Service and food are variable.
Zao’s Noodle Bar
261 University Ave, Palo Alto (650) 328-1988
Hip noodle place. Check out the ginger-chili chicken and prawns. Makes
a decent Vietnamese coffee. Show up early on weekends because of the
lines.
Breakfast
Hobee’s
4224 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (650) 856-6124; and
Town and Country Village, Palo Alto (650) 327-4111; plus another location
in
Mt. View, 2312 Central Expressway (Alma St.), Mt. View (650) 968-605
Highly revered for its amazing blueberry coffeecake. Also has great hashbrowns
and spiced tea. Be a histology superstar and pick up a half tray of coffecake
for Friday morning breakfast.
Joanie's Cafe
447 California Ave., Palo Alto (650) 326-6505
Cozy atmosphere. Good lattes, pancakes and egg dishes.
Café
Alive Café
165 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 321-5588
Close to the medical school bookstore. After getting your Netter, check
this place out for frozen yogurt and pearl teas.
Black Pearl
299 S. California Ave., Palo Alto (650) 289-0344
Yummy pearl teas and Double Rainbow ice cream.
Torrefazione Italia
419 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 325-7731
Very attractive on the inside. Try to get a seat on the second floor.
Generous coffee beverages.
University Coffee Café
271 University Ave, Palo Alto (650) 322-5301
Great egg dishes with a Californian flair. Espresso drinks are fair,
but the fresh orange juice is nice. Try to grab a seat at the bar. Also
open late for dessert.
Cajun
Blue Chalk
630 Ramona St., Palo Alto (650) 326-1020
Not memorable. Good for late-night scoping and pool.
Nola
535 Ramona St., Palo Alto (650) 328-2722
Very hip. Good appetizers and entrees, bad desserts. Great place for
a drink after work (or after school). Delicious crowd, but poor unfriendly
service. Can be pricey and the cuisine is far from being truly Cajun!
Californian
California Café
Next to Red Barn, 700 Welch Road (650) 325-2233
Close to the hospital. Serves Californian cuisine. Slightly pricey so
check it out for a nice lunch with speakers or visitors to the Med Center.
The Asian chicken salad is super-yummy.
Caribbean
Mango Cafe
435 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto (650) 325-3229
Service with a smile. Critics’ picks include smoothies (fish bowl
size) and jerk chicken. If you are daring, try the curried goat!
Chinese
Fresh Taste Mandarin Kitchen
2111 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (650) 324-8749
Owned by a relative of a former Stanford Medical School student. Very
nice to med students and quite affordable. Delivers to campus. Boasts
low-calorie dishes. While appetizers are unremarkable, this reviewer
loves the dry-sauteed string beans with shrimp and hot, spicy bean curd.
Jing-Jing
443 Emerson St., Palo Alto (650) 328-6885
Very spicy, almost too spicy. Critics’ picks include Szechuan Pepper
Chicken and Walnut Prawns. Has a pretty good lunch deal.
Mandarin Gourmet
420 Ramona St., Palo Alto (650) 328-8898
High quality Chinese food along with pretty good décor. Favorites
include the spicy bean curd with veggies and tangerine beef. Half price
with a Stanford Student Coupon.
PF Chang’s Chinese Bistro
Stanford Shopping Center (650) 330-1782
Americanized-Chinese food, but close to Stanford. Tends to be more pricey.
Open late.
Windy’s
168 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 325-3188
New addition to Palo Alto. Great sizzling rice soup. Try the green prawn
chow fun.
Deli
Fratelli Deli
405 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 323-0423
Great place to grab a sandwich. Critics’ picks are chicken club
on Dutch crunch.
Oakville Grocery
Stanford Shopping Center (650) 328-9000
Go there for Nutella, terrific & expensive sandwiches to-go and yummy
pastries. Pricey. Also carries a display case of cooked foods … go
for the pecan-crusted chicken fingers!
