FUN TIMES @ FLEMING'S STEAKHOUSE, Palo Alto (Or, Dinner with Two Carin(a)'s & a Sean)

Quartet of Appis!



Who knew food blogging could be this much fun? A little over a year after the launch of my blog, I find myself realizing a place in an extended community--- a family of foodies --- and the welcome is heartwarming. Human connection is a powerful thing, and the many new friends with whom I have connected are a joy. Hanging with those who share my love of food and gatherings has been a bonus, an unexpected gift for which I find myself very grateful at this point in my life. The most recent of these food-bliss related experiences was a food blogger dinner hosted by Fleming’s Steakhouse at their Palo Alto location and organized by the talented Public Relations team of Social Media experts at San Francisco’s Ink Foundry, the lovelies Carin Galletta and Carina Ost.

The BH and had I arrived early, as we often do. We asked the host at the front of house if Carina Ost had arrived (Carina and I had bonded over Twitter and the recent Jewish Holydays.  It was she who had so thoughtfully extended me this invitation).  Because their names are similar when spoken, we were directed to Carin Galletta, who had arrived when we did.  Fortunately, Carin was indeed with our group, as Ms. Galletta is President and Founder of Ink Foundry.  She took charge, greeted us warmly, graciously provided us with drinks and generally took us under her wing. We were off to find Carina, and were introduced in short order to Ms. Ost and the various other bloggers who were there to share in the event.  Among the other guests were bloggers HeatherinSF, Merrijane, and Sluuggo all of whom had arrived ready to share a collectively enjoyable repast, united by our passion for food and the written word.



Crab Cakes Exraordinairre~



The manager, Sean Stangl, came over immediately to settle us in and wasted no time in pouring a lovely white wine. In addition to his management skills, Sean is an accomplished Sommelier who guided us through a bounty of deliciously varied wines over the course of the evening. The first bottle he brought us to try was a delightfully crisp Sauvignon blanc. I found it fruit forward and reminiscent of an Italian Frascati, a wine that was an early favorite of mine. Another delicious wine he shared with us was a Pinot Noir fron Sonoma, (MacMurray Ranch ‘08, named after Fred MacMurray, actor and former owner of the property). This wine was earthy and rich, and oddly enough, I swear it had notes of bacon. How can anything that tastes of bacon not be perfection? There is nothing like the flow of good wine(s) to stimulate conversation and this evening was no exception. The wines were all spectacular, and Sean was a master at the art of discussing fine differences in wine. Every glass was different, unique and really paired well with what was being served at the time.  Though I am not an expert, for those of you who appreciate wine in its many iterations and qualities, and who enjoy getting together to share such discussions and tastings, Sean would definitely be the guy you'd want at the party.

Even the bread served at Flemings was unique. It was similar to foccaccia, a nice light bread with enough substance to hold the spreads that accompanied it. One was a savory garlic butter concoction, the other a creamy champagne and feta affair. Both were eminently spreadable, gliding over the bread, the flavors of the spreads working together to compliment it nicely.

The next act of our evening raised the curtain on a quartet of appetizers that had been hand-selected and prepared for us by Chef Partner, Christopher Bennett. His selections included Fleming’s Seared Ahi Tuna — perfectly prepared slices of rare fatty tuna with a nicely blackened crust and a lovely spicy mustard sauce; Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes — the plump, juicy sweet crabmeat was flavored nicely with a sauce of lime butter & roasted red peppers; a Sweet Chile Calamari which I somehow didn’t manage to try, and Fleming’s Wicked Cajun Barbecue Shrimp which were my favorite. The shrimp were hearty with an authentic southern BBQ shrimp marinade. If you’ve never tasted BBQ Shrimp in the South, then you won’t get it. So, my advice is to get right on that.


Heavenly Pork Chop!



For our main course we were given free reign, allowed to choose whatever protein we wanted — so we did! I can’t speak for all the others, but the BH had a Prime Bone-in Ribeye, rare. 





Sean told him this cut was especially good at Flemings, because they begin with a well-marbled cut of meat, and use an extremely high heat to essentially liquify that fat into the meat, reducing it to an au jus that reveals itself when the meat is cut into. The BH said his steak was beyond flavorful. So good, in fact, that he never wants any other cut of meat. Yeah, you heard him, Flemings!



At Sean’s suggestion I ordered the Double Thick Pork Rib Chop, which was a moist double cut slab of perfectly prepared pork. It was really stellar. Nicely layered over the chop were these super thin slices of julienned apples and jicama that had been cooked tender in apple cider. They were just short of caramelized and mingled with the creole mustard glaze on the pork chop nicely.



