Scott's Seafood Grill & Bar

Name: Scott's Seafood Grill & Bar
[see below for location, phone and Web site]
Date & Time visited: Sunday, October 21, 2007 12:15 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Smoked salmon Benedict (Jen), bagel with smoked salmon (me)

This time, Jen had the smoked salmon Benedict and gave it the same high marks as I had last time. My entree was a plain toasted bagel, some really excellent lox, cream cheese and a mini-salad of lettuce, cucumbers, onions and capers. While perhaps a bit pricey for a bagel with lox, it was good food with nice presentation.

Service: A little slow but good overall.

Would we go back: Yes.

Scott's Seafood Grill & Bar

Name: Scott's Seafood Grill & Bar
Address: 1 Town & Country Village, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: (650) 323-1555
Web site: ScottsSeafood.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, October 6, 2007 1:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Canadian omlette (Jen), Smoked salmon Benedict (me)

We've had dinner at Scott's but recently discovered they serve weekend brunch until 3:00 PM. Late weekend risers as we are, this suits us well so we've done this a few times recently.

The Canadian omlette includes Canadian bacon, mushrooms and avocado. As I recall it was huge and Jen ended up taking half home for dinner. My smoke salmon benedict was excellent; picture a standard eggs Benedict with the canadian bacon replaced with smoked salmon. Perfectly done.

Scott's serves Illy coffee which I love.

Service: A little slow but good overall.

Would we go back: Yes, often.

California Pizza Kitchen

Name: California Pizza Kitchen
Address: 531 Cowper St, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: (650) 323-7332
Web site: CPK.com
Date & Time visited: Monday, October 1, 2007 8:15 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Sesame chicken dumplings (shared), half Cobb salad (Jen), Thai chicken pizza (me)

The sesame chicken dumplings are really good, spicy and flavorful. They are served in a portion of four, with a mini-salad of shredded cabbage and cucumber and a tasty sauce. Jen ate around half of her cobb salad, which she said was "better than average" though it for some reason came un-mixed, so she had to mix the various ingredients together herself. The Thai chicken pizza is a longtime favorite of mine at CPK, and it didn't disappoint this time.

Service: Not too good. We were in a hard-to-see corner and I think the server forgot about us a few times. We waited several minutes to place our orders and drinks were never refilled. To be sure, this is unusual for this location and is probably an unfortunate combination of inattentive server and bad table location. We'll make sure not to sit there again.

Would we go back: Yes.

Cafe 220

Name: Cafe 220
Address: 220B University Ave, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: (650) 853-8182
Web site: None; Google Local page
Date & Time visited: Friday, June 29, 2007, 9:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Hummus appetizer, Chicken gyros (me), Lamb & beef gyros plate (Jen), Baklava, Turkish coffee (me)

The hummus was creamy and flavorful and the pita, though there were only four pieces, was warm and soft. We did ask for and receive a second helping of pita to finish off the hummus. The hot sauce on the table--unknown brand in a squeeze bottle--added a nice kick to the hummus' flavor.

My chicken gyros was huge and more like a burrito than the sort of gyro I'm used to. That said, it was very good; tender, not over-cooked chicken, tasty sauce, crunchy vegetables, and the wrap was warm and crunchy.

Jennifer enjoyed her lamb & beef gyros plate, and was impressed by the portion size; in fact, she couldn't finish it.

I've only ever had Turkish coffee at Cafe 220 so I don't know if they do it "right" or not, but I am growing to like it very much. Also, their baklava is quite good; sweet and sticky, of course, but not "artificially" sweet if that makes sense. Seems very authentic.

Service: Not too quick, but friendly. This is a counter order/table service place, where you order at the counter and your food is brought to your table, so the only drink refills are the ones you get up and get yourself; however, they did bring a second dish of pita (at no charge!) when we asked.

Would we go back: Yes, in fact I seem to be developing a Turkish coffee and baklava craving.