Schaub’s Meat, Fish, and Poultry
Stanford Shopping Center (650) 325-6328
Fred’s sandwich. Go get it. Along with sausage or any other meat
you might need for your next fancy dinner party.
Whole Foods
774 Emerson St., Palo Alto (650) 326-8676
Great place for vegetarians and organic foods. Standout for the panoply
of free samples and the yummy baked goods. The chocolate chewies are
low-fat and absolutely amazing!
Cuban
La Bodeguita Del Medio
463 California Ave., Palo Alto (650) 326-7762
Rumor has it that this place has great mojitos. Food is interesting,
but slightly pricey. Try the salads.
Dim-Sum
Cho’s Mandarin
213 California Ave., Palo Alto (650) 326-4632
A little hole in the wall next to Kinko’s. Cheap and good (& sometimes
greasy) dimsum. Be ready for a line.
Hong Kong Flower Lounge
560 Waverly St., Palo Alto (650) 326-3830
51 Millbrae Ave., Millbrae (415) 692-6666
5322 Geary St., San Francisco (415) 668-8998
(3 locations Palo Alto, Millbrae and SF) While Palo Alto location is
good, Millbrae is much, much better. At the Palo Alto location, stick
to dumplings … particularly the spinach/mushroom dumpling and chive
dumpling. Be more adventurous at the Millbrae location.
Ming’s
1700 Embarcadero Rd., Palo Alto (650) 856-7700
Super-greasy dim sum. Favorite of the techie crowd.
French
Café Brioche
445 California Ave., Palo Alto (650) 326-8640
Tasty, authentic French food. Clafloutis are yummy.
Chez Sophie
201 California Ave., Palo Alto (650) 322-8586
Quaint atmosphere & good, authentic French food. Make reservations.
L’Amie Donia
530 Bryant St., Palo Alto (650) 323-7614
Traditional French food with some creative flair. This reviewer looks
forward to their coq au vin. Menu changes frequently so try the prix
fix menu. Very pricey, but lovely place to take a special date or parents.
Has an amazing French wine list. $$$$$$
Fusion
Spago
265 Lytton St., Palo Alto (650) 833-1000
Lamentably yuppie, this place serves excellent food in small portions.
Very, very, very super expensive … go with a drug rep! $$$$$$
Zibbibos
430 Kipling St., Palo Alto (650) 328-6722
Located in a quaint house off University. Roasted mussels are a standout!
Side dishes are especially good. Very trendy. $$$$$$
Greek
Evvia
420 Emerson St., Palo Alto (650) 326-0983
Excellent. Favorites include the Calamari, Greek salad, Whole Striped
Bass with Lemon and Oregano, and the Braised Lamb Shank with Orzo. Great
desserts. $$$$$$
Indian
Brahma Bull
151 California Ave (650) 325-9900
A small, hidden away place, not usually busy—even on the weekend
nights. Very delicious Indian food at a good price (try the Thali dinner).
Run by a nice family.
Darbar
129 Lytton Ave., Palo Alto (650) 321-6688
Good lunch buffet. Critics’ pick are aloo mater. Caters. Get the
Stanford Student coupon.
Janta
369 Lytton Ave., Palo Alto (650) 462-5903
Beautifully situated in downtown Palo Alto. Service is always top notch.
Tandoori Prawns are yummy, but the Pakoras are a true standout! Will
cater.
New India Palace
448 University Ave, Palo Alto (650) 327-3445
Good location next to Border’s Bookstore. Tasty chicken tikka masala
and channa masala. Service can be variable.
Italian
Buca di Beppo
643 Emerson St., Palo Alto (650) 329-0665
Now with reservations! Make sure to avoid the long lines by calling ahead.
Decent food, truly massive portions. Great place to go with a big group.
Check out the eggplant parmigiana and linguine frutti di mare.
Il Fornaio
520 Cowper St., Palo Alto (650) 853-3888
Nice atmosphere. Breakfast is fabulous. Try the pancakes with fruit compote.