Mac n' Cheeeezey~



With our mains we also received a bounty reminiscent of Thanksgiving abundance in Fleming’s side dishes to sample. All of the sides had been hand-selected by Chef Bennett as well. Chef came out of the kitchen several times during the meal to oversee our dining experience. Highlights of the sides we received were the Chipotle Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese — a creamy delight of cheeses puddled tenderly in and around a nice, chewy pasta. The blend of cheeses itself was well-balanced, the toasted jalapeno pepper within releasing a steady little jet-burst of heat in the eating of it. I love heat in a dish. Luckily for me, the next dish – Flemings Creamed Sweet Corn, also had a hint of heat to it. What I like even more is that happy place my mouth goes to when I get a sugary heat, like what I found in Fleming’s near pudding of a corn dish. Just delicious. – I didn’t try the green vegetables, but they all looked beautiful. We were offered a Creamed Spinach, Sauteed Mushrooms and some Grilled Asparagus. At the rate we were all grabbing for the dishes, I’d say they were all very well received.

The entire evening was a resounding success. Ink Foundry is a savvy company with great staff. It is not often that strangers who are brought together for business manage to come together so readily as we all did, but our two Carin/a’s made falling easily into conversation and companionship seem like child’s play. We all really enjoyed ourselves and were still happily chatting away when the desserts arrived.



Walnut Turtle Pie~



The New York style cheesecake was true to it’s classic expectations— the blueberry sauce with the white chocolate cheesecake eminently tasty. Fleming’s Chocolate Lava Cake was a solidly good molten chocolate cake, taking full advantage of the intentional flush of hot and cold with the use of two scoops of vanilla ice cream, which although it is one of the few things not made in-house, is still delicious. Fleming’s Walnut Turtle Pie, was my idea of heaven. A marvelously toothsome jambalaya of walnuts and chocolate dripping in gooey homemade caramel — a mouth-watering candy bar inside of a pie crust. Two hours in the gym minimum, my kind of dessert! But the Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée was perhaps my favorite. I am a sucker for a good crème brûlée, and this fulfilled my every expectation. Beneath it’s crust of burnt sugar, the creamy payoff was definitely there — nothing is quite as satisfying as skating a spoon across the hard sugar pond that is the crust of a cream brulee, until the brown ice cracks and the goodness beneath comes bubbling up in sweet release. This is one dessert that may be more about ritual than taste, but both were superior.



It was a memorable night, attended by memorable people. Ink Foundry is a first -rate PR firm, and Fleming’s Steakhouse is a first-rate restaurant. But more importantly, both are run by people you want to spend time with. Sean, Chef Bennett, Carina and Carin all held up their end of the bargain and gave us all a night to remember with serious good eats. What else is there?

I happened to be at the Palo Alto location, but if you are elsewhere and they have a Flemings, my guess is that quality follows. Check it out for yourself. Bon Appetit!



Creme Brulee



Flemings Prime Steakhouse &Wine - Palo Alto

180 El Camino Real Ste #G2

Palo Alto, CA 94304

(650) 329-8457

http://www.flemingssteakhouse.com/

TAMARINE - Dinner on the Orient Express...

I found myself at Tamarine, in Palo Alto, on the occasion of my birthday.  Actually, it was for a dinner fete several weeks following the actual date, but its purpose was to celebrate the anniversary of my birth, nonetheless.  What can I say, I'm a lucky girl.  I got a "re-birthday" celebration.

When we arrived we couldn't find the door.  After much stumbling around at several locked glass doors, we noticed a large party conversing against some curtains, and I realized they were blocking the doorway.  We made our way around this rather thoughtless crowd (a story for another day) and into the restaurant.  Our companions had already been seated and waved us over, so I took this opportunity to thoroughly check out the restaurant's decor and furnishings on my way to our table.  My impressions were all extremly positive.  After spending a large part of the past twenty years mounting theatrical productions, I believe I have developed a deep appreciation for the "staging" techniques used in other mediums.  Restaurants that set their stage well can by doing so, successfully enhance the diner's pleasure. This is such a place.  It's a study in light airy fixtures, smooth laquered wood, beautifully laid out spaces, a lovely bar.  It is a setting that evokes adventure, and then there's the name...  Tamarine. 

