Lavanda, Palo Alto, revisited

[Al Eisner]

It's been over a year since I was last at Lavanda in Palo Alto, but
dinner there reconfirms it as one of my very favorite upscale restaurants
in the Palo Alto area. (I'm sure it's not "upscale" by some standards
here, but it's in the higher bracket of places I tend to visit.)
As on most of my visits, I started with the "three small tastes"
($12). This time I hit the mark on all three: (1) Tuna (white, in a
mild oil, much more delicate and less dense than what you get out of a can,
with capers, sweet onions and toasts; (2) Roasted peppers (a long sweet
Spanish variety whose name has slipped my mind) with a ricotta topping,
an excellent contrast in flavors; (3) fresh figs (black mission?) with
gorgonzola and balsamic vinegar. All three were excellent, and the
combined portion quite generous.
Soft-shelled crab for the entree: I haven't had this in years, so I
found it hard to resist ordering this special of the day. It turned
out to be two whole deep-fried crabs, accompanied by deep-fried thick-
cut onion rings and zucchini slices, and a very nice (only slightly
spicy) red pepper aioli. The batter and preparation seemed rather
tempura-like, light and not oily. An unusual dish for me, and a
successful one.
Total cost per person, including a glass of wine (and taxes and tip)
was just over $50. But the menu is extensive, and one could make a less
filling meal from the small tastes and appetizers or pastas, especially
if shared.

[Mean Green Dancing Machine]

Post by Al Eisner
It's been over a year since I was last at Lavanda in Palo Alto, but
dinner there reconfirms it as one of my very favorite upscale restaurants
in the Palo Alto area. (I'm sure it's not "upscale" by some standards
here, but it's in the higher bracket of places I tend to visit.)

What part of town is it?

[Al Eisner]

Post by Mean Green Dancing Machine

Post by Al Eisner
It's been over a year since I was last at Lavanda in Palo Alto, but
dinner there reconfirms it as one of my very favorite upscale restaurants
in the Palo Alto area. (I'm sure it's not "upscale" by some standards
here, but it's in the higher bracket of places I tend to visit.)

What part of town is it?

Downtown -- Emerson at University. There's a new multi-story parking
garage a few blocks away (just past Bryant), although for a relatively
early meal on a weekday it's generally not necessary to go that far.

[Yip Yap]

Post by Al Eisner

Post by Mean Green Dancing Machine

Post by Al Eisner
It's been over a year since I was last at Lavanda in Palo Alto, but
dinner there reconfirms it as one of my very favorite upscale restaurants
in the Palo Alto area. (I'm sure it's not "upscale" by some standards
here, but it's in the higher bracket of places I tend to visit.)

What part of town is it?

Downtown -- Emerson at University. There's a new multi-story parking
garage a few blocks away (just past Bryant), although for a relatively
early meal on a weekday it's generally not necessary to go that far.

An address, as in street number and street, would be quite handy
for those who don't like the fog system.

-- Yip

[Dave Eisen]

Post by Mean Green Dancing Machine

Post by Al Eisner
It's been over a year since I was last at Lavanda in Palo Alto, but
dinner there reconfirms it as one of my very favorite upscale restaurants
in the Palo Alto area. (I'm sure it's not "upscale" by some standards
here, but it's in the higher bracket of places I tend to visit.)

What part of town is it?

It's in what used to be Good Earth.

[K***@aol.com]

Post by Al Eisner
It's been over a year since I was last at Lavanda in Palo Alto, but
dinner there reconfirms it as one of my very favorite upscale restaurants
in the Palo Alto area.

<snip>

I've only been there once - several weeks ago for lunch on a Saturday
afternoon. Very much enjoyed the carrot gazpacho and the grilled sea
bass on a bed of spinach and mushrooms. My companion did the three
small tastes and the sea bass.

I'd definitely go back.

[Tarak Parekh]

Al,

Thanks for the review.

