Looks like Eleven College Avenue has called it quits. The Los Gatos restaurant will become Dar Restaurant and Bar, owned by brothers Milad Shaqir and Chef Esam Shaqir, who also own Saratoga’s popular Tamra Mediterranean Grill. Scheduled to open in early March, Dar will offer primarily plant-based Mediterranean cuisine, inspired by Italy and Morocco.
The Tasting House Los Gatos has added a Reuben to its Champagne Bar menu, along with Croque Madame and a smashburger. Chef Julian Silvera grew up in Manhattan, so he knows his way around one of NYC’s favorite sandwiches, for which he cures the pastrami for seven days, smoking it with Wylie Dufresne pastrami spice, followed by sous vide for 48 hours. Topped with sauerkraut, taleggio cheese and presented on locally baked Set in Stone bread with a special sauce, this Reuben is a good pairing with Paul Bara Rosé Champagne.
Ritual At Manresa was set to host a nine-course dining experience March 10 with 20 of the world’s best chefs, including Dominque Crenn and Ricard Camerana, all collaborating in a kitchen constructed in an archeological hacienda in Yucatan, Mexico. Michelin Star Chef René Redzepi (Noma) and acclaimed Mexican Chef Roberto Solis were set to coordinate the effort at Hacienda San Lorenzo Aké in Mérida. Dining under the ancient pyramids of Aké in ancient Mayan ruins sounds beyond stellar.
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Coming soon to Santana Row, Suspiro serves food at the culinary intersection of Spain and Peru, executed by Chef Oscar Santos. Buen Rallo Group, the brains behind Il Parco at the Presidio Tunnel Tops, Colibri, Chika and more, is behind it. Suspiro’s menu showcases fresh seafood and grilled meats, with tapas like truffle-infused Bikini de Jamón con Queso. Suspiro will be open daily for lunch and dinner. A brunch menu is due later this year.
Mochiko Mochi Pizza just opened in Palo Alto, from Sushirrito co- founders Peter Yen and Chef Ty Mahler. Mochi’s gluten-free crust uses rice for the perfect balance of crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. A blend of salty, tangy and sweet Asian toppings with an extra kick of heat creates flavors like chicken curry with fried chicken karaage, Japanese curry and fresh cilantro, spicy pork with sansho pepper cream sauce, pepperoni with tomato jam, and the brand-new soy-braised beef.
Flores, a Michelin Bib Gourmand Mexican spot, recently unveiled its first South Bay location in San Mateo’s Hillsdale Shopping Center. The star here is handmade masa, which can be enjoyed in sopes de frijol—fried dumplings with beans, avocado and queso fresco—as well as in crispy crab tostadas and tacos filled with the likes of crispy rock cod or intriguing chicken tinga. Guacamole is bursting with citrus and fresh onion, the chips ultra-thin and the atmosphere trendy casual, whether in the booths by the bar or on the airy patio. It’s definitely up-level, date night-worthy Mexican.