I Tapas & Wine Bar

Name: I Tapas & Wine Bar
Address: 445 Emerson St, Palo Alto CA 94301
Phone: 650-325-4400
Web site: itapaspaloalto.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, June 16, 2007 9:30 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Tapas are "small plates", basically appetizer-size portions served family-style. We started with a fresh guacamole with queso fresco, served with warm corn tortilla chips and a tomato salsa. I ordered the pimientos de padron and shrimp & chicken corn dogs. Jen had prosciutto-wrapped asparagus spears and barbecued baby back ribs, and we shared an espresso flan and a sorbet trio for dessert.

The guacamole was indeed fresh and chunky, just right. It did unfortunately come garnished with a scoop of cilantro, as did almost everything else (except the dessert). The salsa was pretty average but made a nice contrast to the guacamole.

My pimientos de padron were essentially roasted pepperoncinis drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt. Very unusual and tasty. Jen and I both tried putting one on top of a chip with guacamole and that went well. Jennifer said her asparagus spears were perfectly cooked, with just a little snap. My shrimp and chicken "corn dogs" were actually closer to fritters--balls of chicken and shrimp deep-fried and skewered, served with cocktail sauce and spicy Chinese mustard. Fun to eat and tasty, too--they reminded us of conch fritters. Jen said her ribs were excellent, once she scraped the cilantro off; the server brought an extra cup of sauce in case she'd had to remove too much from the ribs and that was appreciated.

Jennifer enjoyed the sorbet trio. I liked the honeydew melon flavor though I'm usually not much for sorbet. My espresso flan was good, though for some reason I was expecting it to be served warm instead of cold. The menu didn't say that, so I'm not sure where I got the idea. Either way it was enjoyable.

Service: Very good, no complaints. Quick water and iced tea refills.

Would we go back: Yes, we barely scratched the surface of their extensive menu of small plates. Going back is a must.

Junnoon Restaurant

Name: Junnoon Restaurant
[see below for location & Web site]
Date & Time visited: Saturday, June 9, 2007, 9:30 PM
Guests: Lani, Alex, Jennifer and me
What we had: "Lemonito" pitcher (Jen and me), Coriander Fennel Chicken bites (Jen and me--appetizer), Tapioca/potato fritters (Alex and Lani--appetizer), Goat cheese Naan, Black Pepper steak (Jen), Prawns in coconut mustard sauce (Alex, me--separate portions), Rice flaked sea bass (Lani).

Jen had ordered a different nonalcoholic beverage that it turned out they were out of, so we got a pitcher of "Lemonito" to share; it's basically a nonalcoholic Mojito with Sprite in place of rum. Lani had club soda and Alex stuck with water.

We shared the appetizers around the table and both were quite good. They were each served with a different sauce, one minty and the other a bit spicy. Unfortunately both were heavily laden with cilantro so Jen couldn't enjoy either one. The goat cheese naan was warm and soft and cheesy.

I didn't try Jennifer's black pepper steak (it was a bit odd to find a steak on the menu at a supposedly Indian restaurant, but it's more Indian-fusion with emphasis on the fusion) but she said it was very good; she wasn't as thrilled with the potatoes. Alex and I both enjoyed our prawns in coconut mustard sauce, and I especially liked the flavorful charred bits that flaked off the tails. I neglected to ask Lani how she liked her rice flaked sea bass, but she finished it so it couldn't have been too bad.

We passed on dessert as the kitchen was about to close.

Service: Good but a little odd. Our initial server described the specials and answered questions, and then introduced another guy who would be taking over for the rest of the meal. Okay, we figured, he's done with his shift and going home. No, he was still working other tables and even helped serve our table. Maybe our guy was on break when we were seated? No real problem, anyway.

Would we go back: Yes.

Junnoon Restaurant

Name: Junnoon Restaurant
Address: 150 University Ave, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: (650) 329-9644
Web site: junnoon.com
Date & Time visited: Tuesday, November 7, 2006 7:30 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: "Just Junnoon" (passion fruit/apple martini) (Jen), "Manic Masala Mary" (me), Tangy Semolina shells, warm shrimp & arugula salad, Tamarind glazed duck (Jen), Malabar chicken stew (me), rosemary olive naan, snow peas poriyal (me), molten chocolate/ginger cake. Jennifer had a class of Pinot Noir with her dinner, recommended by our server.