Good pastas & wonderful breads for dinner. Nice place for a special
dinner. $$$$$$
Osteria
247 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto (650) 328-5700
Highly recommended. One of our favorites. Authentic. Ravioli and spinach
fettucini are divine. $$$$$$
Palermo
452 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 321-9908
Great seafood pastas. Yum.
Pasta?
326 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 328-4585
Cheap, fast, but horrible service. Tasty salads.
Piatti Ristorante
Stanford Shopping Center (650) 324-9733
Good pastas and breads, but stay away from the pizza margherita.
Spalti
417 California Ave., Palo Alto (650) 327-9390
Italian. Not too cheap, but will definitely fill you up.
Japanese
Fuki Sushi
4119 El Camino, Palo Alto (650) 494-9383
Upscale sushi place. DELICIOUS! Try the agedashi tofu as an appetizer.
Sushi is consistently good and fresh.
Hakata
448 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 325-1605
Not bad for non-Sushi Japanese restaurant. Try the noodle dishes, particularly
the tenzaru soba.
Higashi West
636 Emerson St., Palo Alto (650) 323-WEST
Japanese fusion cuisine. Great shrimp rolls and wasabi flavored mashed
potatoes. Excellent, pricey sushi. $$$$$
Le Poisson Japonais
642 Ramona St., Palo Alto (650) 330-1147
Expensive, but one of the best sushi places in the Bay Area. Very inventive.
Start with the sashimi-tuna with oba drops or shitake tempura. Save room
for dessert and get the warm chocolate cake … divine! $$$$$
Minokichi
150 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 324-9536
All you can eat sushi. Not great food, but worth the money. Great place
for a large group of friends.
Miyake
140 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 323-9449
Fun-filled evening with saki bombs and disco balls. Not especially good
sushi, but it’s cheap. Also check out the teriyaki and tempura
(good veggie tempura). VERY loud.
Mediterranean
Babbos
Stanford Shopping Center (650) 321-1488
Sit outside, people watch and enjoy a great salad nicoise. Seafood dishes
are also excellent.
Mediterranean Wraps
425 California Ave., Palo Alto (650) 321-8189
Cheap and authentic. Try the falafel plate and the desserts. Great place
for a casual, quick dinner. Service is speedy.
Robaii
496 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto (650) 325-1994
Good falafel, great hummus and pita. Extremely cheap and fast service.
Mexican/Tex-Mex
Andale’s
209 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 323-2939
Great taquitos and cool watermelon juices.
Baja Fresh
3990 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (650) 424-8599
Great new place. Definitely try the tacos “baja style.” Can
get either shrimp, chicken, or steak. Great, fresh salsa. Inexpensive
and next to Blockbuster—grab a movie and a taco!
Celia’s
3740 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (650) 843-0643
Nice place to celebrate with friends on the patio. You can find better
salsa at other Mexican places, but nice atmosphere.
Compadre’s Mexican Bar and Grill
3877 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (650) 858-1141
Great place to watch sports and have Mexican food. Share the taco fiesta
with a friend.
Left at Albuquerque
445 Emerson St., Palo Alto (650) 326-1011
Great margaritas, decent tamales. Fun for a big group. Fraternity boys
who do not know what to do after graduation hang-out. You might want
to take a right.
Palo Alto Del Sol
408 California Ave., Palo Alto (650) 328-8840
Authentic Mexican food to rave about. Pricey for Mexican food, but worth
every penny. Great décor.
Una Mas Playa Bar and Grill
Stanford Shopping Center (650) 323-8226
Good tortilla soup and fajita burrito. Great salsa bar with a free assortment
of burrito toppings like cilantro, lime, and extra tomatoes. Check happy
hour with frozen margaritas.
Pizza
California Pizza Kitchen
521 Cowper St., Palo Alto (650) 323-7332
Inventive pizza, but not gourmet. Inconsistent service. Popular Thai
Chicken Pizza.
