Janet W. wrote: >Two suggestions as alternatives to L'amie Donia - Cafe Pro Bono off >of California Avenue and Evvia - on Emerson off of University. >Evvia has the same physical atmosphere as L'Amie and very good food. >I think Pro Bono's food is hard to beat anywhere. When I moved down to the South Bay from Berkeley, Janet recommended Cafe Verona as an alternative to my favorite sandwich shop: Panini's. Now a friend dragged me to Pro Bono for lunch, and for a month I've been telling my wife she should try it. Janet, I like your taste. George
San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Palo Alto Recommendation Please
GentlFrend wrote: > > Let me chime in with a vote for Pro Bono as well. Terrific place. > Gorgonzola raviolli to die for. Having been quick to recommend Pro Bono, I'm somewhat embarassed to want to qualify my comments. Well, I did mention that I'd only been there once. On our second visit, I noted that not all the dishes were as good as my first meal, and I found the bread not to my liking. The bread was a focaccia style whereas I prefer crusty loaves, and also lacked what I like in a focaccia - softness and flavor. Perhaps it gets a bit stale by dinner. I can't even remember what my wife had, having tried it and been unimpressed. She, certainly, wasn't happy considering that I'd raved about the place and dragged her there only to have something relatively ordinary. Anyways, I strongly recommend Susan's Downfall - ravioli smothered in a rich cheese sauce and sliced almonds. There's not many ravioli, but the sauce is good enough that you'll eat a basket of mediocre bread dunked in it. I also had a nice carpaccio, although I'd have preferred olive oil and cheddar to the mustard and capers. But that's probably my own personal preference owing to the first time I had carpaccio. To summarize, I still like Pro Bono, but not quite as much as I thought I did. I'll still stop by when I'm in the area and feel like treating myself to a nice lunch, but with a number of other excellent Palo Alto restaurants in easy reach, we'll probably go elsewhere when my wife and I dine in the area. I'd still recommend them as an alternative to L'ami Donia, but I don't consider them in the same class. Pro Bono is more of a nice neightborhood place. George