This was probably the best first-time restaurant experience we'd had in quite some time. Everything we tried was, without exception, wonderful and unusual. We didn't try each other's drinks, as they would not have meshed well, but Jen liked her "Just Junnoon" martini and my "Manic Masala Mary" was good, spicy and rich. The Semolina shells were slightly crisp and filled with chick-peas, mint and tamarind chutney, and topped with a grated cheese. We both liked them and the portion size of six was more than we expected for an appetizer. We also shared the warm shrimp and arugula salad, which is served with a spicy red pepper vinaigrette; tangy and flavorful.

I don't usually like duck, but I tried a bite of Jen's and it wasn't bad; she loved it. My Malabar chicken stew was perfect; the chicken was tender and the coconut-milk broth was simultaneously sweet and spicy. The rosemary olive naan was nice but not exceptional, but the snow peas Poriyal (mustard seeds, curry leaves and coconut) were just superb. Again, the portion size was unexpectedly large (especially since Jennifer didn't want more than one bite) so I took half of this dish home along with half of my chicken stew and some of Jen's duck.

There were no seasonings (salt & pepper) on the table, which is usually an annoyance for me but in this case they just weren't needed.

The molten chocolate/ginger cake was extremely rich and gooey. Our server said it was the most-ordered dessert on the menu.

Service: Varied between slightly overbearing and a little distant, but on the whole better than average. Water was for some reason served without ice unless you asked for it, but a busser brought that quickly.

Would we go back: Yes, wholeheartedly.

Palo Alto Creamery at Stanford

Name: Palo Alto Creamery at Stanford
Address: Pear Lane at Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: 650-327-3141
Web site: none; Google Local info page
Date & Time visited: Saturday, February 11, 2006, 3:00 PM
Guests: Jen and me
What we had: BBQ bacon burger (turkey patty) (me), "Turkey Terrific" (Jen).

My BBQ bacon burger with a turkey patty was delicious and very messy. The BBQ sauce was tasty and the bacon slices were perfectly done. The "Turkey Terrific" is, as our waitress described it, "Thanksgiving on a sandwich". Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce all on sandwich bread. Jen enjoyed it very much.

Service: Average. Our waitress was very friendly, but took a break while we were there and there wasn't anyone else covering the table. That wouldn't have been so bad, but she was taking her break two tables over.

The music at one point became painfully loud, but it was lowered after we asked the busser to check on it.

Would we go back: Yes.

Pasta?

Name: Pasta?
Address: 326 University Ave, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: 650-325-4585
Web site: www.pastaq.com
Date & Time visited: Friday, January 27, 2006, 7:30 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Tuaca Lemon Drop (me), Bloody Mary (Jen), Rigatoni All'Matriciana [spicy tube pasta with onions and Italian bacon](me), Bistecca Alla Griglia [Flat Iron steak with mushroom cream sauce and rosemary](Jen).

Without exception, everything was excellent. Our drinks were expertly made and we liked them. I didn't try Jennifer's steak, of course, but she said it was perfect. I did try her potatoes and vegetables; the potatoes were nicely crisp but not too crunchy and had a good amount of spice, and the vegetables were perfectly steamed, not overdone or mushy. My pasta dish was also quite good, though there was almost too much of the Italian bacon. I would also have liked this dish to come with a vegetable side, though I suppose I could have had a side salad.

Service: The "5-10 minutes" estimate when we checked in--granted we did not have a reservation--became about twenty, but we didn't mind waiting in the bar and enjoyed our drinks. We were seated at a small table very close to the entrance and next to the main path everyone in the restaurant walks, so it was definitely not an intimate dining experience. Also the design of the restaurant ensures that the ambient noise level is quite high. These issues notwithstanding, our server was friendly and checked back several times.

