FOOD & DRINK THE GUIDE Enjoy Silicon Valley’s best restaurants, sorted alphabetically and by city. Prices reflect average cost of a three-course dinner for one, excluding drinks, tax and tip. Note: Menus change frequently and seasonally, so not all items mentioned may be available at all times.
$$$$ Very Expensive ($60 and up) Update $$$ Expensive ($40-$60) New $$ Moderate ($30-$40) Hot Spot $ Inexpensive (under $30) Editor’s Pick
BELMONT EMC’s pasta in an uni cream sauce, Divino Since opening garnished with dried seaweed and fish roe in 2006, Divino has established itself as a local favorite. Although there are several tempting housemade pastas, the gnocchi—in a tomato sauce with fresh mozzarella—is exceptional and a must-try (no surprise that it’s been on the menu all along). From start to finish (a dessert menu includes fresh fruit tart and panna cotta), Divino gives diners plenty of reasons to keep coming back. 968 Ralston Ave., 650.620.9102 $$
Iron Gate The French fare at this Peninsula institution often comes with a show. A common sight here: tableside UNDERWATER WORLD Fresh seafood—from marinated monkfish liver with ponzu to charred presentations, especially of abalone to everything in between—is on the menu at the new EMC Seafood & Raw Bar at Santana Row. EMC, flambéed dishes. You can the letters of which are the first initials of the three investors, was first established in Koreatown in Los Angeles in start with a spinach and 2013. It has since grown to six locations. The Santana Row spot marks the first Northern California establishment bacon salad for two, and by the M2K Group, which has operated numerous other successful restaurants in Southern California over the then move on to veal or years. Indulge in craft cocktails and a variety of sakes alongside lobster garlic noodles; uni pasta with fish roe; grilled steak flambé. For dessert, fish tacos; and sushi, including the Santana Roll that’s chock-full of baked lobster, langostino, crabmeat, avocado there are also several and spicy mayo. Can’t decide? Then, opt for the All-In-Special ($118), a bounty of whole Maine lobster, whole crab, options, among them shrimp, Manila clams, mussels, corn on the cob and potatoes, with Cajun garlic sauce to spice it all up. 378 Santana cherries jubilee, crepes Row, Ste. 1100, San Jose, 408.296.6048, emcseafood.com –Carolyn Jung suzette and bananas Foster. With all those flames—as you might expect—the wine selection, in a warm pollo asada, battered white Pizzeria Delfina dining room can get a little and refined environment. BURLINGAME fish, ceviche and veggies. The original location of this warm! 1360 El Camino From wood-fired pizzas to Dessert includes churros beloved pizzeria opened Real, 650.592.7893 $$$ pastas to hearty entrees like Nachoria Nachos, tacos that can be served with in San Francisco’s Mission stuffed chicken and veal and beer make up the trio or without ice cream, and District in 2005. Much Vivace Ristorante scaloppini, there are plenty of specialties here; though the drinks menu offers an of this incarnation in Living up to its name— of winners on the menu. there are additional items assortment of Mexican beer, downtown Burlingame feels which is Italian for It’s no wonder Vivace on the menu like quesadillas along with cocktails such the same: long lines, great “lively”—Vivace offers has been going strong for and salads. Diners select as michelada, margarita wine, magnificent pizza. dishes from Northern 20-plus years. 1910 Ralston from a choice of toppings and vodka limonada. 226 While there are mainstays Italy, along with a great Ave., 650.637.0611 $$ and fillings, such as carnitas, Lorton Ave., 650.581.1321 $ on the starter, salad and
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pizza menus, daily specials are Naschmarkt Restaurant also available. A scoop or two Named after the largest open-air of gelato makes for the perfect produce market in Austria, this ending to a meal here. 1444 downtown find delivers a taste Burlingame Ave., 650.288.1041 $$ of Vienna with California verve. With an exposed-brick wall and Rasa Organic produce and an open kitchen at the center sustainable proteins fuel a fiery of a wraparound bar, it is the farmers market-driven menu at place to come for classic Wiener this South Indian restaurant. The schnitzel—a pounded, breaded, kitchen traffics mostly in fresh, golden fried veal cutlet as big as inventive winners, Westernizing your head, that’s accompanied by dishes without dumbing them sweet-tart lingonberry sauce and down. Any worries that Rasa’s a vinegary potato salad. Spätzle, Indian essence might be diluted dumpling noodles fortified with fades at your first taste of the lively quark cheese, are a must-try. The rasam, a tomato-and-tellicherry ethereal Salzburger Nockerl, pepper broth that’s hot enough to a warm vanilla souffle, will free the fillings from your teeth. have you floating home. 384 E. 209 Park Road, 650.340.7272 $$ Campbell Ave., 408.378.0335 $$$
Stella Alpina Osteria Just Orchard City Kitchen a few steps below street level, Former founding chef of Matteo Ferrari’s rustic Italian swank Alexander’s Steakhouse, restaurant is, appropriately Jeffrey Stout has a hit with this enough, tucked away like the lively eatery that’s been crowded culinary gem that it is. Standouts since day one. Original cocktails include his gnocchi, bathed in sweetened with Madeira or ice one of three sauces; fall-off-the- wine, rather than just simple bone osso bucco; and rigatoni al syrup, are worth imbibing. Then, ragu di maiale, which features go to town on a platter of biscuits, a smoky pork and sweet bell bacon and honey butter; roasted WE USE pepper sauce. Like the cuisine, maitake mushrooms spooned the service here is on point. 401 over ginger congee; and the KFC Primrose Road, 650.347.5733 $$$ (Korean fried chicken) that’s so popular it never leaves the menu. 100% NATURAL Pruneyard Shopping Center, 1875 CAMPBELL S. Bascom Ave., 408.340.5285 $$
Chez Sovan It’s not easy MESQUITE finding Cambodian food in CUPERTINO the Bay Area, but this family- owned joint is definitely worth Alexander’s Steakhouse seeking out for its authenticity. Since opening in 2005, CHARCOAL The cuisine—a blend of Thai, Alexander’s has been serving Vietnamese, Chinese and up great steakhouse fare, with French influences—is addicting, meat and seafood sourced particularly when it comes to from the U.S., Australia and dishes such as trey chhean chourn, Japan. The restaurant moved AUTHENTIC BRAZILIAN STEAK HOUSE deep-fried fish smothered into new digs in 2016, and in a savory, salty blend of welcomed new executive chef Fourteen signature cuts of meat roasted over a ground chicken, fermented Roger Lee in late 2017. The mesquite grill. We use fresh produce to prepare our beans, shallots and vinegar; menu is sprinkled with Asian salads daily. Nothing comes from cans. lemongrass-galangal-kaffir influences, like its signature marinated kebabs; and the pad hamachi shots, kimchee-glazed thai-like kuy tiew cha noodles pork belly and uni-fried rice. TASTE THE DIFFERENCE! tossed with tamarind, paprika And every meal ends on a sweet and peanuts. 2425 S. Bascom note: complimentary cotton SAN FRANCISCO | SAN MATEO Ave., Ste. A, 408.371.7711 $ candy. Main Street Cupertino, ESPETUS.COM