How a former Grecian filmmaker established this Silicon Valley chocolate shop
This week we’re taking a look at three eateries with unique backstories: a Palo Alto chocolate shop created by a former documentarian, a Redwood City food truck started by a teenager and a Los Altos restaurant founded by a contractor and plumber who met after being conned by the same man.
Freelancer Ashwini Gangal talked with Panos Panagos, co-owner of Alegio Chocolaté, and learned the tasty tale of its history – how Grecian-born Panagos took inspiration from his time as a photojournalist in Ethiopia and looked up to the chocolatier known as “Italian Indiana Jones.”
Meanwhile, I sat down with Jaime Valle, co-owner of downtown Los Altos’ newest restaurant, El Comal. His debut in the food and beverage industry had a rocky start, but now his all-day Mexican restaurant is open for business. I also talked with 19-year-old Redwood City resident Jonathan Maldonado, who recently opened his first food truck.
Stay tasty,
Adrienne
How ‘Italian Indiana Jones’ inspired this chocolate shop in downtown Palo Alto
If you walk into Alegio Chocolaté on Bryant Street and meet co-owner Panos Panagos, you are sure to leave the store with the flavors of the African rainforest on your palate, visions of cacao being cultivated in the equatorial island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe and fables of Claudio Corallo, an Italian agronomist who has made the tropical plantations of Terreiro Velho his home.
A local teen opens a hibachi burrito food truck, an all-day Mexican restaurant debuts in Los Altos and an herbal tea party
- There’s a new late-night food truck in Redwood City specializing in hibachi burritos – and it’s owned by a teenager.
- Los Altos’ newest restaurant, El Comal, offers cuisine from Oaxaca and Yucatan.
- Three subcontractors of a cleaning services company have been arrested for burglarizing three downtown Palo Alto restaurants.
- It’s Girl Scout cookie season! Here’s a guide on where to buy Girl Scout cookies in Redwood City.
- Looking to cut back on sugar? Embarcadero Media blogger Laura Stec offers a low-sugar recipe to satisfy cravings.
- Now through March, Eataly Silicon Valley’s rooftop restaurant is the winter pop-up experience Alpina, featuring Alpine cuisine (like fondue and gnocchi), warming cocktails (like a hot toddy and Italian eggnog), happy hours and hands-on classes. On Fridays from 6-9 p.m., expect a live DJ and exclusive offerings like shot skis.
- HeyTea, a Chinese boba franchise, opened its newest Bay Area location in Sunnyvale Jan. 17.
- Vietnamese restaurant Pho Anh held its grand opening in Mountain View Jan. 18.
- Gamble Garden in Palo Alto is hosting an herbal tea party on Friday, where guests can create and sip on their own herbal tea blends.
- Learn to make your own loaf of ube, cinnamon raisin or rosemary sea salt bread on Friday at Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company in San Carlos.
Dinner at Pizzeria Cardamomo
To me, there’s no restaurant that says Valentine’s Day quite like Pizzeria Cardamomo. The founding story is like something out of a romance novel, and the restaurant itself oozes love – but not in a cheesy, cloying way.
Chef-owner Momo Farouq can be found making pizzas in the open concept kitchen, and his wife, Sarika Batra, is at the hostess stand, greeting guests, guiding them to their tables and explaining the menu.
Farouq’s culinary style is “clean,” not too heavy or salty, she tells the guests after they sit. A bottle of Farouq’s special housemade pepper oil is available for guests to add spice to their dishes as they wish.
The drinks menu is relatively succinct, with two sparkling, five white and five red wines ($12-$17 a glass), as well as a Cardamomo spritz, made with Pathfinder, Maschio prosecco and orange ($15). The spritz was reminiscent of an old fashioned in spritz form, with bitter orange notes.
The pasta alla zucca featured sweet and nutty slow-cooked butternut squash, earthy sage and sharp Parmigiano-Reggiano ($24). While I enjoyed the dish, I did find the large pieces of raw sage somewhat offputting and bitter. I would have preferred the sage fried in butter to crisp it up, remove excess bitterness and provide textural contrast from the soft pasta and squash.
The verdura pizza came with fior di latte, organic tomato sauce, grilled zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, Taggiasca olives, mint and spicy pepper oil essence ($25). The variety of toppings on this pizza gave it lots of flavor, and the mint added a bright and unexpected freshness.
The carbonara white pizza was my favorite dish of the night, featuring a sharp, peppery flavor from the Madagascar voatsiperifer pepper, salty umami notes from the crispy guanciale and tanginess from the Pecorino Romano ($27). However, I was disappointed in the poached egg, which was underdone on the outside and overdone on the inside.
The ambiance of Pizzeria Cardamomo is lively. Even though it’s new, it’s quite popular, so I’d definitely recommend making a reservation.
To watch my review, follow @peninsulafoodist on Instagram.
Pizzeria Cardamomo, 2053A Broadway, Redwood City; 650-629-4193, Instagram: @pizzeriacardamomo. Open Tuesday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
‘We have a diet that is literally killing us.’ Why Frances Moore Lappé’s groundbreaking ‘Diet for a Small Planet’ is more relevant than ever
Lappé talks about the intersection of democracy and food systems and the impact of her first book 50 years later
FROM THE FOODIST
When you support local journalism, you support the Foodist
The Peninsula Foodist is proud to be a sister publication of Palo Alto Online, and as an independent and local news organization, we rely on reader support to bring you 100% original content focusing on the places where you live and work — and of course — eat out. Your support is needed now more than ever. Help sustain local journalism and the Peninsula Foodist by becoming a member. > SUPPORT US TODAY
About the Peninsula Foodist
We cover the dynamic, under-the-radar food scene around the Peninsula through articles, interviews and eating excursions. Pass along tips, comments and recipes to PeninsulaFoodist@PaloAltoOnline.com.
Are you looking to reach locals interested in food and dining on the Peninsula? Learn about advertising in the
Peninsula Foodist newsletter.
Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved.
*|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|*
Our mailing address is:
*|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|*
You can update your preferences and manage your groups, or if you really never want to hear from us again, including other emails from us you may have signed up for, you can totally unsubscribe from this list.
View this email in your browser
