Category Archives: Dining Outside

Augustine Adds A Touch of Glitz to Santana Row

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The Augustine Burger.
The Augustine Burger.

One of the first restaurants to open in San Jose’s Santana Row in 2003, Pizza Antica is still drawing crowds and going strong.

On the heels of that impressive streak, it’s now been joined by its new sister restaurant Augustine with adjacent Augustine Bakery/Cafe, both of which opened in March.

All are owned by the Bacchus Management Group, which has a host of restaurants in the Bay Area, including Michelin-starred Selby’s in Redwood City and the Village Pub in Woodside.

The expansive, former Sino restaurant spot has been completely made over in tones of deep cobalt with custom light fixtures as luminous as contemporary jewelry, and a glittering marble u-shaped bar that commands attention steps from the entrance. A covered patio offers ample outdoor dining, too. The look is elegant and well-heeled.

The eye-catching bar.
The eye-catching bar.

And is the place ever attracting a crowd.

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A Visit to the New Stella in Kenwood

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Grilled lamb ribs at the new Stella restaurant in Kenwood.
Grilled lamb ribs at the new Stella restaurant in Kenwood.

If Glen Ellen Star is like your favorite pair of comfy jeans, then Stella is like that new pair from the same cherished brand that’s just a touch more decked out.

The team behind that 13-year-old, Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in Glen Ellen debuted its sister restaurant in Kenwood this past Saturday. The night before, I was fortunate enough to be invited in as a guest of the restaurant for a sneak peek and taste.

Both restaurants, which lean Italian with California influences, are owned and operated by Chef Ari Weiswasser, his wife Erin, and managing partners Spencer and Ashley Waite. Glen Ellen Star’s former Chef de Cuisine Bryant Minuche, who also cooked at Michelin three-starred New York City restaurants Eleven Madison Park and Le Bernardin, has stepped into that same role at Stella.

Chef Ari Weiswasser at the entrance to Stella.
Chef Ari Weiswasser at the entrance to Stella.

While Glen Ellen star has that cozy vibe that feels as if you’ve just stumbled upon a quaint gourmet hideaway in the woods, Stella presents a much more expansive feel with an open kitchen more than double the size, a large outdoor dining patio, and a main dining room with a fireplace, as well as a bar and chef’s counter.

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Fried Chicken Sandwich Bliss In A Napa Auto Lot

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The epic fried chicken sandwich at Joella's Deli.
The epic fried chicken sandwich at Joella’s Deli.

Chef Ian Rosenstrauch has a thing for fried chicken. And we should all be grateful for that.

A former line cook at New York City’s Rainbow Room, who then worked for three years as a butcher and gardener at The French Laundry in Yountville, he would go home at the end of his shift and crave fried chicken so much that he’d fry up a batch to eat. Even at 2 a.m. — when he had to be back at work at 7 a.m.

One day, he got the notion to come up with the ultimate fried chicken sandwich. And that was that. He jumped all in, quitting his job a month later, and buying a used food truck that he tricked out, himself, after watching YouTube videos.

He knew he was on to something when he was asked to cater the holiday party for the staff at Michelin-starred Press in St. Helena.

He served the fried chicken sandwich, of course. “They lost their minds!” over it, he recounted proudly. That was no easy feat when you consider that tough crowd included former colleagues of his from The French Laundry.

Chef Ian Rosenstrauch
Chef Ian Rosenstrauch

That’s how Joella’s Deli was born two years ago. He named it after his grandmother, whom he jokes, never cooked anything in her life, but nevertheless whose love had a profound impact on his life.

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Delights at Dalida

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The showy black cod at Dalida in San Francisco.
The showy black cod at Dalida in San Francisco.

There’s no denying that Chef Laura Ozyilmaz is tough, having fought her way back from elimination on “Top Chef’‘ to win “Last Chance Kitchen” to gain another shot at victory.

In the end, she may not have won the overall competition, making it as far as one of the last four competitors standing. But she won over many fans for her gumption and creative dishes. That she did all this while in the midst of opening Dalida in San Francisco, her restaurant with her chef-husband Sayat Ozilmaz, makes it doubly impressive.

Even before “Top Chef,” Dalida was a hard reservation to come by. It’s easy to see why, when you consider that this Eastern Mediterranean restaurant was opened by two chefs with impressive pedigrees.

The open kitchen.
The open kitchen.

The couple met while studying at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Sayat, originally from Turkey, went on to work at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, Le Bernardin in New York City, and the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, while Laura worked at Cafe Boulud in New York City, Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Eleven Madison Park in New York City, Del Posto in New York City, and Saison in San Francisco.

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Chef Carlos Altamirano Opens Eponymous Restaurant in San Francisco

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A whole fried diablo "devil fish'' at Altamirano.
A whole fried diablo “devil fish” at Altamirano.

He may already have seven restaurants in San Francisco and the East Bay, but when Chef Carlos Altamirano opened his eighth one two weeks ago, he made this one stand out that much more by anointing it with his own surname.

Altamirano debuted in San Francisco’s Nopa neighborhood to serve contemporary Peruvian fare with California sensibilities. It’s quite the achievement for the Lima-born chef who upon immigrating to San Francisco, talked his way into his first restaurant job as a dishwasher, then quickly rose to line cook.

I had an opportunity to check out the new spot when I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant last week.

The entrance to the restaurant.
The entrance to the restaurant.
The large bar area.
The large bar area.

Wood warms up the restaurant with its driftwood sculptural pieces and live-edge host stand, while an angled glass wall the bisects the bar and dining room is meant to evoke an aerial view of Peru’s ancient ruins. Custom restroom doors are laser-cut with designs of Inca masks. There’s a stylish covered outdoor dining patio, too.

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