Domino’s
240B Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto (650) 326-6552
Fair to good delivery pizza. Beware of the buffalo wings. Delivers until
2 a.m.
Pizza-A-Go-Go
335 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 322-8100
Perennial favorite. Delivers until midnight.
Pizza Chicago
4115 El Camino, Palo Alto (650) 424-9400
Best Pizza outside of the Windy City! Go for the specialty pizza such
as the Fridge, The Untouchables, Air Jordan, and Rush Street. Great place
for a group! Will deliver.
Pizza My Heart
220 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 327-4400
New pizza place on University Ave. Yummy thin crust pizza. Try the pesto
pizza. Inexpensive and sells pizza by the slice.
Round Table Pizza
263 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 322-2893
3407 Alma St., Palo Alto (650) 494-2928
With many, many, many other locations
Good generic pizza. Stick to the traditional ingredients such as pepperoni,
mushrooms, and green pepper. Stay away from specialty pizzas. Good coupons.
Delivers.
Thai
Siam Royal
338 University Ave., Palo Alto (650) 329-8129
Tasty green and yellow curries. Great place for lunch and dinner on University
Ave.
Straits Café
3295 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (650) 494-7168
Inventive Thai food that really tempts the taste buds. Prices are reasonable
to pricey. Go here for a special occasion.
Thai City
3961 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (650) 493-0643
Inexpensive at lunch time. Generous amount of food. Tasty Pad Thai and
appetizers.
Menlo Park
American
Chili’s Bar and Grill
700 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (650) 321-0330
Yes, the All-American chain. Good for ribs and burgers.
JZ Cool Eatery and Co
827 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park (650) 325-3665
Eco-friendly dining. Great made-to-order hamburgers with grilled onions.
Check out the deli case. A little bit pricey.
Oasis Beer Garden
241 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (650) 326-8896
Local dive that attracts a steady Stanford crowd. Order burgers, onion
rings, and beer by the pitcher. Great place to hang with friends post-exams.
Café
Café Borrone
1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (650) 327-0830
Good coffee and light eats. Go there to pseudo-study outside & check
out the crowds. Awesome desserts and scones. Entertainment on Friday
nights … check out the Jazz.
Menlo Café
620 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park. (650) 321-6666.
Less expensive than other coffee joints. Friendly staff. Try the scones
and iced mochas. Dr. Salviterra has been spotted here.
Deli
La Boulanger
720 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park
650 Castro St., Mt. View
301 Main St., Los Altos
Deli and bakery. Fast service and great food. Critics' picks include
the 3-layered vegetarian sandwich with chips, Indian curry soup, and
black bean soup. Pick up a loaf of sourdough for sandwiches at home.
Good for a study break.
French
Left Bank
635 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park (650) 473-6543
Charming brasserie. Serves traditional bistro fare such as steak fries,
but also has inventive California-inspired dishes such as Halibut a’ l’artichaut.
Slightly pricey.
Chinese
Su Hong Restaurant
1039 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (650) 323-6852
Over-priced and extremely mediocre Americanized Chinese food.
Ten Fu Chinese Restaurant
1352 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (650) 323-6134
Good but greasy appetizers. Will deliver for large parties.
Italian
Gambardellas
561 Oak Grove, Menlo Park (650) 325-6989
Quaint house turned restaurant with a homey atmosphere. The staff is
amiable and the food is divine. Most of the pastas are homemade. Critics'
picks include fettuccine vegetali and the outstanding chocolate soufflé.
The dessert takes 20 minutes to prepare, so be sure to tell your waiter
early on.
Japanese
Akasaka
925 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (650) 325-0444
Pleasant sushi restaurant. Start with the warm miso soup and green tea.
While most of the sushi is conventional, the salmon sushi is a superstar.
Great place to go before the movies.