Tamarine checked her bag for her ticket as she entered the dining car.  She found a seat at the first empty table, the one closest to him.  Her pale skin reflected the moonlight streaming through the window as the train sped through the mountains.  Tamarine tapped her cigarette against the teak of the windowsill.  She flicked her lighter open unsuccessfully.  Her hands were shaking.  She was nervous.  She needed a stiff drink.

I ordered one of the house specialty cocktails.  The Orchid   The drink was pretty and strong.  A winning combination of rum with yuzu. Sweet but not too, too --- mostly really refreshing.  It had an odd familiarity, it tasted like a lightly chilled, not-so-hot toddy.

The waiter brought her the cocktail. She raised the frosty glass to her lips. Was that the scent of cinnamon? Thankfully, the rum would settle her nerves. She took another sip just in case. My, this was good.

Quite a few of the appetizers here looked intriguing, so we ordered several.  The Shrimp Croquettes were a study in crunchy and moist.  Crispy-crusted  meatballs with a soft shrimpy center.  They arrived in a cute basket of noodles that formed a little nest, like some mama bird had just laid several perfect little fuzzy eggs o' goodness.  A well-plated dish. Perhaps a tiny bit prettier than it was tasty, as without sauce, the exterior or these meatballs tended towards the dry side.  Thankfully the addition of a sauce of sweet chilis, enhanced with a pinch of coarse grain mustard gave them a juicy kick.  The heat of the sauce cut the fleshiness of the shrimp and gave the mouthful a better balance.

The next item on our list was a dish called Tammy’s Banh Bap.   A steamed corn cake is steamed in a banana leaf, then a generous helping of pulled pork is layered over the cake and the dish is finished off with a healthy glazing of  chili-coconut cream sauce.  Complex & tasty, I really enjoyed this one.  I can't seem to say no to anything corn, and don't get me started on juicy barbequed pork.  The corncake was sweet, and --- oddly enough --- it had a consistency a bit like rice pilaf.  The starchiness of the cake formed a moist, absorbant base for liquid coating the strands of pork atop it.  The meat was well-seasoned, savory and juicy, it's smoky flavor resonating with hints of black and maybe a bit of red chili pepper.  The juices of the meat mingled with the chili-cream sauce, and all these liquids flowed together, downwards, ending in puddles under the starchy corncake.  Little pools of golden-brown deliciousness.  I found myself chasing the damp bits of the underside with my fork, determined to find the places that were well saturated with all the flavors.  Of course I tried to be nonchalant.  Can't tip the others off or they might fight me for the goodies.

Her appetizer was a platter of small steamed dumplings.  Tamarine wasn't accustomed to Asian food, but she stabbed at one of them tentatively with her fork.  She took her first bite of the spicy pork, and though the flavor was unfamiliar, it was good.  Suddenly she was hungry.

After a moment I regained my composure and turned my attention to taste the Shrimp Cupcakes.  These were one of my favorite treats of the evening. They are served up in lovely little rice cups, to mimic the paper basket of a cupcake.  Sitting inside them are these puff-pastries of shrimp meat, moistened with a mixture of shrimp-coconut milk, green onions and a nice sprinkling of seasoning.  These baby prawn cakes are set off to perfection with a Vietnamese nuoc cham (a slightly sweet dipping sauce of garlic and chili paste) that was ecstasy to the tongue.

The next bite I had was a darling little play on the steamed Pork Bun.  They serve them here in almost exactly the same configuration of flavors, but as an open-faced sandwich with much more pork.  It's fresher, and better.  Thumbs up! 

It is January.  Even in California that means cold winter weather, which in turn, means if I am offered it, I'll order a soup.  We selected two kinds of soup to share between the four of us.  A Kabocha-Corn Soup, which is a creamed mixture of a lovely meaty Japanese winter squash, mingled with corn (again, yay!) and coconut.  They infuse the liquid with lemongrass which gives a nice acidic balance to the creamy, savory broth.  It was hearty and delicious. Squash makes a great soup.  The consistency just lends itself to being creamed and strained to perfection, kabocha has an exceptional sweet flavor naturally, even sweeter than butternut squash. It is similar in texture and flavor to a cross between a pumpkin and a sweet potato.  This starch adds a sugary component to the mix, and the other seasonings blended together to arrive at a very pleasing flavor, balancing the natural sugar well with the other ingredients.  Our second soup was a Ha Long Bay Soup a thin green consomme, with a nice coconut flavor as its strongest component, followed by notes of coriander.  The many lovely crab wontons bobbing about in the broth completed it nicely.

