Authentic Mex in Saratoga

Tacos piled high with guacamole, sour cream and tons of yellow cheese. Huge burritos packed with gloppy brown refried beans. Enormous platters of nachos with plentiful toppings.  The essence of Mexican food?  Not really.  These American creations have as much in common with authentic Mexican food as chop suey does with real Chinese cuisine.  Meanwhile, the true regional cooking of Mexico is varied, delicious and in short supply in the South Bay.  But if Andrew Welch has his way, this will change — starting in affluent Saratoga, of all places.

Heirloom Tomato/Feta Towers with Vincotto and Candied Pecans

Tomato salad assembled as tasty towers makes an impressive presentation

There seem to be as many recipes for tomato salad as there are colorful heirloom tomato varieties.  I’ve gone in various directions, with the constant being reasonably large tomatoes, basil and cheese.  Personally, I prefer a more flavorful cheese (optimal: French feta) to the usual bland mozarella/bocconcini (the little mozarella balls).  But if you like bland, stick with it in the following recipe.  Two things that help elevate this salad above the usual are: the inclusion of delicious vincotto, a wonderful Italian thick, sweet wine-based condiment that’s like less-tart balsamic; and candied pecans.  Serving this salad in classy layered towers looks cool, although it will all fall apart during the eager consumption, naturally. The amounts aren’t exact below, so use more or less of everything to suit your taste.  This should be enough for 8 healthy servings

Light Spring Rolls

These can be vegetarian (or not) and are a light, delicious starter, lunch or snack.

I LOVE spring rolls — or, at least, the non-fried kind wrapped in rice paper and stuffed with herbs and veggies.  These little bites can serve as a way to use up leftovers, which is how I came to make up my version when I found myself with some grilled hanger steak (see recipe elsewhere on the blog) in the fridge that needed to be disposed of.   They are great with any leftover protein and can also be a receptacle for leftover vegetables (raw ones, preferably). Or buy flavored tofu (as seen in photo above) or sliced roast beef from the deli or whatever you want, basically. Dipped in a light Thai sauce, they burst with flavor and it’s hard to eat just one.  Try cutting them into bite-sized pieces and serve as an appetizer.  Besides being delicious, they’re light and healthy.

Mayfield Cafe: Tasty Meals for the Rest of Us

This casual new spot aims to serve all Palo Altans

Imagine t.v.’s “Cheers” bar turned into a casual neighborhood eatery with quietly ambitious cuisine and you’ll approximate the new Mayfield Bakery and Cafe in Palo Alto’s refurbed Town & Country Village kitty-corner from Stanford Stadium. Trade the lovable drunks for designer-jeans-clad soccer moms and kids, dating couples, smiling retirees and VCs gobbling up business meals, but the concept still carries: a friendly, low-key establishment where everybody might not know your name but all are welcome.  The response has been very positive, even in the midst of the troubled economy.

Light Recipe: Rhubarb Ginger Sorbet with Swanton Strawberries, Aged Balsamic Vinegar and Greek Yogurt

Dieters, this delicious dessert is almost guilt free.

Sounds ho-hum? In fact, it’s wonderful: light in calories, big in flavor and as satisfying as it is  guilt free.  My friend Patti, a Midwestern girl, introduced me  to the rhubarb sorbet concept (rhubarb is a popular ingredient back there but not so much during my California upbringing). I’d never bought rhubarb before but now I’m a believer. The sorbet is intense and creamy, the latter being a natural property of cooked rhubarb.  Also helping is the fact that no water is used in the sorbet recipe (sorbets usually are made with sugar water).  The best choice for the  strawberries are the wondrous ones from Swanton, which are available at the Menlo Park farmers market, Whole Foods and elsewhere.  And the Fage brand Greek-style yogurt is to yogurt what Domaine de la Romanée Conti is to pinot noir. Another discovery I have Patti to thank for.

Recipe: Salmon with Olive-Almond-Fennel Topping

Olives and salmon are a wonderful match. This simple, fast, bright-tasting topping can be thrown together quickly and is good on just about anything (well, not chocolate cake). Here, the salmon is pan roasted but it could just as easily be grilled or baked. And the topping is good with other fish, such as swordfish, halibut, sturgeon, sea bass, etc.

