Fans of Mediterranean cuisine now have two choices in downtown Campbell, with the debut of Cyprus Bistro Cafe almost directly across Campbell Avenue from downtown staple Olio Cafe.
While Olio's menu features dishes extracted from Italy, Spain and North Africa, Cyprus is inspired by Greece, Turkey and the Middle East in addition to its namesake island. Anchoring the kitchen is Omar Kannout; his menu will delight vegetarians and the many of us who are regularly seeking out local, organic ingredients, but fish, lamb and other meats are also carded. On a first visit, I enjoyed swordfish nicely grilled, not over-sauced and served with pilaf and grilled vegetables. Paired with an organic Italian pinot grigo from the restaurant's all-organic wine list, it was quite satisfying. A friend enjoyed halibut prepared in a similar manner. I'd like to see Kannout add tuna, salmon or other fish.
The mezze sampler plate with tabbouleh, dolmas, hummus and other dips is a great start for two and price at only $10. In fact, value is a theme throughout the Cyprus menu. Mixed salad for just $5? Got it. Delicious wines at around $25?--yes, and while you won't recognize some of the producers because they are small, certified organic, with limited duration, they are worth trying. The adventure of ordering an unknown wine is, for me, among the best reasons to seek out independent, neighborhood bistros exactly like this.
Service was appropriately attentive. Cyprus has been open just 3 1/2 weeks, and is clearly still working out a few bugs. On a Friday night one type of bread had run out by 7:30 PM and the young staff was a little scattered. For me, these issues are completely forgiveable, as I'm far more interested in supporting the dream of a new chef and owner than harping on little difficulties. We need independent, neighborhood cafes that take chances both with plates and wines.
Cyprus is open for lunch and dinner six days a week (closed Mondays), at 379 East Campbell Avenue; call (408) 370-3400 for reservations. Olio is at 384 East Campbell Avenue and is open daily, 5 PM to 9 PM and until 10 PM on weekends; call 408.378.0335 or book via OpenTable.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
A Symphony of Heirloom Tomatoes at Sent Sovi
Ripe, fresh tomatoes are an unquestionable delight of California summers, and our markets are overflowing with varieties both sweet and savory--cherry and grape (unfortunate names, these--appropriately suggesting the shape, but not the flavor of those other prized fruits); beefsteak; Early Girl on the vine; and a cornucopia of heirloom varieties.
I've spent much of the summer buying, cooking and enjoying all these, in their endless adaptations. A highlight: Last weekend, returning from a trip to Paso Robles, I stopped at the excellent fish market Pier 46 on Vineyard Road in Templeton and seized on 1 1/2 pounds of beautiful white sea bass, line caught off Santa Barbara, its skinless flesh delicately marbled with rosy streaks. Packed in ice and an insulated lunch box, it rode with me on the 2-hour trip back to San Jose, then was sliced into 6-oz portions, and pan roasted in a cast iron with olive oil and a half tablespoon of butter - seared on both sides for 3 minutes each, then into a 425 degree oven for 5-8 minutes of roasting. Removing the fish from the pan to a warm plate, I deglazed with Sicilian white wine, reduced it slightly, then tossed in chopped rinsed artichoke hearts, rinsed capers, chopped fresh herbs, sea salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, a handful of sliced Kalamata olives, and a cup of cherry tomatoes - their flavor intensified by halving them and slow roasting them in the oven at 300 for 45 minutes. Spooned over the fish and onto crusty bread, it was magnificent.
But a dish like that is best viewed like an old, sappy love song on the radio, compared to the symphony of tomatoes that chef Josiah Sloane is conducting this week at Sent Sovi Restaurant in Saratoga. I had the memorable pleasure last night of Sent Sovi's second Heirloom Tomato Dinner and its five-course menu showcasing Sloane's typically creative use of a remarkably diverse ingredient. As guests gathered, green zebra basil Champagne cocktails were poured - think Bellini, made with reduced intensified strained pulp of the green zebra tomato, a low-acid model. Just a hint of tomato-basil flavor remained, pairing comfortably with the sparking wine. Sloane had also set out five or six varieties of tomatoes simply chopped and dressed with olive oil, salt, and aged balsamic - a great idea for a Labor Day grill party.