Gombei’s
1438 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (650) 329-1799
No sushi here. Udon, donburi (rice bowls), and obento meals (combo. meals
with teriyaki chicken, beef, and tempura) are their specialty. Teriyaki
is scrumptious! No Vegetarian options. Cash only.
Naomi Sushi
1328 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (650) 321-6902.
Fine Menlo Park gem. Sushi is fresh, tasty, and reasonably priced.
Pizza
Applewood Inn 1001 El Camino at Menlo Ave., Menlo Park
Applewood 2 Go: same address (650) 328-1556
Great pizza! Tasty, semi-thick crust. Try the pizza with Bulgarian sausage
or the veggie feta, spinach, and portabellos. Great selection of beers
most of which are Hungarian.
Seafood
Cook’s Seafood
751 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (650) 325-0604
Fabulous fish and chips. Make sure to try the Alaskan halibut and chips
or the prawns and chips. Amazingly non-greasy. Staff is fast and friendly.
Not open on Sundays. Also check out the seafood shop next door.
Vietnamese
Vietnam Restaurant
1010 Doyle St., Menlo Park (650) 326-2501
Inexpensive and super tasty. Cozy restaurant with very pleasant staff.
Start with the spring rolls, please let the staff give you eating instructions.
For an entrée, go for the seafood steamboat.
Mountain View
Chinese
Fu Lam Mum
246 Castro St., Mt. View (650) 967-1689
Not the greatest food in the world, but it’s open late, very late.
Full House
743 Dana St., Mt. View (650) 968-0718
Just off Castro St. Family-run establishment. Generous with portions.
Cheap, fast and good! Critics' picks include meat buns & dimsum.
Hangen’s
134 Castro St., Mt. View (650) 964-8881
Great kung-pao chicken.
Kirin
485 Castro St., Mt. View (650) 965-1059
Horrible service, but food is highly recommended. Hefty portions.
Indian
Deedees Indian Fast Food
2551 Middlefield Rd., Mt. View (650) 967-9333
Fast food Gujurati. Great samosas and always a variety of vegetable dishes.
Try the chickpeas, but watch the spice.
Sue’s Kitchen
216 Castro St., Mt. View (650) 969-1112
Small restaurant with some big spicy flavors. Try the lentil fritters
and if you are daring, go for the super-atomic lamb vindaloo.
Swagat
2700 W. El Camino Real, Mt. View (650) 948-7727
Pricey, but very good. The lunch buffet is excellent. Serving both North
and South Indian cuisine. Try their spicy chana masala and palak paneer.
Italian
Frankie, Johnnie, and Luigi Too
939 El Camino Real, Mt. View (650) 967-5384
Old school pizzeria and Italian food joint. Stick to the pizza or calzone.
Good for a large group.
Mexican
Fiesta Del Mar
1005 N. Shoreline Blvd, Mt. View (650) 965-9354
Really really excellent Mexican. Great shrimp dishes, imaginative sauces.
Full tequila bar. Don’t you dare ask for your margaritas blended,
this ain’t Tex/Mex.
Noodles
Tung Kee Noodle House
401 Castro St., Mt. View (650) 965-1488
Cheap noodles, but uninventive.
Vietnamese
Pho Hoa Vietnamese Noodle Soup
220 Castro St. Mt. View (650) 969-5805
Cheap and delicious. Try their drinks, especially the avocado shake.
Pho To Chau
On Villa St., just off Castro St.
Great Vietnamese pho and spring rolls. Cheap and fast.
Los Altos
American
Armadillo Willy’s
1031 San Antonio Rd., Los Altos (650) 941-2922
Yummy. Huge portions. Get lots of meat, or order one of their delicious
veggie burgers. Great BBQ sauce, killer cole slaws.
Bandera
233 Third St., Los Altos (650) 948-3524
Usually crowded, but you will want to check out the spit-roasted chicken.
Also try the grilled artichokes.