Recipe: Slow-Roasted Salmon in Dill

Brining fish? You bet. This recipe is a take-off from one created by Jerry Traunfeld, a leading Northwest chef. It’s very easy but plenty elegant enough to serve to guests. Brining does magical things to the salmon, changing the texture into a meltingly tender, moist bite of heaven.

Recipe: Salmon Tartare

Super-fresh fish like that sold by Cook’s in Menlo Park makes it possible to prepare “crudo” (raw fish)-type dishes. The flavors here are amazing; a mouthful of taste with no added fat/oil other than the omega 3s from the salmon. And it’s gorgeous to look at, too. Serve this as an appetizer or as part of a buffet. It’s so delicious, though, that you’ll be tempted to eat it for your whole meal. If you’ve got guests that simply won’t eat raw fish, it also makes some out-of-this-world salmon patties (just sauté in a little butter or oil).

Recipe: Pan-Roasted Blue-Nosed Bass with Fennel/Saffron Compote

Blue-nosed bass is one of the best meaty white fish varieties  around. Get it at Cook’s Seafood in Menlo Park. Its moistness and fine flavor stand up to accompaniments particularly well, particularly Provencal-type dishes. The fennel-saffron compote is indescribably delicious, tasting like the best parts of bouillabaisse, the famous fish stew of Marseilles, but in a different form. Halibut could be used instead of the blue-nosed bass if desired.

Nick’s on Main is All About Comfort

Owner/chef Nick Difu has it all working — food, friendliness and atmosphere — at his new restaurant in downtown Los Gatos.

Pleasure has greater currency during troubled times. For example, savoring five-cent chocolate bars helped many Americans get through the Great Depression. Self-nurturing is therapeutic and for South Bay residents seeking an antidote to today’s economic uncertainties, one of the best places to indulge is year-old Nick’s on Main in Los Gatos.

Recipe: Carrot Macaroni and Cheese (low calorie)

This is another excellent concept from Jeremy Fox, chef of Napa’s Ubuntu, which is a much-buzzed-about new vegetarian restaurant. The silky carrot puree is a replacement for the usual fatty cream sauce. I prefer this version to the usual bland mac ‘n cheese. I changed the recipe a little to pump up the flavors.

Recipe: Green Pea Soup with Tarragon and Pea Sprouts

Pea soup is wonderful and this one is a fast, easy, light version of the richer kind that contains cream. It can be made vegetarian via vegetable broth but tastes better if Swanson’s Natural Goodness low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth is used. Or better yet, homemade stock.  I modified the original recipe a bit to make it better.

Crab Landing Delivers Coastal Views and a Huge Menu

Inside its walls of windows overlooking Pillar Point Harbor, Crab Landing features sushi, a raw bar, huge seafood menu, steaks and two cocktail bars.

The only guests who couldn’t find something appealing to eat at just-opened Crab Landing in Half Moon Bay would have to be penny-pinching vegans who disdain great coastal views. For everyone else, this huge new restaurant overlooking the fishing boats in Pillar Point Harbor and the sweeping Pacific beyond takes a greatest-hits approach to its offerings that is calculated to please the widest swath of diners. Its two levels contain an oyster bar, a sushi bar, two cocktail bars and a wine cellar while presenting a menu of popular seafood dishes from across the country and well beyond — in addition to signature cocktails (the lychee martini is a hit), soups, salads, steaks, prime rib and ubiquitous desserts. There’s also al fresco patio dining, where the edge of renowned surf spot Mavericks crashes in the distance.

Recipe: Chicory Salad (Radicchio, Orange, Date, Ricotta Salata)

This salad has big, bold, mouth-filling flavors and is essentially a meal-in-a-bowl.  I had a version of it at Lure in  San Mateo (see my restaurant review of this great spot on the blog) and it was so memorable that I developed my own version.  It’s a good fall/winter salad, during prime citrus season.  Among the wonderful things about this salad is the contrast of sweet/bitter, soft/crunchy and it’s beautiful to look at as well.

