Dan Pitt’s Opinionated Compendium of Downtown Palo Alto Restaurants
Dan Pitt’s Opinionated Compendium of Downtown Palo Alto Restaurants
I must say, the sensation around LYFE Kitchen is not all unwarranted. We enjoyed a most pleasant supper there and I plan to go back. LYFE stands for Love Your Food Everyday and they give you plenty of reason to do that. All the dishes are thoughtfully made, highlighting natural flavors with wisely-used calories (no dish over 700) and low levels of salt and fat. They use no butter, transfats, or high-fructose corn syrup and they fry nothing but they do serve meat. Oh, and no dish costs over $12.99 with the vast majority under $10.
At our supper (it’s not the kind of place where I would call our meal dinner) we enjoyed the farro and beet salad, the barramundi in a Japanese broth, and the butternut-squash soup. Our companions had the plain flatbread (basically a pizza margherita) and the “unfried” chicken (done in the oven). The flatbread was a little plain (I would have ordered the mushroom version) and the portions were not huge, but I wasn’t that hungry and it was all tasty. We were comped a dessert about which the waiter raved (orange sponge cake) but we found it not very moist or tasty. On a succeeding visit my wife and her friend had the Thai soup and farmers salad, both good and healthy. There is a very small but inviting wine list (favoring the Rhone varietals), all available by the glass. When I inquired about corkage I received conflicting answers (no charge, $10); I think it’s $10.
The eating areas are notable for the variety of furniture: high tables and chairs, low tables, straight-backed chairs, plush reclining chairs, sofas, booths, and half-booths. You order and pay at the counter and they give you an electronic puck. When your food is ready, the puck tells the server where you are and they bring you your food. It doesn’t beep or flash. Note that we were able to order dessert and have it brought to us (without paying) because the staff were going out of their way to win customers. We talked to the local manager, who moved here from Chicago to run this restaurant; he is close with the founders, one of whom was Oprah’s private chef. The staff seem to fervently believe in what they are doing. It’s fairly bright and percussive in there, which gives it energy and keeps people moving in and out.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Next in line: LYFE Kitchen