The Counter Burger - ETA

I know I just posted yesterday about the soon-to-be Palo Alto Counter Burger, but I already have a little update on the restaurant. Peter Katz, one of the eatery's partners, says they just started construction this morning (yay!) and expect to be open in early June.

Coming Soon to Los Gatos: New Italian Eatery

The folks behind Palo Alto's La Strada have taken over 27 North Santa Cruz Avenue in Los Gatos -- the former Pigalle space. Although I don't know the name of the new restaurant, here's what I do know:

• The cuisine will be upscale Italian.
• Lunch and dinner service will be offered.
• The restaurant is scheduled to open in mid-April.

Coming Soon to Palo Alto: The Counter Burger

I'm really looking forward to this opening. Last year, GQ released its list of 20 best burgers in America, and Santa Monica's The Counter ranked 15th. By summer, Palo Alto will be home to one of these build-your-own-burgers eateries. (More locations are scheduled to open in Southern California and Las Vegas.)

The extensive menu allows for 312,120+ different burger combinations. In the cheese department, for example, you can choose something as simple as American or Swiss; or experiment a little with a herb goat cheese spread or horseradish cheddar. Toppings also run the gamut -- including onions, carrot strings, black olives, dried cranberries, grilled pineapples, sprouts, tomatoes and many more. You'll be able to wash down your burger creation with various fountain drinks (sodas, shakes, malts), tea, coffee, beer and wine.

Personally, I'm looking forward to the mini-cheeseburgers! And there's a dessert called "The Chocolate Burger" -- a donut filled with chocolate mousse, strawberries and bananas. Mmmm...

The Counter Burger
369 California Avenue
Palo Alto, CA
(650) 654-8900

What's Cooking: Orecchiette with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

The Giada cooking kick continues: This week, we followed her recipe for orecchiette with turkey sausage and broccoli rabe.

Since we already had plenty of penne in the pantry, we went with that instead of orecchiette. We also doubled the amount of garlic because, well, you can never have too much garlic. BTW, in her cookbook, she calls for spicy sausage; but the Food Network site's version of the recipe doesn't. I would definitely go with something spicy, as the dish really benefited from that extra flavor/heat.

The meal turned out really well. Easy to make, fantastic to eat. This one might have to go into our regular rotation.

Gochi Fusion Tapas, Cupertino

Located in a strip mall in Cupertino, Gochi is billed as a Japanese fusion tapas restaurant. What that means... I have no idea, but my interest was piqued. We showed up around noon today and the place was PACKED. My lunch companions and I managed to get three of the few remaining counter seats.

(Note: The counter seats basically face a wall lined with pretty sake and shochu bottles. For most of the seating, which is on an elevated platform, you're required to take off your shoes. )

The one-page lunch menu offered a good selection, but I didn't notice any tapas-like dishes. Maybe that's more of a dinner thing? No matter -- since it was yet another cold and rainy spring day, I opted for a donburi and udon combination: una don and tanuki udon (about $11).

The presentation for my order was simple, yet lovely. Two bowls -- the donburi portion was larger than the udon -- were served on a small platter, along with a tiny bowl of garnishes. I started with the udon, which was delicious. While the broth had a nice flavor to it, I added some togarashi to spice things up a bit. The texture of the seaweed, crunchy tempura flakes, and slivers of green onion were a good contrast to the chewy wheat noodles. (I was reminded of one of the best, and cheapest, meals that I enjoyed when I was in Tokyo.)

The una don -- a good-sized bowl of rice topped with a generous serving of grilled eel -- was so very good! The barbecue sauce on the eel was just right, not too sweet or too thick.

My co-workers approved of their dishes as well. One ordered a chicken teriyaki and tonkatsu combination (the chicken portion was a bit skimpy); the other went with a salmon sashimi and tempura combination. But if you're more of an adventurous eater, go for the beef tongue cutlet.

The service was friendly and efficient, with hot tea poured throughout our meal. The only downside to our meal was that the food took a while to arrive. Since we were seated just after a couple of large groups, our server had warned us about the wait. Luckily, this problem can be solved by simply arriving earlier on future visits (i.e., 11:30am -- when the doors open).

"Gochi" is Japanese slang for "good food," and this restaurant definitely lives up to its name.

(Note: Credit cards are not accepted, so be sure to hit the ATM before dining here.)