Recipe: Red Pepper Sauce (2 versions)

One of the most irrisistible, all-purpose vegetarian sauces in existence is some variation of the classic Spanish romesco sauce, which is based on red peppers, nuts, bread and oil.   It’s good on fish, meat, vegetables, as a dip, you name it.  The original version is fine but I prefer variations with no bread and more vegetables.  Here are two.  The first is based on a Jerry Traunfeld recipe and the second is a diet version I made up that I eat all the time as a condiment on pretty much anything.  It has no fat/oil, no sugar, just veggies, hence negligible calories.  And it’s delicious!

Recipe: Root Vegetable Pancakes

These savory pancakes are absolutely delicious and easy to make.  They would please any vegetarian and are also wonderful as an accompaniment to some sort of protein. The inclusion of a little maple syrup and nut oil enriches the earthy flavors in a subtle way. I serve them with grilled salmon, which works well. The recipe was inspired by one from the chef of New York’s Union Square Cafe, but I removed 3/4 of the (unnecessary) fat and simplified the recipe.The chef, Michael Romano, uses sunchokes but I like a mixture of celery root and carrot.

Hanger Steak: The Cut for Non-Cow Aficionados

Lean, tough, but oh so tasty!

Cards on the table: I find bloody beef somewhat revolting. Although I don’t eat it often, I can enjoy smallish bites of meat that have an interesting flavor – think lamb, duck and other full-flavored proteins. But to me, beef doesn’t have an interesting enough taste – not to mention health benefits — to include on my consumption list. This attitude changed the first time I tried hanger steak a couple of years back. While I still don’t eat it often, this is the first steak I can honestly say doesn’t just taste like beef.

My Magic Marinade – Makes Almost Anything Delicious and It’s Soooo Easy!

If I scraped up roadkill, this marinade would probably make it quite tasty. It surely has for an array of proteins like fish, fowl, meat and even tofu (if you must). It has just three ingredients and can be frozen and reused indefinitely. It sounds Asian but it doesn’t taste that way. About the only thing easier – but not nearly as pleasing – would be out-of-the-jar barbeque sauce. Eeeuuu. Just about all you do is open up the cans or bottles and stir it together.

Los Gatos Loves Noisy New Cin-Cin Wine Bar

New hot spot occupies former location of Cafe Marcella

Posh Los Gatos has long had the South Bay’s most convivial restaurant scent. Dining out in this cute town is about more than sustenance as patrons – local and those who wish they were – flock to the burg’s expanding array of lively eating spots to meet, greet, quaff, jabber, ogle and in general have a great time. In this spirited environment, the new Cin-Cin Wine Bar has emerged as perhaps the quintessential Los Gatos eatery, dedicated to nutrition but particularly to fun in the local style.

Cascal in Mountain View is Muy Bueno

Hopping Cascal has a gorgeous interior and pleasing Latin cuisine

The Spanish translation of “winner” in 2004 was clearly Cascal restaurant. When this hopping Latin-themed joint at the corner of Castro and California (hence the name) in downtown Mountain View opened, it made you think it was still 1999, before the economy tanked. Back then, if the dot-coms had as much business savvy as this bustling bodega displayed, maybe we would all still be using our stock portfolios to plan early retirement.

Recipe: Main-Course Farmers Market Salad

Sweet, tender greens from Blue Heron Farms

Fresh figs, soft greens, roasted nuts and a complementary cheese with a killer, super-easy dressing add up to a fast, healthy summer one-course meal. And all the ingredients are available from the Palo Alto Farmers Market (or a store within walking distance). But best of all, this combination TASTES SO GOOD! Besides, it’s fun to cruise the market with a meal in mind. If you can’t make it to the farmers market on Saturday morning, acceptable substitutes can be found at a good grocery store.

Recipe: Quick, Easy Version of Nobu’s Miso-Marinated Black Cod

The most-imitated and most-famous signature dish of celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa deserves its fame because it’s just plain delicious. Here’s a link to his original recipe for those purists. Food & Wine recently published a simplified version, which I simplified (and improved, imho) further.