Would we go back: Yes, but we'll try to find a less busy time than Friday evening. During the day the large glass doors at the front of the restaurant are open to the sidewalk, which I would imagine reduces the noise level inside.

Gyros Gryos

Name: Gyros Gryos
Address: 498 University Ave, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: (650) 327-0107
Web site: (none; Google Local info page)
Date & Time visited: Monday, January 9, 2006, 7:45 PM
Guests: Jen and me
What we had: Lamb & Beef Gyros (Jen), Chicken Gyros (me), Ayran yogurt drink (me)

The gyros at Gyros Gyros were among the best Jen and I had ever had. Jen's was a touch dry, but it turned out they'd forgotten to give us the usual Tzatziki sauce. That took care of the dryness, and all was well. Both the lamb & beef and chicken gyros are served in a pita wrap as opposed to the more usual folded pita, which makes the gyros much easier to eat and less messy to boot. We didn't order any side dishes, though the gyros are also available as Souvlaki platters--essentially deconstructed gyros with salad and rice on the side--which we might try next time to share. I'd heard of the Greek yogurt drink Ayran, but never tried it; I wouldn't drink it alone, as it's very sour and thick, but it makes a perfect match for the flavors in a gyros.

Service: Good. We ordered at the counter, found a seat, and our food was delivered quickly. The one issue, as mentioned above, was the missing Tzatziki sauce, but Jen got up and retrieved that. Water refills were frequent.

Would we go back: Yes! It's inexpensive, quick, and very good.

MacArthur Park

Name: MacArthur Park
Address: 27 University Ave, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: 650-321-9990
Web site: www.macpark.com
Date & Time visited: Friday, January 6, 2006, 8:30 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Bloody Mary (me), Sidecar (Jen), "Mac Park" potato skins, Cobb Salad (Jen), Pier 39 salad (me).

Drinks were excellent; my Bloody Mary was rich and spicy, and Jen enjoyed her Sidecar. The potato skins were interesting: rather than the usual slice of skin with some flesh, these were "chunks" of seasoned fried potato with skin on, served with sour cream and house ranch dressing. A large portion which, combined with just one of the huge salads, could have been a meal for two.

Jen's Cobb salad was, as I said, huge. Containing the standard ingredients, it did feature a nice tarragon dressing, though not quite enough of it as Jen commented that the lower regions of the salad were somewhat dry.

The "Pier 39" salad combines baby spinach, red bell pepper, endive and seared sliced pepper-crusted tuna, with a ginger-garlic dressing. While again being rather too large to finish, it was delicious. The tuna being the star of the dish, I made sure to concentrate on it. It was seared on the outside, raw and cool on the inside; perfectly prepared. Contrary to Jen's salad, mine actually had a bit too much dressing, which made the baby spinach somewhat oily.

Service: Uneven but reasonably good. We were seated rapidly--the restaurant was less than half-full at the prime dinner hour on Friday night--but were given two copies of the wine list and only one menu. When Jen asked for another menu and handed the wine lists back to the host (since neither of us wanted wine), we got another wine list in return. A moment later we did manage to get another menu.

Water and bread were brought almost immediately. One very positive note: the bread was warm and fresh and the butter was soft. Too often we'll get ice-cold butter, which is impossible to spread onto room-temperature bread.

Our server pulled out a chair from the next (empty) table to sit while taking our order; normally this would bother me a little, but as she was visibly pregnant I had no problem with it at all. She did have a way of being just a little too goofy for the occasion, but she probably didn't notice. We certainly had no complaints with her attention to us; water refills were prompt, and when I requested a diet Coke halfway through the meal she brought it immediately.

Would we go back: Unsure. The food was decent but pricey: our bill, with tax but without tip, came to just over $60 for two drinks, one appetizer, and two salads. Plus a $2.95 diet Coke. I wasn't too excited with the ambiance of the place, either. Apparently designed by Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan, who may have been having a bad day when she did this one, the restaurant resembled nothing more than an old farmhouse or remodeled barn. Which is fine if that's what they're going for, but the prices don't match the atmosphere. We might go back and share rather than ordering separate entrees.