Chinese
Chef Chus
1067 El Camino Real, Los Altos (650) 948-2696
Tasty family-style Chinese food. Great chicken salad.
Hunan Home
4880 El Camino Real, Los Altos (650) 965-8888
Good authentic Chinese. Has special breakfast menu on weekends. Good
honey walnut prawns.
Indian
Café Bombay
4546 El Camino Real, Los Altos (650) 948-9463
Very expensive and OK food.
Italian
Oregano’s
4546 El Camino Real, Los Altos (650) 941-3600
Decent & not too expensive.
Japanese
Akane
250 Third St., Los Alto (650) 941-8150.
While the décor is less than spectacular, check on the tatami
room. Good basic sushi. Standouts are the dragon roll and unagi. Frequented
by football legend Steve Young.
Redwood City
Breakfast
Stacks
314 El Camino Real, Redwood City (650) 482-2850
Hugely popular breakfast place. If you go on the weekends, prepare to
wait. But once inside, go for a blueberry wheat germ pancakes or a bacon
waffle.
Indian
Suraj
2550 El Camino Real, Redwood City (650) 369-8899
Good recommendations.
Mexican/Tex-Mex
Chevy’s
2907 El Camino Real, Redwood City (650) 367-6892
2116 El Camino Real, Mt. View (650) 691-9955
Perhaps not the most authentic Mexican food, but a fun party place. Great
for birthday parties—they give sombreros to the birthday boy/girl.
Buy a tequila popper for the birthday person. Chips and salsa are heavenly.
Fajita platter is great.
Berkeley
Chinese
Shen Wua
2914 College Ave., Berkeley (510) 883-1777
Superb Chinese food and hip décor. Start with the shrimp dumplings.
Then go for the spinach with mung bean thread, moo shu chicken, and crispy
spicy prawns. Meal ends with white rabbit candies instead of fortune
cookies.
Indian
Breads of India and Gourmet Curries
2448 Sacramento St., Berkeley (510) 848-7684
World of amazing naan. Definitely give this place a try on your next
trip to Berkeley.
Pizza
Zachary’s Chicago Pizza
1853 Solano Ave., Berkeley (510) 525-5950
5801 College Ave., Oakland (510) 655-6385
This could possibly be the world’s best pizza. Stuffed crust pizza
smothered in divine tomato sauce. Try the spinach mushroom pizza. Some
may like the thin crust also. When you go, buy two or three pizzas and
freeze the leftovers. Huge crowd with no reservations, be prepared to
wait. Cash only.
Los Gatos
How to get there: 280 South, exit I-85 to Gilroy to I-17 Santa Cruz to the 2nd exit to Downtown Los Gatos.
Café
Fleur de Cocoa
59 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos (408) 354-6974
Patisserie Chocolaterie. Wide variety of French pastries and cakes. Homemade
chocolates that are more than special. Staff is very friendly and have
great attention for detail. Stay for a Croque Monsieur and leave with
a box of chocolates or a fruit tart.
Vietnamese
Green Papaya
137 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos (408) 395-9115
Inventive Vietnamese food. Start with the spring rolls and the Saratoga
salad. Then get set to be amazed by the Sea Bass in Banana Leaf and Shrimp/Bacon
Crepe. Amazing wine list. Share with someone special.
Milpitas
How to get there: 101 South exit 237 towards Milpitas, exit MacArthur
Chinese
Darda Seafood
Milpitas Ranch 99 Complex (408) 433-5199
Just look for lines that go outside of the restaurant. Critics’ picks
include any seafood dish, Chinese pancakes with onion, any soups or noodles.
Fantasia Tea Shop
Milpitas Ranch 99 Complex (408) 955-0588
Amazing pearl tea. If you haven’t tried it, you must!
Hot Pot City
Milpitas Ranch 99 Complex (408) 428-0988
All you can eat. Meats and veggies that you boil/grill yourself. Very
popular. Usually long wait.
