Best Restaurants on The Peninsula
Our travel plans may have been postponed, but there are still plenty of restaurants across the Peninsula area that can be enjoyed in their outdoor dining areas or by picking up food. As COVID19 cases continue to decline, and more stores and restaurants open up, hopefully we can get back to enjoying in restaurant dining. Here are some of the favorite Bay Area restaurants recommended by Going In Style Travel Accessories employees and patrons.
Fuki Sushi - Palo Alto, CA
Address: 4119 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Not far from Stanford Shopping Center is Fuki Sushi, an upscale Japanese restaurant with the freshest fish in the Bay Area. Fuki Sushi is said to be one of Mark Zuckerberg, co founder of Facebook and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan favorite restaurant. Zuckerberg and Chan enjoy the restaurant so much, Fuki Sushi was one of eight restaurants that the power couple donated $100,000 in order to ensure the restaurant could continue to operate during the Coronavirus shutdown. When you dine at Fuki Sushi you can choose from the appetizer menu delicacies such as Nasu Dengaku, a fried eggplant with miso sauce. The salmon and tuna sashimi is always fresh and melt in your mouth soft. Fuki Sushi arguably has the best spicy sauce, so be sure to try the spicy tuna roll.
If you want to read more about Mark Zuckerberg and Dr. Priscilla Chan donating money to their favorite Bay Area restaurants you can read about it at SF Eater "Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan Give $100K to their Favorite Bay Area Restaurants".
Vesta Pizza - Redwood City, CA
Address: 2022 Broadway, Redwood City, CA 94063
Drive South of Stanford Shopping Mall to find an Italian restaurant serving the most gourmet pizza in the Bay Area at Vesta Pizza in Redwood City, CA. Vesta pizza serves unique woodfire pizzas and small plates. This pizzeria sources their ingredients from local farmers and you can select from a variety of salads such as kale with pickled raisins, or if raisins are not your jam, you can find a beet salad topped with pistachios and avocados.
When choosing your pizza, you can choose from a red pie or a white pie. The pizzas are thin crust so you can share with a friend, or if you don't like to share you can just order your own pizza. From the red pie menu at Vesta is a super yummy sausage and honey pizza with mascarpone cheese and chili. The sausage and honey pizza gives a perfect blend of sweet and savory with a little kick from the chili sauce. If you love mushrooms, Vesta offers mushroom pizza with white sauce, thyme, goat cheese and truffle oil. Vesta's mushroom pizza is a delectable combination that is sure to have you asking for seconds.
Vesta Pizza also offers a vegan selection including a vegan pesto pizza and a vegan Margarita pizza both topped with red sauce.
True Food Kitchen - Palo Alto, CA
Address: 180 El Camino Real, Ste 1140, Palo Alto, CA 94304
Phone: 650-272-5157
True Food Kitchen is located at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, CA located next to Vineyard Vines and Solstice Sunglasses. True Food Kitchen offers healthy food based on the anti-inflammatory food pyramid. The founders of True Food Kitchen believes that food should tasted food and be healthy and it is at True Food Kitchen.
True Food Kitchen is a plant-based restaurant for the protein obsessed. For an appetizer you can start with the Charred Cauliflower flavored with harissa (red chilies, garlic, oils and vinegar) tahini, medjool date (a sweet variety of date), dill, mint and pistachio. The Charred Cauliflower is a vegan and gluten free appetizer option for those on a vegan and / or gluten free diet or for those that just love cauliflower. In fact True Food Kitchen in Palo Alto make selecting food easy breezy for those on a restrictive eating plan such as a gluten free diet or vegan diet.
At True Food Kitchen the menu is labeled for those on a vegan, vegetarian or gluten free diet, so selecting food can be simple when you have complicated dietary restrictions. The menu is labeled with a V for Vegan, Veg for Vegetarian and GF for Gluten Free.
For entrees, True Food Kitchen at Stanford Shopping Center offers pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salmon, poke bowl and even shrimp tacos. For the beef lover there is Grass-fed Steak Tacos garnished with smashed avocados, cilantro chimichurri and pickled red onion for a savory gluten free entree option.
Don't forget dessert. The dessert menu has a variety of healthy options including flourless chocolate cake that is vegetarian and gluten free. Avocado Key Lime Pie is a delicious vegan option topped with organic strawberries and coconut whipped cream. You can't go wrong dining at True Food Kitchen at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California.
