Don L. wrote: > >Tough to find really good food in Palo Alto. Not Il Fornaio or >Evvia or Stars or Osteria or Piatti ... Caveat: haven't been there in a year or so, but lately (I use that term because my opinion spans some twenty years) my standard for excellent food in Palo Alto has been Chantilly II. Excellent service, reasonably quiet, and quality food. Actually, I haven't been to downtown Palo Alto at all for more than a year; I've gotten so sick of trying to park. We do go to California Ave frequently, because it's one of the easiest places to get to on the peninsula, both from 280 and 101 (and because Printers Inc makes a good rendezvous). I'm fond of Peking Duck -- they really don't seem to use MSG in their food, and the atmosphere qualifies it as a "nice" place. We went to Healthy Choice (Persian buffet next to the train station) for lunch, and were quite happy; at $7 for lunch, it's a nice deal. Homma's Brown Rice Sushi is a funky little place, but worth it. I used to think Fresco's had overpriced pretentious food, but times have changed and they're now a reasonable value (anyone else remember when it was still a Stickney's?). Their breakfasts are probably still overpriced, though. Palo Alto Joe's (near 101 and San Antonio) is surprisingly good, but get a table in the very back to avoid smoke from the bar.
San Francisco Bay Area, CA