Tamarine sipped her green tea anxiously, allowing the heat of the cup to warm her hands.  Her fingers were stiff with cold.  Maybe she was too close to the window.  She gazed through the glass at the snowy landscape as it flew by.  The gentleman sitting at the table across from her was staring.  She could see his reflection in the mirror.  Tamarine looked away quickly, but she could feel his eyes boring into her.  A self-conscious flush crept up the back of her neck.

Time for our main courses, and they arrived on cue.  One of us ordered the Honey-Soy Roti Chicken a dish whose simplicity had really intrigued me initially. It lived up to those expectations in the mouthful I had.  The chicken was served boneless, and the meat was infused with its own juices, the outer skin crunchy-gold with flecks of char.  All of it drizzled with a lovely sauce of soy, "5-spices" and honey.  Five-spices chicken has long been one of my BH's favorites.  It is said that the Chinese were trying to create a combination consisting of all of the five flavors - sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty.  Each chef has a slightly different variation of the spices used in his or her grouping, so I am not certain which spices were in this dish, but the result was a hit.  The one sour note in this dish might have been the spicy papaya salad.  It was really peppery and almost too hot for me... and I love habanero.  I have to say there wasn't a good balance to the salad, it was just too much heat, not enough flavor. 

I had the Tamarine Prawns which were a "flash-fried" jumbo prawn, bathed in a gently sweet Tamarind sauce over another nest of crispy rice noodles.  The fryer had not made them at all greasy, and the thick sauce was sweet without being cloying.  It clung to the perfectly cooked prawns like a snuggly blanket of flavor. Lovely in color and consistency, this dish was another treat.

Another of us had orderd the Shaking Beef --- it was a terrific dish, chock full of big "bouncy" cubes of beef tenderloin, all sauteed in a sauce of  soy, garlic and onions.  This dish was perhaps my favorite of our mains.  The meat in the bowl arrived with this lovely brown glaze, and to the taste, had a nice texture inside and out.  The resistance of the slightly grilled exterior gagve way to the teeth with a burst of its juicy innards.  The seasoning held a peppery afterbite on the palate, yet it didn't smother the meat.  The flavor of the beef came right through it and for me was the star of the evening.  Mingled with a bit of the watercress salad accompanying my mouthful had a  nice fresh balance when mingled with a bite of beef.

Tamarine tasted her steak.  It was delicious.  The chef had prepared it just the way she liked it.  She dabbed her lips carefully with her napkin, taking care not to smudge her lipstick.  She reached for her drink and knocked her napkin to the floor.  Before she knew it, he had handed it back to her.  Who was he.  Why was he on this train.  What did he want from her?

The Hoisin Lamb Chops were equally good. They do something really amazing with the heartier, dark meats like lamb and beef here.  It's keeps its natural plumpness, and within the juice of the meats (both of them) was a bang, this loud explosion of perfect flavor.  The lamb was done up nicely with a hoisin, garlic and rosemary and served with baby bok choy and sweet potato fries.  The entire meal seemed to me to be the perfect procession of flavors and textures, each dish promising a bounty with scent and artistry of presentation, with all but a tiny few bites subsequently living up to that promise.  

We topped off the evening with a Butterscotch Pot de Creme w Golden Blondies which was a rich ‘pudding’ completely and unabashedly butterscotch.  It had by its side several very moist and chewy blonde brownie bars.  We also shared a Strawberry Lemon parfait a standard parfait, nicely put together with the flavor of the lemon serving to cut the cream and a act as a nice balance to the sweetness of the strawberries.  Both desserts were nice, simple sweet treats.  Nothing amazing, but well prepared.  It was a nice refreshing way to  finish a great meal.
 
The evening was a celebration, so I decided to go all out.  I ended the evening by ordering a coffee liquer drink that was well, almost too strong. The flavor, instead of coffee, was pretty much all brandy, with a dash of cream floating in the coffee at the center of a big snifter.  I couldn't finish it.  It kinda kicked my ass a little. Just too decadent. 

Everything else was amazing.  It was a lovely evening, and I really enjoyed my companions and our conversation.  I am fairly sure that if you are a fan Thai or other similar Asian cuisines, you will love this place.  Check it out for yourself, and Bon Appetit!
 