Three Seasons Restaurant

Name: Three Seasons Restaurant
Address: 518 Bryant Street, Palo Alto, California 94351
Phone: 650-838-0353
Web site: www.threeseasonsrestaurant.com
Date & Time visited: Friday, December 23, 2005, 12:30 PM
Guests: Betcy, Herman, Vlad, Bill, Coco, me
What we had: Ahi Tuna rolls, Scorpion rolls, Spider rolls, Steamed Chilean Sea Bass, New Zealand Rack of Lamb, Spicy Green Beans, Japanese Eggplant, Crispy Tofu, Chicken Satay, Yellow Curry Chicken, brown rice & steamed rice.

This was a group from the office, and Three Seasons encourages "family style" dining, where dishes are passed around and shared so everyone gets some of everything. I had a bit of everything except the eggplant and lamb and it was uniformly delicious. The spicy green beans were perfect; not too raw or overdone and spiced just right. The Chicken Satay avoided the common problem of dryness and the accompanying sauce was tasty.

Service: Good, especially considering the large group and a certain amount of confusion at order time. A bit of a wait for food to arrive, but the restaurant was pretty busy. Drink refills were frequent.

Would we go back: Yes. Jennifer has been wanting to eat here, so she and I will have to go now that I've been without her.

Max's Opera Cafe

Name: Max's Opera Cafe
[see below for location & Web site]
Date & Time visited: Tuesday, November 15, 2005, 8:40 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Cobb Salad [Jen], Chicken Cheesesteak Sandwich [me]

Jen loves Max's Cobb salad and orders it probably one of every three or four visits. She says they've changed from using marinated mushrooms to just lightly seasoned mushrooms. A tip on this dish is to request the avocado be diced, otherwise it will arrive in two or three large slices.

The Chicken cheesesteak is pretty much what it sounds; a cheesesteak sandwich made with chicken instead of beef. It was very good, though the chicken was a touch dry. I made up for that with Beaver creamy horseradish, served along with other Beaver brand condiments with every deli sandwich at Max's. The sandwich was served with tasty seasoned fries and I requested a dill pickle as well.

Service: Very good. We were seated immediately, our orders were taken as soon as we folded the menus on the table, and food arrived within minutes. We both had fresh-brewed iced tea and the glasses were kept full.

Would we go back: Yes, and often.

Taxi's Hamburgers

Name: Taxi's Hamburgers
Address: 403 University Ave, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: (650) 322-TAXI (8294)
Web site: TaxisHamburgers.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, October 8, 2005, 3:20 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Santa Cruz special (Jen), Blue Cheese burger [turkey patty] (me), onion rings

The Santa Cruz special is served on Ciabatta bread with Daikon sprouts, avocado, tomatoes (though Jen left those off), pepper Jack cheese and Chipotle-lime dressing. It's huge. Jen really liked it, but the sprouts and avocado tended to fall out. My blue cheese burger was pretty standard--I've had it before and it's always good. Taxi's onion rings are perfectly done; cooked enough to be crispy, but not burned or soggy with oil.

Service: Good. Orders are taken at the counter and then food is brought to the table, and our food arrived pretty quickly. When Jen's soda cup collapsed (the result of an ill-fitting lid) the manager and a busser were there within seconds helping to clean up.

Would we go back: Yes. It's a frequent destination for a basic, quick, good lunch on weekends.

Max's Opera Cafe

Name: Max's Opera Cafe
Address: 711 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA 94304
Phone: 650-323-MAXS (6297)
Web site: www.maxsworld.com
Date & Time visited: Friday, July 8, 9:45 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Fresh Salmon broiled with lemon dijon and crispy capers with Yukon Gold potatoes with onion butter and fresh vegetables (Jen), Max's Famous Reuben [turkey pastrami] (me)

Service: Good. Max's closes at 10:30 on Friday nights, so we caught them at the end of their shifts. This meant that the wait staff were mostly preoccupied with setting up tables, folding napkins, stocking condiment bins, etc, and were not particularly attentive. There was a bit of a wait between sitting down and ordering--we were ready fairly quickly but it was at least ten minutes before our order was taken--though the food arrived fairly quickly. I don't hold this against Max's; we've been to this location many times and almost always received excellent service.

