Restaurant recommendations

[Helpful person]

I'm looking for a nice restaurant in the San Jose / Paulo Alto area
for an anniversary dinner.

I like traditional French or Italian or modern Californian food. I'm
also thinking about Vietnamese / French but enjoy all types of food.

My hoped for price range is about $50 per person (without wine).

Any suggestions?

[Aahz Maruch]

Post by Helpful person
I'm looking for a nice restaurant in the San Jose / Paulo Alto area
for an anniversary dinner.
I like traditional French or Italian or modern Californian food. I'm
also thinking about Vietnamese / French but enjoy all types of food.
My hoped for price range is about $50 per person (without wine).
Any suggestions?

My traditional suggestion is Chantilly, but Atherton may be a bit north
for you. (Was there for the first time in a few years a couple of weeks
ago, and it is still absolutely consistent.)

Petit Bistro in Mountain View would be a good choice but isn't expensive
enough. ;-)

Le Papillon in San Jose used to be excellent but I haven't been there in
several years.

[Al Eisner]

Post by Aahz Maruch

Post by Helpful person
I'm looking for a nice restaurant in the San Jose / Paulo Alto area
for an anniversary dinner.
I like traditional French or Italian or modern Californian food. I'm
also thinking about Vietnamese / French but enjoy all types of food.
My hoped for price range is about $50 per person (without wine).
Any suggestions?

My traditional suggestion is Chantilly, but Atherton may be a bit north
for you. (Was there for the first time in a few years a couple of weeks
ago, and it is still absolutely consistent.)
Petit Bistro in Mountain View would be a good choice but isn't expensive
enough. ;-)
Le Papillon in San Jose used to be excellent but I haven't been there in
several years.

Although I've never been there, La Foret in New Almaden sounds like a
great destination restaurant. It's been reviewed on "Check Please Bay
Area". (It's in a southern part of San Jose, but appears to be almost
out in the country.) Wasn't it at least initially related to Le Papillon?

[Eddie Grove]

Post by Al Eisner
Although I've never been there, La Foret in New Almaden sounds like a
great destination restaurant. It's been reviewed on "Check Please Bay
Area". (It's in a southern part of San Jose, but appears to be almost
out in the country.) Wasn't it at least initially related to Le Papillon?

I've been to Le Papillon and La Foret once each. I was not excited at
all at Le Papillon. I really enjoyed the dinner at La Foret, but the
best thing about the dinner was the wine we chose, and you cannot count
on striking gold every time. The sample size was too small for me to
want to make a suggestion, but since you brought it up ... Some day I
will return to La Foret, but not to Le Papillon.

I don't remember the price range at La Foret, and while in San Jose it
is way out in the boonies. It seemed to take forever to get there from
Santa Clara. If the OP is interested, better check a map site to get an
approximation of the travel time.


Eddie

[Phil Keller]

Post by Eddie Grove
I was not excited at
all at Le Papillon. I really enjoyed the dinner at La Foret

La Foret stands out. One of my five favorite restaurants.

[Tim May]

Post by Eddie Grove
I don't remember the price range at La Foret, and while in San Jose it
is way out in the boonies. It seemed to take forever to get there from
Santa Clara. If the OP is interested, better check a map site to get an
approximation of the travel time.

Distances and times are relative.

It's further in distance and time for me to get from Corralitos, where
I live, to Santa Cruz, where I sometimes dine, than the distance from
Santa Clara or Sunnyvale to La Foret in New Almaden.

(I used to live in Sunnyvale, and I think I once dined with my father
and sister at La Foret, or at least some predecessor of it, circa 1977.
A minor drive to get to New Almaden, but certainly not a major drive.)

[Gary Brainin]

Post by Al Eisner

Post by Aahz Maruch

Post by Helpful person
I'm looking for a nice restaurant in the San Jose / Paulo Alto area
for an anniversary dinner.
I like traditional French or Italian or modern Californian food.  I'm
also thinking about Vietnamese / French but enjoy all types of food.
My hoped for price range is about $50 per person (without wine).
Any suggestions?

My traditional suggestion is Chantilly, but Atherton may be a bit north
for you.  (Was there for the first time in a few years a couple of weeks
ago, and it is still absolutely consistent.)
Petit Bistro in Mountain View would be a good choice but isn't expensive
enough.  ;-)
Le Papillon in San Jose used to be excellent but I haven't been there in
several years.

