Readers’ Choice 2014 Brendy Monsada serves classic brasserie items, such as onion soup, escargot, steak frites, and mussels, along with seasonal specialties such as heirloom tomato salad and sweet corn fricassee. The restaurant has been hosting “Tap Takeover� beer events where a local brewery’s offerings are served from all the restaurants taps for a weekend. In May the restaurant’s fried-in-duckfat French fries were named as one of the country’s top 15 fries by People magazine. 635 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park; (650) 4736543
Italian Restaurant Diners double their pleasure at Carpaccio in downtown Menlo Park, feasting on food our readers find the best in Italian cuisine while feasting their eyes on the vibrant decor. Managing partner Ciya Martorana is the longtime familiar figure greeting patrons most days, and chef Jorges Cortes continues to offer specialties such as the Ostriche Asagio — baked oysters with spinach and asiago cheese — and a range of pastas, fish, and meat dishes. Soups, salads, pizzas and desserts round out the menu. 1120 Crane St., Menlo Park | 322-1211
Japanese Restaurant Fuki Sushi pays attention to detail. With decor that gives the feeling of being transported to Japan, and a menu that honors authentic traditions, it’s clear why Almanac readers have identified the restaurant as their favorite place for sushi. Lumi Gardner, general manager, says her restaurant keeps guests coming back because of a focus on quality and a refusal to bow to the more Americanized sushi trend of giant rolls filled with ingredients like cream cheese. “Sushi is supposed to be a bite-sized meat cuisine,� she says. “That’s the whole point.� 4119 El Camino Real, Palo Alto | 494-9383
Mexican Restaurant The award for this year’s favorite Mexican restaurant goes to the vibrantly colored and lively Cafe Del Sol, known for the authenticity of its traditional Mexican menu. Owner Lionel Diaz notes that the restaurant values the tasty freshness of its food, and says: “Everything we do is fresh. We get everything from a local produce.� The restaurant has established a reputation for bringing the rich flavors of Mexican cuisine to its customers. 1010 Doyle St #1, Menlo Park | 326-2501
Photo by Natalia Nazarova/The Almanac
Khephra Molloy, general manager of Vine Dining Enterprises, a restaurant management group that manages Left Bank restaurant in Menlo Park. Left Bank won for favorite French restaurant.
New Restaurant Borrone MarketBar won as favorite new restaurant in the Readers’ Choice 2014 poll. “We love our work,� says owner Marina Borrone, who calls her family’s new endeavor “our little gem,� located next to the family’s Cafe Borrone. “We designed the new MarketBar not to repeat (Cafe
Borrone) but to be reflective of our time in Italy,� she says. Patrons can either enjoy a cocktail and a full-service menu that changes daily, or take home offerings such as lamb sausage prepared that morning or fresh spinach fettuccine with pesto. 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, (650) 600-8095
Romantic Restaurant Our readers aren’t the only ones who appreciate The Village Pub. In 2013 the Pub received Wine Spectator magazine’s Grand Award for its wine list, the magazine’s highest honor, which currently is bestowed on only 73 Continued on page 26
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