The main menu opened with a triple gazpacho preparation including the classic soup in a shot glass, a cold salad of Early Girl and cucumber, and slow-roasted tomatoes on grilled bread - intense, savory, and rich. Sloane followed with his riff on components of the BLT, featuring slab bacon confit, house mayonnaise, more tomatoes and grilled lettuce. Next up: a salad of frozen Marvel Stripe tomatoes in a chilled martini glass wiped with basil paint. Who knew iced tomatoes could work so well in a salad? Sloane's "main" was grilled sliced filet with beefsteak tomatoes and a wine reduction, a perfect pairing for the lowly beefsteak, so often served unripe on hamburgers. The supporting cast for this dish included the remarkable Old Vine Petit Syrah (Lodi) 2005 from Trinitas Winery (90 points, Wine Spectator)-- a gutsy and inspired choice for Sloane, as Petit Syrah is so rarely served, or even considered as a prime wine list selection by the typical diner. After savoring the spice, weight, balance and chunkiness of the Trinitas, I do hope it becomes a regular on Sloane's list.
The evening ended with a play on lemon meringue pie, with Lemonboy tomatoes standing in for Meyers, a sweet and creamy finish to a terrific meal.
To see, hear and taste this symphony yourself, run, don't walk to Sent Sovi, as this menu is available only until September 13.
I've spent much of the summer buying, cooking and enjoying all these, in their endless adaptations. A highlight: Last weekend, returning from a trip to Paso Robles, I stopped at the excellent fish market Pier 46 on Vineyard Road in Templeton and seized on 1 1/2 pounds of beautiful white sea bass, line caught off Santa Barbara, its skinless flesh delicately marbled with rosy streaks. Packed in ice and an insulated lunch box, it rode with me on the 2-hour trip back to San Jose, then was sliced into 6-oz portions, and pan roasted in a cast iron with olive oil and a half tablespoon of butter - seared on both sides for 3 minutes each, then into a 425 degree oven for 5-8 minutes of roasting. Removing the fish from the pan to a warm plate, I deglazed with Sicilian white wine, reduced it slightly, then tossed in chopped rinsed artichoke hearts, rinsed capers, chopped fresh herbs, sea salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, a handful of sliced Kalamata olives, and a cup of cherry tomatoes - their flavor intensified by halving them and slow roasting them in the oven at 300 for 45 minutes. Spooned over the fish and onto crusty bread, it was magnificent.
But a dish like that is best viewed like an old, sappy love song on the radio, compared to the symphony of tomatoes that chef Josiah Sloane is conducting this week at Sent Sovi Restaurant in Saratoga. I had the memorable pleasure last night of Sent Sovi's second Heirloom Tomato Dinner and its five-course menu showcasing Sloane's typically creative use of a remarkably diverse ingredient. As guests gathered, green zebra basil Champagne cocktails were poured - think Bellini, made with reduced intensified strained pulp of the green zebra tomato, a low-acid model. Just a hint of tomato-basil flavor remained, pairing comfortably with the sparking wine. Sloane had also set out five or six varieties of tomatoes simply chopped and dressed with olive oil, salt, and aged balsamic - a great idea for a Labor Day grill party.
The main menu opened with a triple gazpacho preparation including the classic soup in a shot glass, a cold salad of Early Girl and cucumber, and slow-roasted tomatoes on grilled bread - intense, savory, and rich. Sloane followed with his riff on components of the BLT, featuring slab bacon confit, house mayonnaise, more tomatoes and grilled lettuce. Next up: a salad of frozen Marvel Stripe tomatoes in a chilled martini glass wiped with basil paint. Who knew iced tomatoes could work so well in a salad? Sloane's "main" was grilled sliced filet with beefsteak tomatoes and a wine reduction, a perfect pairing for the lowly beefsteak, so often served unripe on hamburgers. The supporting cast for this dish included the remarkable Old Vine Petit Syrah (Lodi) 2005 from Trinitas Winery (90 points, Wine Spectator)-- a gutsy and inspired choice for Sloane, as Petit Syrah is so rarely served, or even considered as a prime wine list selection by the typical diner. After savoring the spice, weight, balance and chunkiness of the Trinitas, I do hope it becomes a regular on Sloane's list.