Max's Famous Reuben is the best I've ever had and compares favorably to that from Jerry's Famous Deli (though I don't recall if Jerry's offers turkey pastrami). Jennifer enjoyed her broiled salmon and said that the dijon/caper sauce was excellent.

Would we go back: Absolutely.

Cheesecake Factory (yes, again)

[see below for location & Web site]
Date & Time visited: Friday, June 24, 2005, 11:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Chicken Brochettes (Jen), Spicy Cashew Chicken (me).

Service: Very good. Friendly, upbeat server, very quick service.

Would we go back: As long as it's one of only three late-night options, you bet. The dishes we tried were firsts for both of us (from Cheescake Factory) and they were both excellent.

Cheesecake Factory

[see below for location & Web site]
Date & Time visited: Saturday, May 14, 2005, 11:30 PM
Guests: Jennfer and me
What we had: Well-Mannered Dirty Martini [me], Del Rey Margarita [Jen], Popcorn shrimp

Service: Excellent. We sat in the bar/lounge section of the restaurant on this late-night visit and were attended by one of the bar servers. She brought our drinks and a bread basket within minutes of ordering and kept our water glasses filled.

I've previously commented on the Well-Mannered Dirty Martini. Jennifer says the Del Rey Margarita was very good.

Would we go back: Of course. I'm thinking I may stop reporting the Cheesecake Factory visits.

Gordon Biersch

[see below for location & Web site]
Date & Time visited: Friday, June 3, 2005, 11:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: "Bloody Maria" [me], Chicken skewers, Chicken and shrimp pot stickers, ginger rice.

Service: Excellent.

We shared two appetizers and a side of delicious jasmine ginger rice, and were quite satisfied. My "Bloody Maria" was excellent.

Would we go back: Yes.

Palo Alto Creamery (Downtown)

[see below for location & Web site]
Date & Time visited: Monday, May 30, 2005, 11:00 AM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Eggs Benedict [Jen], Cajun scramble [me]

Service: Good as always.

The Cajun scramble consists of three eggs scrambled with onions, spicy sausage and peppers. Looking at the menu I didn't think I'd be able to finish it, but it had that particular combination of flavor that kept me eating until I cleaned my plate. Jennifer liked her Eggs Benedict very much.

Would we go back: Yes.

Palo Alto Creamery (Downtown)

Name: Palo Alto Creamery (Downtown)
Address: 566 Emerson St, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: (650) 323-94301
Web site: none; Google Local info page
Date & Time visited: Friday, May 20, 2005, 11:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Greek salad [me], Pot roast [Jen]

Service: Good.

The Greek salad was good, and made with "normal" lettuce instead of the oh-so-trendy "field greens", or "weeds" as Jennifer calls them. Jennifer says the pot roast was very good as well.

Would we go back: Yes. The Creamery is another of the few Palo Alto restaurants open late on Friday and Saturday nights, so it's one we tend to frequent.

California Pizza Kitchen

Name: California Pizza Kitchen
Address: 531 Cowper St, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: (650) 323-7332
Web site: www.cpk.com
Date & Time visited: Sunday, May 8, 2005, 9:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Thai Lettuce Wraps [Jen], Bacon-Gorgonzola Salad (1/2) [me].

Service: Good. Attentive and friendly server, quick drink refills.

Would we go back: Yes.

Cheesecake Factory

[see below for location & Web site]
Date & Time visited: Sunday, April 24, 2005, 9:30 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Key Lime Martini, Well-Mannered Dirty Martini, Popcorn Shrimp, Chicken Piccata [Jen], Stuffed Chicken Tortillas [me].

Another very pleasant late dinner at Cheesecake Factory. Their "Well-Mannered Dirty Martini" is a particular, if expensive, favorite of mine.