Tamarine pushed her chair away from the table.  She had eaten too much, almost finishing the entire steak.  She was embarrassed.  Ladies didn't eat large quantities in public.  She darted a glance over at the table across from her to see if he was watching.  His chari was empty.  She sighed.  She'd missed her chance to speak to him.  Tamarine rose to return to her sleeping car.  She found herself a little unsteady on her feet.  A voice from behind surprised her.  "May I buy the lady a brandy?"  
 
Tamarine Restaurant

http://www.tamarinerestaurant.com/
546 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301-1901
(650) 325-8500

Table size: perfect for many many dishes
Cost: Expensive
Service: Excellent

ST. MICHAEL'S ALLEY - another delicious detour

Sorry not to have written for so long. It's not that I haven't been eating, I promise. In fact, I've been eating a lot, just haven't had as much time to tell you all about it. To make up for this lapse, I am writing tonight about a really swell place I tried several weeks ago.

It's not in Oakland, so it's a special treat, but it is in the Bay Area. Palo Alto, to be exact. The home town of my BH and a lovely place to dine. It was a special occasion of sorts, getting together with a pair of good friends, so we wanted to eat someplace really nice.

The restaurant has two locations, one larger site they just moved to located on Homer Avenue, and the previous location now called "The Annex" where they serve brunches. The brunches here are supposed to be amazing, but we haven't tried one yet, so I won't be filling you in on that as of yet.

We may not have had the brunch, but we did indeed have dinner at St. Michael's just a bit over a month ago. I found their standards to be delightful. They begin by serving this amazing warm herbed bread that I had trouble not spoiling my appetite with. Those kind of carbs are my idea of heaven. We also had a nice meat platter. The selections were nice, but I found the portions a bit skimpy for sharing. I like to be able to try a bit of everything without monopolizing the experience. It's only sliced meat people, so either put a few repeat varieties on the plate, or slice a few more of each for the patrons. We can't all try something if everyone's feeling tortured about taking the lone piece of mortadella. Other than that it was all pretty good.

They've got a bar, but in mentioning it, I would provide a caveat -- while they do have a great list of specialty cocktails, that is pretty much all they have. One type of vodka, one type of tequila. Whatever it is they use in their listed drinks. So this isn't the place to order your favorite specialty liquor, or other unusual spirits. They have not invested in fully stocking their bar, so it's likely that if what you crave isn't on the specialty menu, they don't have it. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed my drink, which was a Passion Fruit Margarita. My BH had something called an Aviatrix. Mine was a sweet fresh-fruity Tequila goodness concoction, his was an unusually savory and really strong man drink. Which is odd considering the names, but I didn't name them.

I began by ordering the Thai Carrot Soup. It was a nice mix of the complex flavors of both a classic Thai soup and a hint of carrot, although it must have been mostly fresh carrots. My BH doesn't even like carrots and he liked this soup. Really tasty. Next I had their Seared Wild Sea Scallop, with a Wasabi Beurre Blanc and Pineapple Salsa. They definitely know how to prepare a scallop here. That lovely barely crusted golden brown top with the moist flaky center. Scallops have become one of my favorite things to eat, but only when they're done right. These were done right. The sauces were really unique and continued the slightly Asian fusion theme of the evening's menu. Just enough to enhance the flavors without obliterating the perfectly prepared scallop. A great dish.

BH had the lamb special and he loved it. Lamb was done properly, herbs all complimented the meat without hiding the flavor. We finished our meal with shared desserts, we ordered the Dark Chocolate Mousse Torte, the Profiteroles with Chocolate Chip Gelato, and we rounded out the dessert "buffet" with a Cassis Sorbet. The torte was thick chocolaty goodness, very tasty, moist in the middle. All the right consistencies and flavors for chocolate lovers. I love chocolate, but I can take it or leave it, my BH would insist on being be buried in a chocolate coffin.

The profiteroles were light and fluffy and filled with an excellent house-made gelato. I thought they were as good as profiteroles can be. My own favorite (maybe because by then I was stuffed) was the Cassis Sorbet. It was beautifully fresh black currants frozen and blended to perfection. Light, just sweet enough, but not so sweet as to overwhelm the tangy-ness of the currants. I just loved this stuff.

Our friends ordered some other items on the menu, including the Caprese Salad (which I tasted --- the tomatoes were heaven) and some rockin' house made raviolis. My bro-in-law was the only one among us who was unhappy with his meal. He thought his chicken was under done.

All in I thought the meal was outstanding. I found this place to be a definite repeater and will put it in rotation. There are simply too many great places to eat these days. What a problem to have! The service was attentive and extremely professional without being annoying. Our server had a real sense of personal pride in everything that was served, wanting our experience to be first rate. If that's not your thing, you might not appreciate it, but I really did.