Nobu Spinoff In South Palo Alto

Jin Sho/Nobu’s Yellowtail with Jalapeno

Nobuyuki Matsuhisa – known just as Nobu – is the most famous Japanese chef in the world, running a slew of restaurants on several continents that deliver his delicious style of modern Japanese food to appreciative, well-heeled audiences. For Peninsula foodies eager to sample Nobu cuisine, air travel has been required. Until now. Two chefs from New York’s Nobu exited the Big Apple, bringing their experience, skills and many Nobu recipes to South Palo Alto. Happily, owner-chefs Ichiro Takahashi and Noriomi Kaneko set up shop at their new Jin Sho restaurant armed not only with Nobu’s cooking sensibilities but with considerable knowledge of classic Japanese cuisine.

Recipe: Vegan German Chocolate Cookies

This is a reinvented (and improved) version of Whole Foods’ delicious cookies. The store’s version is on the left and my version is on the right. Enough said (if you love chocolate).

Any serious chocolate lover will adore these intensely chocolatey, addictive cookies – and can do so without too much guilt, happily. I reinvented these based on what might be the best item offered in Whole Foods’ bakeries – namely, their vegan German chocolate cookies. However, I reduced the fat (the Whole Foods version are little grease balls), cut back on the sweeteners and otherwise revamped the recipe (or rather, what I assume is the recipe because I’ve only seen the ingredient list on the package) to maximize what’s most delicious in this wonderful treat. Truthfully, these are less “German” due to the intensified chocolate-ness but that should be fine to most folks. My version is way easy to make, too.

Recipe: Wild Shrimp with Carrot-Mint Curry

This big-flavored dish with unexpected ingredients combines sweet, savory, tart and just a hint of spicy elements and is also gorgeous to look at. Although the delicious wild shrimp from the gulf that Pietro sells at the Palo Alto and Menlo Park farmers markets was the inspiration for this simple but elegant dish, it could also be made with shrimp/prawns from a good market – or seared scallops or just about any flavorful, white seafood. The shrimp cooking technique is based on something I learned eons ago in a Chinese cooking class that’s a super-easy version of the French en papillote method.

Yum! Pimientos de Padrón

Addictive. Exciting (there’s about one muy caliente pepper in a batch). The little Spanish peppers available from Happy Quail Farms at the Palo Alto, Menlo Park and SF Ferry Plaza farmers markets make an easy and tasty casual starter during the warm months when the peppers are grown. Cooked in oil and sprinkled with salt, these treats are common in Spain’s tapas bars.

All About the Sonoma Coast and its Great Wines

(an earlier version of this article was published by the SF Chronicle)

The Sonoma Coast is the coolest wine region in the full sense of the word. It has colder temperatures and higher rainfall than virtually any other important grape source in California. And its terroir-driven wines have developed a coveted cachet, capable of delivering power and elegance while still complementing food. Wines from this remote region’s grapes have gone from virtually unknown to sought after in less than a decade. This is the story of how one of the world’s best wine regions evolved, the winemakers committed to it and the forces that have stood – and still stand – in the way of its greatness.

Recipe: Strawberry Gazpacho (David Kinch)

The simplicity of this recipe belies how out-of-this-world wonderful it tastes. I begged David for months for the recipe because I couldn’t duplicate it. He sometimes serves this as an amuse bouche before the meal starts. Great berries are a necessity, so go to a farmers market or buy the divine Swanton strawberries sometimes sold at Whole Foods. At Manresa (his superb restaurant in Los Gatos), he uses the freshest ingredients available, of course, so be choosy in your shopping. Higher-end grocery stores like Draeger’s are more likely to carry the quality balsamic vinegar and nut oil (best: imported French oil such as J. Leblanc; the only acceptable domestic oils are by LaTourangelle) called for in the recipe. David’s recipes are presented “chef’s style,” in weight measurements rather than the volume measurements typically found in home recipes. I’ve added some further explanations in the recipe.