Although I've never been there, La Foret in New Almaden sounds like a
great destination restaurant.  It's been reviewed on "Check Please Bay
Area".  (It's in a southern part of San Jose, but appears to be almost
out in the country.)  Wasn't it at least initially related to Le Papillon?

Same owner(s), different chefs. La Foret is at once out in the
country (one passes animal farms on the way) and not that far (half an
hour from where I live in suburbialand).

Personally, I like both, though La Foret has the clear advantage in
outside atmosphere (wooded creek vs. strip mall). Le Papillon seems
to me a bit more modern/California, La Foret a bit more traditional/
French, but I'm already exaggerating the difference by saying that
much.

-Gary

[Peter Lawrence]

Post by Helpful person
I'm looking for a nice restaurant in the San Jose / Paulo Alto area
for an anniversary dinner.
I like traditional French or Italian or modern Californian food. I'm
also thinking about Vietnamese / French but enjoy all types of food.
My hoped for price range is about $50 per person (without wine).
Any suggestions?

For Italian, I love the outdoor patio setting of Cafe Riace in Palo Alto.
The food is very good too. For French fine dining in Palo Alto, I would
recommend Bistro Elan.


- Peter

[Aahz Maruch]

Post by Peter Lawrence

Post by Helpful person
I'm looking for a nice restaurant in the San Jose / Paulo Alto area
for an anniversary dinner.
I like traditional French or Italian or modern Californian food. I'm
also thinking about Vietnamese / French but enjoy all types of food.
My hoped for price range is about $50 per person (without wine).
Any suggestions?

For Italian, I love the outdoor patio setting of Cafe Riace in Palo Alto.
The food is very good too. For French fine dining in Palo Alto, I would
recommend Bistro Elan.

Whereas I'd recommend against Bistro Elan. Too friggin' noisy, and IMO
the food wasn't a particularly good value, either.

Also, it's "Caffe Riace".

[Peter Lawrence]

Post by Aahz Maruch
Also, it's "Caffe Riace".

I blame that on my freakin' spell-checker!

;)


- Peter

[Tim May]

Post by Aahz Maruch

Post by Peter Lawrence

Post by Helpful person
I'm looking for a nice restaurant in the San Jose / Paulo Alto area
for an anniversary dinner.
I like traditional French or Italian or modern Californian food. I'm
also thinking about Vietnamese / French but enjoy all types of food.
My hoped for price range is about $50 per person (without wine).
Any suggestions?

For Italian, I love the outdoor patio setting of Cafe Riace in Palo Alto.
The food is very good too. For French fine dining in Palo Alto, I would
recommend Bistro Elan.

Whereas I'd recommend against Bistro Elan. Too friggin' noisy, and IMO
the food wasn't a particularly good value, either.

Ditto for me. Some woman I once dated wanted to go to Bistro Elan.

I paid, of course, this being the way our sexist society works. I can't
speak for the woman, but I was very hungry after finishing what I was
served. For a lot of money, back then, it was a serious disappointment.

(It didn't work out with the chick, either. Maybe I didn't squander
enough money on her?)

[sf]

Post by Tim May
(It didn't work out with the chick, either. Maybe I didn't squander
enough money on her?)

I'm sure you were just overflowing with effervescent charm at the
time.

[Al Eisner]

Post by Helpful person
I'm looking for a nice restaurant in the San Jose / Paulo Alto area
for an anniversary dinner.
I like traditional French or Italian or modern Californian food. I'm
also thinking about Vietnamese / French but enjoy all types of food.
My hoped for price range is about $50 per person (without wine).
Any suggestions?

For Italian, I love the outdoor patio setting of Cafe Riace in Palo Alto. The
food is very good too. For French fine dining in Palo Alto, I would
recommend Bistro Elan.

I tried Caffe Riace for the first time a month or two ago. I generally
don't care for outdoor dining, and the indoor seating was very limited
(unless there was an unseen larger room) and felt rather cramped. The
food, however, was quite good, so if the OP likes the outdoor experience
it could work out. (Also, the weather is likely to be nicer than it
was when I was there.)