Would we go back: Yes.

Cheesecake Factory

[see below for location & Web site]
Date & Time visited: Sunday, April 3, 2005, 10:15 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Key Lime Cheesecake, Black-out Cake

Service: Not really applicable, as we just stopped in to pick up a couple of desserts from the to-go counter.

Would we go back: Yes.

P.F. Chang's China Bistro

Name: P.F. Chang's China Bistro
Address: 900 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, California 94304
Phone: (650) 330-1782
Web site: www.pfchangs.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, April 2, 2005, 8:30 PM
Guests: Jennifer, Diane, me
What we had: Vegetable Lettuce Wrap, Crab Wontons, Lemon Scallops, Steamed Spinach with Garlic, Street Noodles, Beef Sichuan, Banana Roll.

Service: Good, but not great. This is a very busy place and has been every time we've been to any of their several locations. Jen's mother Diane was with us again which explains the table-busting load of food. We mostly ate family-style, sharing from each others' plates. Iced Tea refills were not prompt, and neither were water refills; our glasses sat empty for five to ten minutes between fills.

Would we go back: I'm sure we will. P.F. Chang's has a unique menu and is a good place to take guests, despite the sometimes lacking service.

Cheesecake Factory

Name: Cheesecake Factory
Address: 375 University Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: (650) 473-9622
Web site: www.thecheesecakefactory.com
Date & Time visited: Friday, April 1, 2005, 10:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer, Diane, me
What we had: Sour Apple Martini [Jen], Well-Mannered Dirty Martini [me], Thai Chicken Pizza, Popcorn Shrimp, Factory Nachos w/Chicken.

Service: Good. On this occasion we were with Jennifer's mother Diane and table-shared three appetizer plates. Water refills after we finished our drinks were prompt, as was delivery of our food.

Would we go back: Yes. As one of a few Palo Alto restaurants open late Friday and Saturday nights--until 12:30 AM if memory serves--we frequent the Cheesecake Factory.

Sumo 2

Name: Sumo 2 (formerly Fusion Sushi-Boat) (since closed)
Address: 150 University Avenue, Palo Alto, California, 94301
Phone: (650) 324-9536
Web site: none; menu available here
Date & Time visited: Saturday, March 19, 2005, 8:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Three-item Bento box (teriyaki chicken, tempura shrimp, some kind of baked fish) [Jen], 10-piece chef's choice nigiri sampler [me], miso soup.

Service: Very good. We'd been to this place once before, but since then they have changed their name and remodeled. Significantly, the sushi boat has been removed. The entire floor staff greets each patron entering with a shout, presumably in Japanese, which does tend to get tiresome after a little while. Points for enthusiasm, though. Two or three different wait staff people served us during our meal, and they seemed to communicate very well; no matter who was answering questions, serving food, or refilling drinks, they coordinated between themselves.

My only disappointment was the squid nigiri, which is generally my least favorite anyway. It was somehow unpleasantly chewy and mushy at the same time, but at least there was only one piece. On the other hand, the maguro (tuna) and sake (salmon) were excellent, as was the miso soup. We split a carafe of good sake--a very reasonable $12 for four tiny glassfulls each--and the water refills were prompt and plentiful.

Would we go back: I think so. The decor is just funky; imagine a combination sushi restaurant and sports bar and you've kind of got it. There were three TVs mounted around the restaurant showing NCAA basketball, 70s soft-rock playing in the background, and black glittery fabric on the walls. Nonetheless, the food and service are very good, so I think we will be back again.

Thaiphoon

Name: Thaiphoon
Address: 543 Emerson Street, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: (650) 323-7700
Web site: www.thaiphoonrestaurant.com
Date & Time visited: Friday, February 18, 2005, 9:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Vegetarian fried egg roll, Shrimp Pad Thai, Kung Pao Chicken, steamed white rice

Service: Good. I think the two staff members were overwhelmed, even for this fairly small restaurant, as almost every table was occupied. Even with that, though, the only really noticible delay was between the appetizer and the main course--and that could be due to an overworked kitchen. Our Thai iced teas were served almost immediately.