Now I just have to find the time to get there again.

Saint Michael's Alley

140 Homer Avenue

Palo Alto, CA 94301

1-650-326-2530

email: stmikes910@aol.com

http://www.stmikes.com/

Price: Expensive

Dining time: dinner was leisurely, not sure of luncheon

Table size: Adequate

MADISON & FIFTH - fine Italian in Palo Alto

So we had planned to revisit a place we had really enjoyed the first time we went, just over a year ago. Madison & Fifth in Palo Alto. It took us two tries. The first time we went, we had no sooner ordered our drinks, than the firetrucks pulled up in front. After twenty minutes of climbing around the roof, they (the-brave-men-of-the-putting-out-of-the-fires) decided that maybe they should close the place down after all, just in case.

We never got our prosciutto & melon. Sad. We were so hungry (and we loved the food here so much on our previous visit) that we were actually weighing how crispy we'd let ourselves get before giving up the ghost. The PAFD decided for us. Curses!

But we were not to be deterred, so we made arrangements to reconvene our little party (with two additions) about a week later, giving Mad & Fifth time to regroup. We met last Tuesday and ordered to make up for lost time. We began the meal with more of their delicious cocktails. I have to say I am a huge fan of the new trend towards cocktail "mixology." When one's drinks are as thoughtfully prepared as the entrees, it can really enhance the dining experience. I had a repeat of the Peaches & Cream I had ordered on my previous visit. As chance would have it, our waitress was the drink's inventor. She whipped me up another serving of her delicious concoction, which tastes not so much like peaces, but a happy dose of citrusy sunshine in a glass. It's light and so drinkable I had another not so long after. She offered us an off-menu strawberry version, also her creation, which my sister-in-law enjoyed a great deal. My husband had the Midsummer Night's Dream. This is a dark fruity concoction that he found just to his liking.

Their house bread is this really delicious pizza-shaped bread that reminds me a bit of a cross between a biscuit and a scone. These breads are accompanied by a cheese and garlic spread that is so creamy it is easier to apply than room temperature butter. I find it absolutely delicious.

For starters, we all shared the Gnocchi Bettola, (pictured above left) which was buttery and delicious. I like my gnocchi a bit chewier (this was a very soft consistency) but the sauce was really good. We also had a prosciutto and melon. Unfortunately, while the melon was ripe and summery sweet, the prosciutto was as tough as shoe-leather. It looked appetizing, but was almost inedible. I probably should have spoken up, because they sincerely seem to care about food and service here, but after the fire I just felt bad for them and we were with a large boisterious group, so I didn't let on. My advice to others is to politely point these things out so that establishments have the opportunity to rectify the situation. They can't fix what they don't know about and it's possible they just got a bad slab of ham. It happens.

We raced through our apps, as we were all starving, and were promptly served with our main dishes. My daughter had ordered the Pizza Prosciutto and the Spinach Ravioli w/goat cheese fondue (pictured above right). While the pizza suffered somewhat from the lack of decent prosciutto, the spinach ravioli was world class. The sauce may have been the best cheese sauce I've ever tasted. Creamy, melted and a perfect balance of spices, this was heaven in my mouth. Seriously. The kind of experience one has trouble forgetting --- in a good way!!

I had a lovely raw ahi dish, but I was so blown away by the ravioli, I found the flavors a bit of a let down. Like my mouth was too excited to appreciate anything else.

We ended with coffee and a nice triple chocolate cake, and the meal went much smoother than on our previous visit. I have to say that although most of the patrons got excited (and many were somewhat hostile to the management) there was never any danger. It was a garbage can fire in the back courtyard, and the restaurant's design is such that it would be all but impossible to evacuate everyone to safety with the fire behind us and open space in front. The firemen were completely unphased, so there was no reason to panic, but some seemed to want to use the event as an excuse to leave without paying. People can be so tacky these days.

Although this meal was a little uneven, the food here is usually consistently first rate. They do italian and sauces better than most, so if you're in doubt, order a pasta dish. Hopefully they'll have fresh prosciutto before we return.

Bon Appetit!

Madison & Fifth

367 University Avenue

Palo Alto, CA 94301

(650) 323-3900

http://www.madandfifth.com/

Price: Moderately Expensive

Dining Time: Leisurely (have not had lunch here, but imagine they could get one out in an hour)

Table size: More than adequate