The evening ended with a play on lemon meringue pie, with Lemonboy tomatoes standing in for Meyers, a sweet and creamy finish to a terrific meal.
To see, hear and taste this symphony yourself, run, don't walk to Sent Sovi, as this menu is available only until September 13.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Time Magazine Cover: Sustainable Beef and Farming
Writing menu course descriptions has become an elaborate act of marketing. Regular South Bay diners will be accustomed to menu main course descriptions mentioning "Niman Ranch grass fed" beef or steaks, but few of us may know much about the ranch or why a particular restaurant might favor it.
It's worth investigating - just as Jeffrey Steingarten's Vogue Magazine article on the preparation of pork in France opened my eyes bug-wide (you can read it, reprinted, in his masterful 2002 book "It Must Have Been Something I Ate") - it's important for all of us to know where our foods come from, especially proteins because of the high costs involved in producing them.
While I normally view Time Magazine as disposable "news lite," its August 31 cover story "The Real Cost of Cheap Food" (posted online on August 21) provides an engaging description of the Nimans and how they raise beef in a manner that's wholly natural yet different from 99% of producers in America. Their cattle graze free on expansive land, fed only grass and hay--what they are supposed to eat. Quite recently, I owned land in San Luis Obispo County and had neighbors and friends that ran cattle in the same way; I can't imagine buying beef sourced from a Central Valley feedlot. If you've traveled central California at all, you know the sights and the smells--compare and contrast driving through Buttonwillow or Kettleman City on I-5, where the smell of manure is so powerful it permeates any passing car, even those topping 80 MPH, with the bucolic sight of scattered Black Angus wandering the golden hills around San Luis, resting under shaded oak trees, raised with the practices originated by the vaqueros more than a century ago. Beef sourced this way is healthier, tastier--and certainly more costly. You have to balance your sense of health risk with the demands of your budget.
You can read more at the Niman Ranch website, and order its terrific products online through the MySteak store run by Buckhead Beef. Labor Day grilling is right around the corner--so today's a great time to place an order and experience what steak is supposed to taste like.
And for an in-depth view of why and how cheap food makes you fat and likely causes innumerable health problems, I recommend Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" - an engaging book that may well change everything about what you eat, cook, or grow.
It's worth investigating - just as Jeffrey Steingarten's Vogue Magazine article on the preparation of pork in France opened my eyes bug-wide (you can read it, reprinted, in his masterful 2002 book "It Must Have Been Something I Ate") - it's important for all of us to know where our foods come from, especially proteins because of the high costs involved in producing them.
While I normally view Time Magazine as disposable "news lite," its August 31 cover story "The Real Cost of Cheap Food" (posted online on August 21) provides an engaging description of the Nimans and how they raise beef in a manner that's wholly natural yet different from 99% of producers in America. Their cattle graze free on expansive land, fed only grass and hay--what they are supposed to eat. Quite recently, I owned land in San Luis Obispo County and had neighbors and friends that ran cattle in the same way; I can't imagine buying beef sourced from a Central Valley feedlot. If you've traveled central California at all, you know the sights and the smells--compare and contrast driving through Buttonwillow or Kettleman City on I-5, where the smell of manure is so powerful it permeates any passing car, even those topping 80 MPH, with the bucolic sight of scattered Black Angus wandering the golden hills around San Luis, resting under shaded oak trees, raised with the practices originated by the vaqueros more than a century ago. Beef sourced this way is healthier, tastier--and certainly more costly. You have to balance your sense of health risk with the demands of your budget.
You can read more at the Niman Ranch website, and order its terrific products online through the MySteak store run by Buckhead Beef. Labor Day grilling is right around the corner--so today's a great time to place an order and experience what steak is supposed to taste like.