The egg roll was crisp and the sauce had just a bit of heat; very tasty. The Pad Thai was excellent, with enough chopped peanuts and sprouts to keep it crunchy, and the shrimp were tender. The Kung Pao chicken was appropriately fiery--as we had hoped--and served in the Thai fashion with a light sauce and larger pieces of chicken and vegetables, as opposed to the thicker sauce and more finely diced ingredients of the dish as found in Chinese restaurants. We took home half of the Kung Pao and rice for lunch tomorrow.

Would we go back: Yes. This was our second visit. I think we might be a bit more careful in table selection; this time we chose to sit outside and found ourselves next to a large and rather loud group.

Gordon Biersch

Name: Gordon Biersch
Address: 640 Emerson Street, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: 650.323.7723
Web site: www.gordonbiersch.com/restaurants
Date & Time visited: Friday, February 4, 10:45 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Gordon Biersch Garlic Fries, Grilled Chicken Skewers marinated in Tamarind and Garlic with Sesame Vinaigrette, Classic Cobb Salad

Service: Very good. We started with two Bloody Marys, which were rich and spicy and had olives and celery. Yum. We weren't really hungry enough to each have an entree, so we decided to share two starters and a salad. Our server didn't bat an eye and offered to split the Cobb salad at no extra charge.

GB's garlic fries are the same ones sold at the Oakland Coliseum--where the Oakland Athletics play--and after several months without baseball I felt like having some. They needed a touch of salt and Tabasco, but were very tasty. The chicken skewers were excellent; tender and very well seasoned. They were served with a "cake" of sesame-coated sushi rice and fried potato strings in a sesame sauce. One order had four skewers, so we each had two.

When we finished our drinks, our server brought water and kept the glasses filled while we were there. Always an important point for me.

The Cobb salad was okay. The current trend for salads is to use "field greens"; essentially weeds. Jen doesn't like it at all and I'm getting pretty tired of it. Romaine or Iceberg would be just fine, and either would be more traditional in a Cobb. We couldn't or didn't finish the split salad, and our server boxed it for us. We'll see if we want to have some tomorrow before it goes off. Too bad, really. We probably would have been fine with just the two starters, or maybe one starter and one of their excellent pizzas.

Would we go back: Yes. This is one of three Palo Alto restaurants we've found that are open for dinner after 10:30/11:00 PM on Friday nights, and due to work schedules we usually eat late on Fridays.

Patxi's Chicago Pizza

Name: Patxi's Chicago Pizza
Address: 441 Emerson Street, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: 650.473.9999
Web site: www.patxispizza.com
Date & Time visited: Monday, January 31, 2005, 8:40 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: 15" Chicago deep dish, with italian sausage, jalapeno, and Monterey Jack cheese

This was the last night of "Dine Out Palo Alto", a month of special prix fixe Mondays at many Palo Alto area restaurants. We'd previously tried Zibibbo's prix fixe menu. I may write that up at some point.

Service was so-so. The menu warned of a 30-40 minute wait for a pizza, which did make me wonder--how can Round Table bake a pizza in ten minutes, but it takes these people 30-40? The prix fixe menu at Patxi's consisted of a salad and a Chicago style pizza. More a "special" than a prix fixe, really, but it was okay. We chose the Greek salad, which I mostly enjoyed. I wasn't too excited about the field greens, but the marinated red onions and Kalamata olives were delicious. Jen didn't like the salad very much and would have prefered the Caesar. Note that we got one (1) small salad for two (2) people. The salad was a decent size for two people but it did seem odd. Also, drinks were not included, not even soft drinks. My iced tea was not refilled during that wait for the pizza, which was disappointing.

The pizza itself was very good and quite messy. We figured it was the extra cheese that was making it so sloppy and had to eat with knife and fork. No problem, though. We each had two slices and took the rest home.

Would we go back: Yes. However, we will probably call ahead so as to try to avoid the 30-40 minute wait after ordering.