Coaching Cooking

You know the one…

There’s a secluded and quaint garden out back where flowers and vines grow gracefully over the fence and the tables and chairs wait patiently for guests. A small fountain in the middle of the garden sputters at first in the late morning, but then changes its tone to a flowing melody (did I mention the fountain is made of a magnum of wine?). The back garden sits between many other buildings, but we feel as if we’ve discovered Shangri-La in the middle of downtown.

The server has cosmopolitan charm punctuated pleasantly by a friendly and casual manner. He takes our beverage order and gives us plenty of time to linger over the menu. This lovely place adheres to the tenets of Slow Food USA. and the menu warns that each dish takes time to prepare (so ask for the quick items if you are in a Silicon Valley hurry!). Already we realize that this place can not be enjoyed in just one visit. The drinks arrive and V enjoys her chardonnay flight while I sip my sangria and L enjoys her Randy’s special of sparkling wine with a touch of syrah (just the look of this incites a celebration). Hours pass by unnoticed and we continue to marvel that we are sitting in the middle of downtown Palo Alto while completely missing the hustle and chaos of the nearby streets.

We eat fresh tomatoes glistening with olive oil, fresh basil and the most delicious local mozzarella and gazpacho accented with a touch of soy sauce, chunks of tomato, garlic and onion and the irresistible sweetness of the local tomatoes. Glasses of sangria, chardonnay and wine spritzers (with champagne and a touch of syrah) add to this amazing repast. It’s still quiet in the garden, broken only by our laughter (Liz recounts her horror at arriving at a cover band concert where women wear black-sequined ties, big hair and other reprehensible fashions from twenty years ago while dancing the white man’s overbite!!). The afternoon wiles away and we float on a sea of gorgeous food, wine and the pleasant company.

So if we could live here forever then our conversations would pause only for more wine and for more delicious, local food. The crostini is perfect, crisp with a soft, chewy center and topped with thin slivers of cured ham, fresh mozzarella or pate with pistachios or chopped tomatoes, garlic and basil. V eats a luscious green bean and potato salad and L has a wonderful plate of house-made hummus laden with spices and soft pita triangles. We have to have dessert and that includes a chocolate panini with melted semisweet chocolate (a perfect take on pain au chocolate) and glasses of nectarine-honey dessert wine with chocolate truffles made in San Francisco and lemon-white chocolate biscotti made in Redwood City.

If you have the opportunity, the dream can be yours as well right here.