We visited Lavanda yesterday and it was very nice. We had the 3 small
plates -
a) Figs, Balsamic glaze, gorgonzola - Figs could have been riper, but
the combination was great
b) Eggplant caponata - Bursted with flavours and the best of the 3
c) Hummus with crostini - Good.

We shared the Ravioli which was a little undercooked but was replaced
by our server. It was better the next time, and although it felt a
little dry, was good.
Dessert was one of highlights - warm hazelnut cake, spicy plum compote
with cream on top. The cake melted in the mouth with the plum compote
which was perfect with the right spices.

We will return :)
Tarak

Post by Al Eisner
It's been over a year since I was last at Lavanda in Palo Alto, but
dinner there reconfirms it as one of my very favorite upscale restaurants
in the Palo Alto area. (I'm sure it's not "upscale" by some standards
here, but it's in the higher bracket of places I tend to visit.)
As on most of my visits, I started with the "three small tastes"
($12). This time I hit the mark on all three: (1) Tuna (white, in a
mild oil, much more delicate and less dense than what you get out of a can,
with capers, sweet onions and toasts; (2) Roasted peppers (a long sweet
Spanish variety whose name has slipped my mind) with a ricotta topping,
an excellent contrast in flavors; (3) fresh figs (black mission?) with
gorgonzola and balsamic vinegar. All three were excellent, and the
combined portion quite generous.
Soft-shelled crab for the entree: I haven't had this in years, so I
found it hard to resist ordering this special of the day. It turned
out to be two whole deep-fried crabs, accompanied by deep-fried thick-
cut onion rings and zucchini slices, and a very nice (only slightly
spicy) red pepper aioli. The batter and preparation seemed rather
tempura-like, light and not oily. An unusual dish for me, and a
successful one.
Total cost per person, including a glass of wine (and taxes and tip)
was just over $50. But the menu is extensive, and one could make a less
filling meal from the small tastes and appetizers or pastas, especially
if shared.

[Al Eisner]

Post by Tarak Parekh
Al,
Thanks for the review.
We visited Lavanda yesterday and it was very nice. We had the 3 small
plates -
a) Figs, Balsamic glaze, gorgonzola - Figs could have been riper, but
the combination was great

The figs were just right on my visit.

Post by Tarak Parekh
b) Eggplant caponata - Bursted with flavours and the best of the 3
c) Hummus with crostini - Good.
We shared the Ravioli which was a little undercooked but was replaced
by our server. It was better the next time, and although it felt a
little dry, was good.

I also liked their gnocchi (although it's been a couple of years since
I've had it). Like the ravioli, it's amenable to sharing, which avoids
a possible saturation effect.

Post by Tarak Parekh
Dessert was one of highlights - warm hazelnut cake, spicy plum compote
with cream on top. The cake melted in the mouth with the plum compote
which was perfect with the right spices.

I guess sharing of the appetizer and/or entree is the way to get to
dessert; I usually fail at that.

Post by Tarak Parekh
We will return :)

[Alan Dundas]

My wife and I have visited Lavanda more than a 1/2 a dozen times in the
last year. Over this time we've seen what we would consider changes for
the better and changes for the worse, but nothing so bad that we don't
want to come back.

I feel the chef has an amazing command on some of the dishes, while
others don't have the same quality. In particular, while I'm not a
huge pork fan, I can say that I have had some of the best pork "The
Sicilian Pork Chop" there. Unfortunately, don't try to look for this
on the menu, because my main criticism about this restaurant is that
some of the excellent dishes don't "stick" and fall off the changing
menu. The Bison Ravioli, The Sicilian Pork Chop, and several other
dishes that provide so much excitement that you want to return, are
simply missing from the menu when you finally do return (forcing you to
discover a new favorite, which can sometimes be hit or miss).

I think that service has gotten a bit better over the last year, it may
be because our faces may becoming more familiar and we generally are
able to find a good price on a northern rhone wine (which really goes
well with the flavors).

=Alan Dundas