Recipe: Raw Bluefin Tuna with Yuzu (David Kinch)

(from me) Although I haven’t made this crudo recipe, I intend to. Everything David cooks is wonderful. All the Asian ingredients are available at Nak’s in Menlo Park, an excellent source for sushi fish as well. Cook’s Seafood in Menlo Park also has super-fresh tuna. To get the unique flavor of yuzu, one suggestion is to buy bottled yuzu at Nak’s and mix a little in with the fresh Meyer lemon.

Recipe: White Peach/Jasmine Sorbet (Daniel Patterson)

(chef’s notes) The floral notes of the white peaches and jasmine work in concert as if they were made for each other. The jasmine flavor in the base should seem a bit strong, and the base fairly sweet, as the freezing process dulls both flavor and aroma. You can serve the sorbet by itself, or on a bed of white peaches seasoned with sugar.

Recipe: Yellow Corn Pudding Glazed with White Truffle Butter (Daniel Patterson)

(chef’s notes) This is a glorious expression of mid-summer, when the corn is intensely sweet and flavorful. Here bread pudding is reworked into an elegant, sensually textured combination of corn custard and brioche, which is baked in the oven until set and then glazed with a sauce made from corn juice and butter that is scented with white truffle oil. You will need eight 4-6 ounce molds in which to bake the puddings.

(my notes) This is a very delicious recipe, although it’s time consuming. If you love the rich essence of sweet corn, it’s worth it.

Recipe: Crispy Black Bass/Salt Cod Ravioli/Mussel Broth (Mark Sullivan)

(from me) I haven’t tried this recipe but I’m sure it’s great, like all Mark’s food. The ravioli are undoubtedly wonderful, but they take a lot of work. A suggested substitution is to buy some high-quality seafood ravioli. Believe it or not, Sigona’s Produce (Stanford Shopping Center & Redwood City) has some really, really good frozen ravioli and I think there’s a smoked salmon version. Or choose one you like elsewhere. Serving fish in a broth vs. the usual sauce is a terrific approach that I’ve done many times. It’s less fattening, too.

Pietro’s Fish: What Comes After Wild Salmon?

Fisherman Pietro Parravano is understandably upset about the 2008 wild salmon crisis –fishing this season is prohibited – but he’s used this as an opportunity for creativity. The cheerful owner/skipper of Half Moon Bay’s Anne B and a longtime fixture at the Palo Alto and Menlo Park farmers markets is offering his throngs of customers some appealing choices. Even wild salmon (but not caught by him).

To read more about what Pietro has to say about the regional salmon problem, check out a recent piece in the Almanac.

Local wild king (Chinook) salmon used to comprise a lot of what Pietro caught and sold. Now he’s offering more line-caught local halibut – including hard-to-find and delicious halibut cheeks – and other choices like sablefish (also called black cod), sand dabs, pacific snapper, ling cod and some other items acquired through his fisherman connections.

Here’s a recent for-sale board from Pietro’s stand at the Palo Alto market, some notes on each fish and cooking recommendations.

Recipes for Pietro’s Salmon

Here’s an initial batch of recipes designed to make the most of the wild salmon (from Alaska) offered by Pietro Parravano, a fisherman who sells his wares at the Palo Alto and Menlo Park farmers markets. For overall ideas inspired by Pietro’s fish, see my earlier post (Pietro’s Fish: What Comes After Wild Salmon?). These salmon recipes vary from something easy for everyday to dinner-party dishes designed to compete with the conversation. Another excellent local source of fresh wild salmon is Cook’s Seafood in Menlo Park., whose wares are fresher than what I’ve found at other stores.

Great Meals from Cookbook Recipes? Nah.

Is this a too-harsh opinion? Anyone who thinks that cookbooks are always-reliable blueprints for celestial meals has been lucky — or just buys them to look at the mouth-watering photos so prevalent these days.

I own a zillion cookbooks myself and have been cooking seriously since just after learning my first word (“souffle”). Well, close anyway. And I rarely find a recipe that doesn’t need a LOT of help to nudge it into the “great” category. So armed with a suspicious mind, I talked to a handful of some really good chefs to see if either I have strange taste or cookbooks should be taken with a grain of fleur de sel.