When visiting True Food Kitchen at Stanford Shopping Mall park near Bloomingdales. True Food Kitchen is located near Bloomingdales between Vineyard Vines and Solstice Sunglasses.
Curry Up Now - San Mateo, CA
Curry Up now has two convenient locations near Stanford Shopping Center. One location is in Palo Alto, Ca.
Address: Bay Area 321 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Drive North from Stanford Shopping center to the San Mateo, CA location.
Address: Bay Area - open for indoor/outdoor dining 129 South B Street, San Mateo, CA 94401
Curry Up Now is a blend of traditional Indian food, Indian street food and American food. The Bun Samosa may look like a hamburger, but it actually a Sando from the streets of Nainital, India - amul buttered bun, Samosa, maggi ketchup, chutneys with a side crisps. The menu features burritos, bowls and Thali platters.
If you're in the mood Sexy Fries are sweet potato fries loaded with cheese and your choice of protein pair perfectly with Naughty Naan. Naughty Naan is a delicious flatbread topped with mozzarella, caramelized onions, shaved jalapeño and your choice of protein.
If Naughty Naan is not really how you roll.... you can choose from a variety of burrito options including the Tikka Masala Burrito which is Curry Up Now's iconic tikka masala with rice, chana garbanzo masala and sliced onions wrapped up in a tortilla with choice of protein
Don't forget to grab a mango lassi to wash it all down.
Iron Gate - Belmont, CA
Address: 1360 El Camino Real, Belmont, CA 94002
Phone: (650) 592-7893
Iron Gate is a upscale French restaurant located in Belmont, CA off the main drag street El Camino Real. Iron Gate is known for its attentive staff and excellent service. The food is delicious as well. The menu features veal, filet mignon, crab legs and the soufflé dessert cant be missed. Be sure to order the soufflé for dessert in advance because it does take some time for the kitchen to prepare it.
Diner Japonica - Redwood City, CA
Diner Japonica is a traditional homestyle Japanese owned restaurant off of Woodside road.
Address: 593 Woodside Rd, Redwood City, CA 94061
Phone: (650) 364-4649
Diner Japonica is an inconspicuous gem of a restaurant located in a small plaza off of Woodside Rd. When you arrive you will most likely be greeted by the owner of the restaurant, who will seat you with menus. The menu is small, but the food is delicious. The menu features homestyle Japanese food that you would find if you visited any Japanese home.
Japonica is not a sushi restaurant, but does offer California rolls, and a few choices of sashimi. Choose a bento box or Don Buri for a complete meal with salad and miso soup. Chicken Katsu Curry is a fan favorite meal with a side of rice and Japanese potatoe salad. The salmon teriyaki bento box with a California roll makes and side salad make a delicious and satisfying meal. You will feel like your visiting a home of a Japanese friend when you dine at Diner Japonica because the food is so comforting and the restaurant is so cozy.
After dinner you can head a few stores down to a Dunkin Donuts that just opened up next door, so after lunch you can swing by Dunkin Donuts for some dessert and coffee.
Alexander's Steakhouse - Cupertino, CA
Address: 19379 Stevens Creek Blvd,
Cupertino, CA 95014
Phone: (408) 446-2222
If you drive a bit farther South of Stanford Shopping Center you can find Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino, CA. Alexander's Steakhouse serves up the best steaks in the area hands down including the oh so delicious and famous Kobe Wagyu Beef from Japan. Only 9 restaurants in the US sell real Kobe Beef. Alexanders is not a restaurant for vegetarians or strict dietary restrictions although there is a "NOT STEAK" menu the vegetarian options are limited to a few items such as Mushroom Risotto and Tofu.
The steak menu is long and perfect for the protein lover with a variety of options and price points such as the 8oz Prime Filet Mignon or the Prime Ribeye coming in at under $100 or you can splurge on more delicate options such as the Tajima F1 Filet Mignon 8 oz or the Wagyu beef.
If you're celebrating a special occasion make sure to tell the staff when you make your reservation so your dining experience can be extra special. After you meal is finishes, your attentive waiter will bring you a big fluffy cone of cotton candy to share.
These are Going In Style's staff picks for favorite restaurants in the Bay Area. What are your favorite restaurants in the Bay Area?