Gochi Fusion Tapas
19980 Homestead Road
Cupertino, CA
(408) 725-0542

New-ish Restaurants Round-Up

There are a couple of somewhat new places in Palo Alto that I haven't gotten around to trying, but the Palo Alto Weekly has:

• Michael's Gelato & Cafe (in the old Swensen's location on University Avenue)
• Quattro (the Italian restaurant in the Four Seasons in East Palo Alto)

Lulu's on the Alameda, Menlo Park

On my way home the other night, I was looking for a place to pick up dinner and decided to give Lulu's a try. The parking lot was full, and most of the indoor and outdoor tables were taken. So I was glad to see that they have two lines for ordering: for those dining in and those taking their food to go.

Since it was my first time at the Mexican eatery, it took me a little while to decide what to get for Jon and myself. While I was disappointed that there were no fish items on the menu (Jon loves his fish tacos), I was impressed with the overall selection -- which included burritos, tacos, enchiladas, tamales, salads, soups and even specials for kids. (Families appear to make up a big chunk of their clientele.)

I went with a regular-size burrito with grilled steak (about $8), which turned out to be a generous portion. The meat had a nice flavor to it, but was rather dry. And, although the salsa fresca was good, I prefer salsas with a bit more heat to them. (Note to self: Hit up the salsa bar next time.)

For Jon, I ordered a cheese and grilled chicken quesadilla, which he gave positive marks. I also got him a small chopped salad (lettuce, Napa cabbage, corn, chicken, tortilla strips). The freshness of the salad was obvious -- nothing out of a can -- and the cilantro dressing was quite tasty.

Although my dinner selection was not as good as Jon's, I'd make a return visit to Lulu's. Most likely, we'll eat there next time. The platillos looked great, and they offer two of my favorite desserts. If the flan and churros are any good, I may just skip dinner and go straight to dessert.

Lulu's on the Alameda
3539 Alameda de las Pulgas
Menlo Park, CA
(650) 854-8226

Old Port Lobster Shack, Redwood City: Redux

While our first visit to the Old Port Lobster Shack last month resulted in a very satisfying dinner, there was no lobster roll consumption to be had at the time (stupid Northeast storms!). So I made Jon promise that we would return soon because I HAD to try the restaurant's signature dish. We made the trip over to the OPLS again last night, and I have three words for you: Oh. My. God.

As someone whose upbringing and education took place almost entirely in the Bay Area, I had no prior experience with lobster rolls, which are a New England tradition. It's basically lobster meat -- you can get it naked (just the lobster) or more like a lobster salad -- tucked into a special New England-style hot dog bun. (The owners of OPLS have the buns made at a local bakery using molds they brought from Maine.)

I ordered my sandwich naked, as I didn't want any other distractions from the lobster. I must admit, I wasn't quite sure how to eat one of these things. And although Jon had grown up on the East Coast, he doesn't eat shellfish* and was useless to me here. Since the lobster meat was overflowing, I decided to dip some into the drawn butter. Yummmm. Then, after a squeeze of lemon, I dove into the lobster roll itself. The cool, sweet chunks of lobster were a wonderful contrast to the warm, buttery roll. So simple, yet so awesome.

Further research yielded this checklist for what makes a real lobster roll:

• A good amount of meat - OPLS had that.
• A flat-bottomed, top-loading hot-dog bun, butter-griddled - They definitely had the right bun and it was definitely buttery, but I didn't see whether it was toasted or griddled.
• The right dressing, not just mayo - Don't know, since I went for the naked version.
• Pickles should be served on the side (for a little acidity) and potato chips are also a nice touch - Check and check.
• Eat it with your hands - Except for the meat I dipped in butter, I did use my hands (as opposed to a knife and fork), so I sort-of did that right!

Initially, I thought $16.75 was a little steep for a sandwich. But you know what? It was worth every penny. In addition to the lobster roll, you get a side of coleslaw (which I didn't eat, but Jon said was really good) and salt'n'pepper Kettle Chips (one of my favorites). Just writing this post makes me want to go back there today for another lobster roll.

* Yes, I make my husband go to lobster restaurants even though he dislikes shellfish. He had the fish platter last time (thumbs up) and this time, basically went with the sandwich version of it (thumbs up again). The menu is now up on their web site, so you can see that there are plenty of non-shellfish options.

