Food&Drink
Big turnout to sample and sip at Village Bakery
By Maggie Mah Special to the Almanac
Q WOODSIDE
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bulging line of would- kids in strollers, older kids on be customers extended scooters, and all ages walking out the door at an open their dogs. Riding their horses to the house July 22 for the new Village event were residents Elizabeth Bakery & Cafe in Woodside. Inside they were squeezing Caselton and Anne Van Camp, and jostling politely along the who came into the bakery after sleek display cases and marble tying up at the hitch rack next counters of the new eatery at to the creek. They said they 3052 Woodside Road, across figured it would be easier than finding a place to park. from Roberts Market. Also in the crowd and a typiA small army of servers shuttled back and forth, tak- cal weekend sight were bicying drink orders and handing clists. One young woman from out full-sized bakery selections San Francisco cycles regularly while explaining patiently to in the area and happened upon those who dove for their wallets the event. Unaware of the local that everything that morning hoopla, she perched on a stool at one of the window counwas “on the house.” Watching the action was ters, whipped out her phone to manager Tracy Redmond. “We spread the word on Yelp. The event was so popular that wanted this to be a community the bakery items event and to say, were mostly gone ‘thanks.’ Everya little more than one has been so Two arrived by hour after the supportive.” horse. They said an doors opened at Asked if any of 10 a.m. Latethe staff bustling they figured it comers were still behind the counwould be easier able to enjoy cofter had come than finding fee drinks and from the Maymimosas from field Bakery, the a place to park. the cafe bar next Bacchus Group’s sister operation in Palo Alto, door. The bakery has a low-key Ms. Redmond replied: “They are all new. We’ve done dress sophistication with an array rehearsals with friends and of breads on rustic metal racks family but this is their first time and carefully displayed pastries that create a look and feel remiwith ‘live’ customers.” The crowd was a represen- niscent of European food shops. Lining the perimeter of the tative sample of people one would expect to see on a mid- retail space are shelves stocked summer Saturday morning in with edible and non-edible merWoodside: “thirty something” chandise including prepackparents, grandparents pushing aged house-made confections,
Photo by Maggie Mah
An open house at the new Village Bakery & Cafe is Woodside attracted a crowd.
coffee makers, organic “heirloom” teas, cheese boards, coasters, exotic vinegars, oils, Italian preserves and cocktail mixers. During the opening festivities, seating inside the bakery was limited to two small counters at the windows on either side of the entrance. It is not known at the time of this writing if additional seating will be added. The cafe portion of the Village Bakery operation is similarly restrained and sophisticated but the ambiance is
rather dark and urban. The wood-burning oven that dominated the old space (occupied by the similarly named Woodside Bakery & Cafe) is gone but there is one aspect that has a foot in the familiar: the cafe patio. The sunny dining area has been revamped and planted with an olive tree at the center and is now clearly visible from the inside dining areas. The Village Bakery will be open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner with one menu designed to provide a range of
choices throughout the day. Selections include a variety of “Toasts,” soups and salads, pizza and pasta, main dishes including waff les with a fried chicken option, egg dishes, a burger, roast chicken, and several sides. Added to the core menu are daily specials, a complete dessert menu and full bar. A Maggie Mah is a longtime Woodside resident and food industry consultant specializing in new product development.
Diners give first impressions of new Woodside restaurant By Dave Boyce Almanac Staff Writer
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t was only its second night in business, so few were willing to jump to any conclusions after having had dinner July 25 at the new Village Bakery & Cafe in Woodside. However some of the diners exiting the new restaurant on Woodside Road (across the street from Roberts Market) were willing to give their initial impressions. Overall, the meal was positive, said Suzanne, a Woodside resident. The avocado toast was lovely, though the pizza was not up to what’s served at the Village
Bakery’s sister restaurant, Mayfield Bakery & Cafe in Palo Alto, she said. “We’re looking for more creativity,” she said, and a children’s menu like the one at Mayfield. (San Francisco-based Bacchus Management Group owns The Village Bakery and Mayfield and seven other restaurants, including The Village Pub in Woodside and Spruce and The Saratoga in San Francisco.) Suzanne’s companion, Darrell, described the Wagyu steak as “excellent,” but said he considered the menu to be truncated. “We’ll probably come back in a couple of weeks and give it another shot,” he said.
10 Q The Almanac Q AlmanacNews.com Q August 2, 2017
“It’s fantastic,” said Michael from Mountain View when asked for his reaction to dinner. “The food is solid.” He said he had the salmon, at the bar so he needed no reservation. “Very tasty,” he said.
‘We’ll probably come back in a couple of weeks and give it another shot.’ “It was fantastic,” said a Woodside resident getting into his car and apparently not interested in a long conversation. “The food was great.”
The service was slow, the wine steward was fun to talk with, and the salads were “ample and very nice,” said Betsy from Portola Valley. She said she liked the salmon, but that the bread, while wonderful, was “ridiculously expensive.” It was a nice atmosphere and a good effort, she said, but “they should not be surprising you with $8 for a little loaf of bread.” Her husband, who declined to give his name, chimed in. “It was very lovely, but it’s one of those things like, ‘I’m paying plenty for this and you want to charge me $8 for bread?’” The spaghettoni was
mediocre, he said. He, too, complained about what he thought was a limited menu. The way the waiters discussed the length of the menu, Betsy whispered to this reporter, “it might stay that way.” A couple from Burlingame Hills described the food as very good and the service as great. “The waiters were awesome,” the woman said. As for the wine, they’d ordered six bottles. “We didn’t like any of them,” she said. “They need some work on the menu,” one man said in passing. “It’s easy to be negative,” he added. “We’ll give them some time.” A