[Peter Lawrence]

Post by Helpful person
I'm looking for a nice restaurant in the San Jose / Paulo Alto area
for an anniversary dinner.
I like traditional French or Italian or modern Californian food. I'm
also thinking about Vietnamese / French but enjoy all types of food.
My hoped for price range is about $50 per person (without wine).
Any suggestions?

For Italian, I love the outdoor patio setting of Caffe Riace in Palo Alto.
The food is very good too. For French fine dining in Palo Alto, I would
recommend Bistro Elan.

I tried Caffe Riace for the first time a month or two ago. I generally
don't care for outdoor dining, and the indoor seating was very limited
(unless there was an unseen larger room) and felt rather cramped.

Yes, indoor seating at Caffe Riace is both limited and cramped. I wouldn't
recommend dining there except during nice weather, like we typically have
here from mid-spring through mid-fall. (Though this year's spring weather
hasn't really been conducive for dining alfresco.)

Of all the Italian restaurants I've dined at on the Peninsula and in the
South Bay, Caffe Riace comes the closest in mimicking the experience of
dining alfresco in Italy, IMHO.


- Peter

[sf]

On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:55:32 -0700 (PDT), Helpful person

Post by Helpful person
I'm looking for a nice restaurant in the San Jose / Paulo Alto area
for an anniversary dinner.
I like traditional French or Italian or modern Californian food. I'm
also thinking about Vietnamese / French but enjoy all types of food.
My hoped for price range is about $50 per person (without wine).
Any suggestions?

My DD's anniversary is coming up soon too and they're eating out down
there, so I'll email and find out where their reservations are.
What's your timeline?

[Helpful person]

Post by sf
On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:55:32 -0700 (PDT), Helpful person

Post by Helpful person
I'm looking for a nice restaurant in the San Jose / Paulo Alto area
for an anniversary dinner.
I like traditional French or Italian or modern Californian food.  I'm
also thinking about Vietnamese / French but enjoy all types of food.
My hoped for price range is about $50 per person (without wine).
Any suggestions?

My DD's anniversary is coming up soon too and they're eating out down
there, so I'll email and find out where their reservations are.
What's your timeline?
--
Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

My timeline is July 2nd.

[sf]

On Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:50:43 -0700 (PDT), Helpful person

Post by Helpful person

Post by sf
On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:55:32 -0700 (PDT), Helpful person

Post by Helpful person
I'm looking for a nice restaurant in the San Jose / Paulo Alto area
for an anniversary dinner.
I like traditional French or Italian or modern Californian food.  I'm
also thinking about Vietnamese / French but enjoy all types of food.
My hoped for price range is about $50 per person (without wine).
Any suggestions?

My DD's anniversary is coming up soon too and they're eating out down
there, so I'll email and find out where their reservations are.
What's your timeline?
--
Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

My timeline is July 2nd.

I emailed SIL last night about it and awaiting his reply. :)

[sf]

On Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:50:43 -0700 (PDT), Helpful person

Post by Helpful person

Post by sf
On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:55:32 -0700 (PDT), Helpful person

Post by Helpful person
I'm looking for a nice restaurant in the San Jose / Paulo Alto area
for an anniversary dinner.
I like traditional French or Italian or modern Californian food.  I'm
also thinking about Vietnamese / French but enjoy all types of food.
My hoped for price range is about $50 per person (without wine).
Any suggestions?

My DD's anniversary is coming up soon too and they're eating out down
there, so I'll email and find out where their reservations are.
What's your timeline?

My timeline is July 2nd.

Okay, I found out... It's called Plumed Horse in Saratoga.
http://www.plumedhorse.com/

[Peter Lawrence]

Post by sf
On Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:50:43 -0700 (PDT), Helpful person

Post by Helpful person

Post by sf
On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:55:32 -0700 (PDT), Helpful person

Post by Helpful person
I'm looking for a nice restaurant in the San Jose / Paulo Alto area
for an anniversary dinner.
I like traditional French or Italian or modern Californian food. I'm
also thinking about Vietnamese / French but enjoy all types of food.
My hoped for price range is about $50 per person (without wine).
Any suggestions?

My DD's anniversary is coming up soon too and they're eating out down
there, so I'll email and find out where their reservations are.
What's your timeline?

My timeline is July 2nd.

Okay, I found out... It's called Plumed Horse in Saratoga.
http://www.plumedhorse.com/

Excellent restaurant -- good choice for an anniversary celebration. But it
might be on the high side of the OP's $50/person (without wine) budget.
Still an excellent restaurant. It's my favorite restaurant in Saratoga.