Mayflower Seafood Restaurant
Milpitas Ranch 99 Complex (408) 922-2700
Super dim-sum. Very fresh and not very greasy. Superb shrimp dumplings.
Oakland
Cambodian
Le Cheval
1007 Clay St., Oakland (510) 763-8495
Very reasonably priced. Good décor and service. Try the bird’s
nest noodle dish.
San Francisco
American
Metreon Café
At 5th and Mission Streets in San Francisco
Food is OK, but located in a fun place. The Metreon, recently built by
Sony, is a new virtual reality entertainment haven. Video games with
graphics that will blow your mind. Many movie theaters. Shops. Great
place to people watch.
Cambodian
Ankgor Wat
4217 Geary Blvd., San Francisco (415) 221-7887
Classic Cambodian food with a San Fran twist. Staff is always polite
and friendly. Start with the Lott (small in size but big in flavor).
Then go with the Five-Spices Shark. Only restaurant in San Francisco
that has been blessed by the Pope!
Chinese
Eric’s
1500 Church St., San Francisco (415) 282-0919
Hip and young. Twists on Chinese classics. Surprisingly delicious. In
Noe Valley.
House of Nanking
919 Kearny St., San Francisco (415) 421-1429
A hole in the wall North Beach restaurant that serves great food if you
can handle the lines & rushed and rude service. A good idea: take-out
food and have a picnic at the Marina Park near Fort Mason.
Fusion
Askew Grill
In Haight-Ashbury. On Haight.
Great place for vegetarians and meat eaters. All food is served on skewers.
Check out the tofu skewer and the ahi tuna skewer. Very affordable.
Vertigo
600 Montgomery Ave., San Francisco (415) 433-7250
Definitely a restaurant you want to dress up for. Delicious & expensive.
$$$$$
Italian
Basta Pasta
1268 Grant Ave., San Francisco (415) 434-2248
Located conveniently near the Velvet Lounge and Broadway Studios. Recently
remodeled with great service and very modern atmosphere. Try the gnocchi.
Fior d’ Italia
601 Union St., San Francisco (415) 986-1886
Great Italian food and great location. Check out the lasagna.
Steps of Rome
348 Columbus Ave., San Francisco (415) 397-0435
Go there late at night for a white chocolate gelato. On Columbus in Lil’ Italy.
Korean
Brother’s
4128 Geary Blvd., San Francisco (415) 387-7991
Very, very good Korean food. Has Korean BBQ grill at the table. In the
Richmond district.
Mediterranean
The Monkey Club
2730 21st St. at Byrant, San Francisco (415) 647-2144
Fun new hotspot with amazing comfy couches and booths. Make sure to
show up early to get a booth. For drinks, go for the Monkey Screw!
And then
eat some lamb kabobs and warm spinach salad.
Spanish
Cha Cha Cha
1801 Haight St., San Francisco (415) 386-7670
Fun, hip place to go for tapas after a long day of shopping in the
Haight. Sangria and calamari are standouts.
Vegetarian
Millennium
246 Mcallister, San Francisco (415) 487-9800
Not too expensive with very ritzy atmosphere. Interesting blend
of flavors using meat substitutes like tempeh. An experience.
San Jose
Japanese
Sushi Masa
5363 Camden Ave., San Jose (408) 265-3232
Really tasty. Stick to the appetizers (chicken karagi, soft
shell crab, and agadashi tofu) and the desserts (cold
green tea ice
cream inside
yummy light yellow cake).
Santa Clara
Indian
Pasand
3701 El Camino Real, Santa Clara (408) 241-5150
Nationally renown for their dosas and uttapums. Live
music on the weekends. An Indian community favorite.
Critics'
picks include
masala dosa.
Korean
Korea House
2340 El Camino Real, Santa Clara (408) 249-0808
A very popular Korean food restaurant in Santa
Clara. Has good portions and free appetizers.
A must! Hard
to get
seats so
come early.