This is an early version of an article published a couple of years ago. The publication made me rework the piece to be “less controversial.” Well, hell. Now that I have my own blog, I’m going to let ‘er rip! The piece is long, but if you’re a foodie, you’ll enjoy hearing what the experts say. And I’ve got a few recipes that these chefs gave me that I’m publishing here. Search “recipes.”

Make Your Own Crudo

Crudo — aka, raw fish combined with different flavorings — can be transportive. It’s irresistible for a starter and quite beautiful as well. Serve just a few bites per person.

Here are basic instructions on making my approach to crudo. I’m guessing at measurements since I made up these recipes. One thing about crudo: all types of fish won’t necessarily be “best” with the same accompaniments, which is why these recipes are a bit different. I’ve experimented with different accompaniments to the fish and imho, these work best with the specific fish mentioned. If I can find fresh mackerel, I’d like to make up a crudo recipe for that. No luck on the mackerel so far.

A Simple Approach for Killer Salads

Forget about mixing vinaigrettes, blending dressings, etc. The essence of a green salad is best experienced with the simplest approach to dressing the greens (and other things). It’s amazingly easy and can be scaled from a quick salad for one to greens for a crowd. Instructions follow, along with two delicious recipes.

One of them is a summer recipe that relies on ingredients from local farmers markets, highlighted by some of the best strawberries anywhere, grown by Swanton (sold at Menlo Park farmers market).

Local Restaurant Wine Lists — What to Select?

Wine expertise can be like golf; lots of time and practice are required so you don’t embarrass yourself in public. This might be one reason why restaurant wine lists can sometimes resemble an old duffer rather than Tiger Woods when it comes to the selection. But with wine consumption growing, so is the quality of restaurant wine lists, which just increases the expectation that people who dine out will be knowledgeable about wine.

About the Recipes Found Here

I didn’t go to culinary school (not that that’s a bad thing). I’ve never cooked in a restaurant. Rather, I’ve been cooking, studying, experimenting and eating for a looooong time. As a restaurant critic and food writer, I’m always hopeful that what I eat in a well-regarded restaurant will be wonderful. And it often isn’t. Likewise, cookbook recipes often don’t make the cut as written, either. Those rare recipes that don’t need to be changed are a delight. See my post on that: “Great Meals from Cookbook Recipes? Nah.” Evidently some significant chefs agree with me, as my article describes.

What I seek in a special meal (as opposed to just slugging something down because it’s meal time) is a dish that makes you stop and pay attention. Your tastebuds are suddenly on full alert, enjoyable aware of a positive sensual experience. Foodies have undoubtedly heard this analogy before, but….if the food is just “good,” that’s not good enough. It needs to be great. At least, great to me; de gustibus non est disputatum. So I reinvent recipes, make up recipes, and if I do find a wow dish in a restaurant, I can often create a recipe for it. I’ve identified the provenance of all the recipes here, which includes some from my favorite chefs.

Cooking is my passionate hobby. If it’s yours as well, let’s share recipes, tips, opinions, gripes and whatever else comes to mind. ]

(By the way, the “cook” in the illustration above, drawn by gifted artist Delana Bettoli, is me!)

Chef Interviews — Representing Different New Trends

There’s a new cadre of passionate chefs at work in the South Bay who have helped turn our region into a full-fledged foodie nirvana. However, these whisk artists are more likely to be whipping up an exotic new chutney or truffled ponzu sauce than a traditional French béchamel. Like our melting-pot population, the most beloved cuisines these days aren’t what they were 30 years ago.

Plumed Horse – Worthy Overhaul and No Bargains

The reborn Plumed Horse in downtown Saratoga defines how the concept of “luxury” has changed in the past half century. First opened in the early ‘50s in a location once reputed to be a stable for cart horses, this venerable spot coasted along for years as a pricey purveyor of Continental cuisine. Back in the day, this used to be what fancy food looked like: a limited repertoire of rich, “European” recipes like pepper steak, lobster bisque, Beef Wellington and other preparations that often involved furious tableside preparation by tuxedoed waiters straight out of an old New Yorker cartoon. During the era of cheap gas and small tv sets, the Plumed Horse was non plus ultra.