Old Port Lobster Shack
851 Veterans Boulevard
Redwood City, CA
(650) 366-2400

P.S. After our initial visit, I mentioned that OPLS is a bit tricky to find. During our drive over last night, Jon and I were discussing exactly where it is (the car's GPS was no help), and we realized that it's actually quite easy to locate: It is just to the left of the Baker's Square. Enter the parking lot adjacent to the BS one. Then prepare to enjoy a delicious lobster roll!

New Indian Restaurants in PA

Today's Chronicle has more details on Junnoon and Mantra -- two new Indian restaurants in Palo Alto that I previously posted about:

Indian flavors flourish in Palo Alto

Indian food may be rocketing to the top of the Bay Area palate if two stylish new restaurants are any indication.

Opening within a few days and a couple of blocks of each other in Palo Alto, Junnoon and Mantra both offer new takes on traditional Indian flavors. Both, too, are going after the high-style crowd, with sleek lounges offering snazzy cocktails from back-lit bars.

Junnoon. The name means passion and energy in Hindi, and it's reflected in a dramatic black and red color scheme. First-time restaurateur Sabena Puri, who grew up in a restaurant family in India, has tapped part of the team from Tabla in New York to create what she calls the food of modern India -- dishes such as semolina shells filled with spiced chickpeas and tamarind chutney, sprouted mung bean chaat salad with bakarkhani bread, tandoori halibut in coconut ginger sauce, and chicken tikka in a fenugreek sauce.

A wide variety of housemade accompaniments includes garlic chile chutney with dried mangoes, date and walnut raita, and naan stuffed with goat cheese and green chiles.

Mantra. Around the corner, the kitchen at Mantra uses Indian flavors to embellish a seasonal California menu. Dishes are served in a two-room space awash in original art, gauzy drapes and lots of stone and granite.

Starters include lamb-filled naan and onion-infused kulcha breads, tandoori roasted quail with pomegranate-huckleberry compote, and seared foie gras with stewed Pink Lady apples. Entrees range from cumin-roasted rack of lamb, to cilantro-roasted monkfish with red onion and fennel foam, to chile-seared organic tofu with honey crisp apple puree. For dessert, there's a trio of dried organic fruit, spiced nuts and cinnamon-poached fruit; and a lemon tart with satsuma orange and cranberry chutney.

Junnoon, 150 University Ave., (at High Street), Palo Alto; (650) 329-9644. Full bar. Reservations accepted. Lunch weekdays, dinner Monday-Saturday. Starters, $6-$12; entrees, $16-$22; desserts, $7-$8.

Mantra, 632 Emerson St., Palo Alto; (650) 322-3500. Full bar. Reservations accepted. Lunch Monday-Saturday, dinner nightly. Starters, $3-$22; entrees, $17-$36; desserts, $7-$11.

What's Cooking: Mushroom Risotto with Peas

Okay, I admit it: Prior to last night's dinner, I had never made risotto from scratch. The Trader Joe's in-a-box variety was good enough -- why would I ever need to do all that extra work myself?

Well, I was flipping through Giada's Everyday Italian and came across her recipe for Mushroom Risotto with Peas. Of all the Food TV chefs, her dishes always seem the most within my culinary reach. So I decided to give it a go. And, although making it took twice as long as I expected, the risotto was delicious -- well worth the time and effort. I loved the slight crunch of the peas in the creamy rice and mushrooms.

No matter how well it turned out, I knew Jon and I couldn't eat six servings in one night. BUT, luckily, the cookbook also includes a couple of recipes for leftover risotto: Arancini di Riso and Risotto al Salto. Yummm.

Peninsula Food Reviews

Wow. The Chronicle was all over the Peninsula last week! They ran reviews of three different establishments:

• Marche in Menlo Park
• A Tavola in Redwood City (a fire forced the restaurant to move from its San Carlos location last year)
• JZ Cool Eatery in Menlo Park

Both Marche and A Tavolo are on my list of places to try -- although I'm less excited about the former now that Michael Bauer says it's not really worth the money.

As for JZ Cool, I recently went to a dinner party that was catered by the company and all of the food was delicious (the lemon bars were a stand-out). While Jesse Cool's Flea Street Cafe is also on my list, I have had the pleasure of eating at her Cool Cafe at the Cantor Center for the Arts on the Stanford campus. The cafe offers lots of healthy, organic options. I give the museum, which is free (so there's no reason not to go!), and the eatery a big thumbs up.