And for an in-depth view of why and how cheap food makes you fat and likely causes innumerable health problems, I recommend Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" - an engaging book that may well change everything about what you eat, cook, or grow.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The Relentless Search for Flavor and Service
I've lived on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for years, most recently in San Jose. Throughout those years, San Francisco and Palo Alto have commanded the attention of the food community like the twin stars suspended in sunset over Tatooine. Must this persist? Isn't it possible that San Jose and other South Bay cities offer fine dining at least on par with the culinary Gemini? That's the essential question for this blog, which is dedicated to the relentless search for flavor and service in the South Bay.
I define "South Bay" as that region of land roughly encricled by highways 85 to the west and south, 237 to the north, and 680-101 to the east and southeast. I include Saratoga and Los Gatos and, if prodded, Los Altos, principally for sentimental reasons--it's my hometown, and always challenged for customers by its central geography far from the freeways. Within this space, formerly the Valley of Heart's Delight, a paradise of apricots, prunes, cherries, and all manner of vegetables, now the domain of silicon, Java, databases and Web 2.0, I seek the finest in dining, cooking, artisan foods, and wine.
A shameless promoter of the region, I see no point in publishing negative notices, so there will be none. Make this blog, and your profile will be positive. Fall short in service, cuisine or ambiance, and you just aren't mentioned, and we move on.
You could easily search Yelp or similar services to find local restaurant reviews, but with this blog you have the advantage of consistently applied criteria for quality. First, I value smooth, attentive but unobtrusive front-of-house service--I'm well aware that a superbly cooked meal can become utterly unimpressive when served by staff who incorrectly "read" the table or simply lack whatever level of class and refinement correspond to the concept of the restaurant. Second, the food reigns supreme--I look for creative but unpretentious preparation, correctly cooked, and pleasantly presented. Third, value is critical--we live in inflationary times, in a time of unprecedented challenge for the restaurant industry. When a plate costs upward of $40, the quantity and quality of the food ought to be "off the charts." In the $20 range, portions still cannot skimp.
And last and perhaps most important, I look for a unitary umami--a consistency and totality of experience that is memorable and distinctive. The most successful restaurants from strong branding because their name represents a clear and specific experience of cuisine and service that the customer longs to repeat--think Tamarine or Michael Mina.
From readers, I will be grateful for your tips, suggestions, reports, and other positive feedback--and I wish you good eating.
I define "South Bay" as that region of land roughly encricled by highways 85 to the west and south, 237 to the north, and 680-101 to the east and southeast. I include Saratoga and Los Gatos and, if prodded, Los Altos, principally for sentimental reasons--it's my hometown, and always challenged for customers by its central geography far from the freeways. Within this space, formerly the Valley of Heart's Delight, a paradise of apricots, prunes, cherries, and all manner of vegetables, now the domain of silicon, Java, databases and Web 2.0, I seek the finest in dining, cooking, artisan foods, and wine.
A shameless promoter of the region, I see no point in publishing negative notices, so there will be none. Make this blog, and your profile will be positive. Fall short in service, cuisine or ambiance, and you just aren't mentioned, and we move on.
You could easily search Yelp or similar services to find local restaurant reviews, but with this blog you have the advantage of consistently applied criteria for quality. First, I value smooth, attentive but unobtrusive front-of-house service--I'm well aware that a superbly cooked meal can become utterly unimpressive when served by staff who incorrectly "read" the table or simply lack whatever level of class and refinement correspond to the concept of the restaurant. Second, the food reigns supreme--I look for creative but unpretentious preparation, correctly cooked, and pleasantly presented. Third, value is critical--we live in inflationary times, in a time of unprecedented challenge for the restaurant industry. When a plate costs upward of $40, the quantity and quality of the food ought to be "off the charts." In the $20 range, portions still cannot skimp.
And last and perhaps most important, I look for a unitary umami--a consistency and totality of experience that is memorable and distinctive. The most successful restaurants from strong branding because their name represents a clear and specific experience of cuisine and service that the customer longs to repeat--think Tamarine or Michael Mina.
From readers, I will be grateful for your tips, suggestions, reports, and other positive feedback--and I wish you good eating.
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