- Peter

[Aahz Maruch]

Post by Peter Lawrence

Post by sf
Okay, I found out... It's called Plumed Horse in Saratoga.
http://www.plumedhorse.com/

Excellent restaurant -- good choice for an anniversary celebration. But it
might be on the high side of the OP's $50/person (without wine) budget.
Still an excellent restaurant. It's my favorite restaurant in Saratoga.

My primary and I went there once. The experience was fine until they
stuck a party of five loud businesspeople at the table next to us. We
haven't been back.

[sf]

Post by Peter Lawrence

Post by sf
Okay, I found out... It's called Plumed Horse in Saratoga.
http://www.plumedhorse.com/

Excellent restaurant -- good choice for an anniversary celebration. But it
might be on the high side of the OP's $50/person (without wine) budget.

Agreed.

Post by Peter Lawrence
Still an excellent restaurant. It's my favorite restaurant in Saratoga.

:)

[Helpful person]

Post by Helpful person
I'm looking for a nice restaurant in the San Jose / Paulo Alto area
for an anniversary dinner.
I like traditional French or Italian or modern Californian food.  I'm
also thinking about Vietnamese / French but enjoy all types of food.
My hoped for price range is about $50 per person (without wine).
Any suggestions?

Has anyone been to Bistro Elan in Paulo Alto?

[Aahz Maruch]

Post by Helpful person
Has anyone been to Bistro Elan in Paulo Alto?

One person recommended it and I disagreed -- didn't you read the thread?

[Peter Lawrence]

Post by Aahz Maruch

Post by Helpful person
Has anyone been to Bistro Elan in Paulo Alto?

One person recommended it and I disagreed -- didn't you read the thread?

And yes, both of us (I was the one who recommended it) have dined at Bistro
Elan.

(BTW, the inspectors of the SF Michelin Guide also recommend Bistro Elan.)


- Peter

[Helpful person]

I eventually settled on Dio Deko, http://www.diodeka.com/

This is an upscale Greek restaurant in Los Gatos. Although very
expensive I can thoroughly recommend what I ate.

The octopus appetizer (Octapothi Scharas) was tender and seared to
perfection. The whole fish, (Tsipoura) served with head and bone in
was cooked to perfection.

The waiter talked me into some Greek wine with which I was very
pleasantly surprised.

http://www,richardfisher.com

[Pete Fraser]

Post by Helpful person
The waiter talked me into some Greek wine with which I was very
pleasantly surprised.

Not Retsina, I assume.
It has been 35 years since I drank Retsina, but
the memory still makes me shudder. Although, in truth,
I did drink quite a few bottles. Somehow interspersing
glasses of Retsina with bottles of FIX and shots of
Metaxa *** dulled the tastes of all three.

[Steve Pope]

Post by Pete Fraser
Not Retsina, I assume.
It has been 35 years since I drank Retsina, but
the memory still makes me shudder.

Relative to the old days, they have drastically reduced the amount of
turpentine in Retsina.


Steve

[Al Eisner]

Post by Steve Pope

Post by Pete Fraser
Not Retsina, I assume.
It has been 35 years since I drank Retsina, but
the memory still makes me shudder.

Relative to the old days, they have drastically reduced the amount of
turpentine in Retsina.

Who are "they"? Is this related to Greece's current financial problems?

[After just a few tries of retsina, my Greek-restaurant wine-ordering
amounts to "anything but retsina".]

[Steve Pope]

Post by Al Eisner

Post by Steve Pope
Relative to the old days, they have drastically reduced the amount of
turpentine in Retsina.

Who are "they"?

Greek winemakers.

Post by Al Eisner
Is this related to Greece's current financial problems?

No, the low-turpentine Retsina became the norm at least a decade
ago, perhaps two.

Post by Al Eisner
[After just a few tries of retsina, my Greek-restaurant wine-ordering
amounts to "anything but retsina".]

It may still be a little heavy for a lot of folks. Personally,
I'm not drinking it.

Steve

[Al Eisner]

Post by Steve Pope

Post by Al Eisner

Post by Steve Pope
Relative to the old days, they have drastically reduced the amount of
turpentine in Retsina.

Who are "they"?

Greek winemakers.