Lure: Killer Seafood with a Light Touch

The concept of pets often resembling their owners has a corollary in the restaurant world. Dining in an establishment run by an owner/chef, you’re likely to sample unusual, highly personal cuisine that reflects the passions and prejudices of one individual. For some chefs who spent their earlier careers toiling as an underling in someone else’s kitchen, executing someone else’s vision, the holy grail is to be The Boss in their own place. And some owner/chefs do look like their food.

Cetrella in HMB is Better Than Ever

Half Moon Bay has more going on than the traditional pumpkins and fog. Fine dining has made an appearance in this cozy seaside town in recent years and in the case of lovely Cetrella, Half Moon Bay now has a full-fledged destination restaurant. Located on the south end of the blip of a downtown, Cetrella looks like a millionaire’s Tuscan estate on the outside. Inside, it’s all clean, understated elegance and top-notch food to match. Discriminating Peninsula diners can get the twofer of an outstanding meal and glorious sunset all in the same place.

Recipe: Sturgeon (or Halibut) with Tomato Bread Salad (Bradley Ogden)

(chef’s notes) Surgeon has a mellow flavor and a meaty texture. If you cannot find it, try halibut or seabass in this preparation. The recipe calls for Roasted Tomato Oil; you will have some leftover, so try scrambling some in eggs with jack cheese or use to replace some of the olive oil called for in your favorite vinaigrette.

Kaygetsu: Simply the Best Japanese

In Japan, they study the art of simple perfection, as seen in their translucent porcelains, exacting calligraphy and even in the three compelling lines of a haiku poem. This same rigorous esthetic is applied to dining. However, visiting a formulaic sushi bar and sipping cheap hot sake – the typical American’s exposure to this cuisine — is not the best example of the multi-dimensional sensory experience in which the Japanese excel. Rather, to find transcendent, authentic Japanese cuisine, look behind the Shell station in an out-of-the-way shopping center in Menlo Park. There you’ll find tiny Kaygetsu, which serves what many consider the best Japanese food in the Bay Area, if not beyond.

High-decibel Greek at DioDeka

Adding more delicious fuel to Los Gatos’ standing as the sizzling restaurant town of south county is perennially packed Dio Deka. Taking over the spot in the lovely Hotel Los Gatos formerly occupied by Kuleto’s, this darkly elegant, expansive, classy spot combines addictively delicious Greek food with welcoming, skilled service. The only downside is off-the-chart decibels. Even at 10:45 at night on a recent Saturday with the crowd starting to thin, the wall of noise was still daunting. But this seems to be a feature rather than a bug to the stylish set that flocks to the restaurant.

Upscale Homey at Restaurant James Randall

“Family restaurant” and “comfort food” don’t evoke thoughts of upscale cuisine but all three terms apply to newcomer Restaurant James Randall in downtown Los Gatos. Owners Brenda Hammond and her son Ross Hanson named their cozy spot after her late brother, who left her an inheritance that was intended to be spent on some sort of life passion. The restaurant’s growing fan base can testify to the obvious zeal of mother and son in this loving enterprise.

Modern Cooking in a Classic Victorian at Trevese

Chef Michael Miller never gave up on the South Bay, despite the sign-of-the-times demise in 2003 of his first restaurant, Umunhum, in San Jose. Unfortunately, his terrific food couldn’t overcome the shopping-mall location nor the then-grim economy, but this local boy isn’t a quitter. His recent comeback has everything right going for it this time, particularly what is probably the most spectacular site in downtown Los Gatos – now indisputably south county’s premier restaurant town. Opened in early spring of 2007, Trevese Restaurant & Lounge inhabits the imposing, turreted 1891 Coggeshall mansion. Its stately façade and gingerbread have been attracting second looks for years from its spot in the heart of the action on North Santa Cruz Avenue.