Post by Al Eisner
Is this related to Greece's current financial problems?

No, the low-turpentine Retsina became the norm at least a decade
ago, perhaps two.

Post by Al Eisner
[After just a few tries of retsina, my Greek-restaurant wine-ordering
amounts to "anything but retsina".]

It may still be a little heavy for a lot of folks. Personally,
I'm not drinking it.

Thanks. I haven't tried it again since before that decade or two.
I'm still doubt if I will.

[William Ahern]

Post by Steve Pope

Post by Pete Fraser
Not Retsina, I assume.
It has been 35 years since I drank Retsina, but
the memory still makes me shudder.

Relative to the old days, they have drastically reduced the amount of
turpentine in Retsina.

That's a shame. The first glass of retsina I ever took tasted like bottled
pine sap and I instantly took to it. Every glass since then has been a let
down, though; not strong enough.

[Steve Pope]

Post by William Ahern

Post by Steve Pope
Relative to the old days, they have drastically reduced the amount of
turpentine in Retsina.

That's a shame. The first glass of retsina I ever took tasted like bottled
pine sap and I instantly took to it. Every glass since then has been a let
down, though; not strong enough.

I hear ya. Low-turpentine Retsina makes about as much sense as
half-caf coffee -- it's unclear on the concept.


S.

[Helpful person]

Post by Pete Fraser

Post by Helpful person
The waiter talked me into some Greek wine with which I was very
pleasantly surprised.

Not Retsina, I assume.
It has been 35 years since I drank Retsina, but
the memory still makes me shudder. Although, in truth,
I did drink quite a few bottles. Somehow interspersing
glasses of Retsina with bottles of FIX and shots of
Metaxa *** dulled the tastes of all three.

No, not Retsina. However, as an uneducated student and with the only
alternative being something called Spumante one can get used to it.
This was in Corfu in the late 60s.

[Pete Fraser]

Post by Helpful person
This was in Corfu in the late 60s.

Likewise. Mainly around Gouvia.

[Steve Fenwick]

Post by Pete Fraser

Post by Helpful person
The waiter talked me into some Greek wine with which I was very
pleasantly surprised.

Not Retsina, I assume.
It has been 35 years since I drank Retsina, but
the memory still makes me shudder. Although, in truth,
I did drink quite a few bottles. Somehow interspersing
glasses of Retsina with bottles of FIX and shots of
Metaxa *** dulled the tastes of all three.

The "Greek wine = retsina" conjunction is dated. There's a lot of good
Greek wines out there, especially reds. Papantonis' Meden Agan comes to
mind.

Steve

[Al Eisner]

Post by Steve Fenwick

Post by Pete Fraser

Post by Helpful person
The waiter talked me into some Greek wine with which I was very
pleasantly surprised.

Not Retsina, I assume.
It has been 35 years since I drank Retsina, but
the memory still makes me shudder. Although, in truth,
I did drink quite a few bottles. Somehow interspersing
glasses of Retsina with bottles of FIX and shots of
Metaxa *** dulled the tastes of all three.

The "Greek wine = retsina" conjunction is dated. There's a lot of good
Greek wines out there, especially reds. Papantonis' Meden Agan comes to
mind.

It's been possible to get good (or at least decent) wine at Greek
restaurants for as long as I can remember. A simple "what else have
you got" generally revealed some. (Although I have no reason to doubt
that it's gotten better over the years, as you say.)

[Steve Pope]

Post by Al Eisner

Post by Steve Fenwick
The "Greek wine = retsina" conjunction is dated. There's a lot of good
Greek wines out there, especially reds. Papantonis' Meden Agan comes to
mind.

It's been possible to get good (or at least decent) wine at Greek
restaurants for as long as I can remember.

That is my belief as well. Andronico's always carries maybe 6
non-Retsina Greek wines. They can be good, although most people
probably don't look at them before they've drunk through the
available Spanish or Southern Italian wines, which are likely to
be better.

What one hopes for is something exotically different, along the lines
of a Chateua Musar, but I haven't found it.


Steve

[SMS]

Post by Pete Fraser

Post by Helpful person
The waiter talked me into some Greek wine with which I was very
pleasantly surprised.

Not Retsina, I assume.
It has been 35 years since I drank Retsina, but
the memory still makes me shudder.

I thought it was a bicycle chain cleaner.