Celebrity chef Traci Des Jardins is back in the game, three years after closing her much-lauded Jardiniere restaurant in San Francisco after a 21-year run.
The James Beard Award winner opened her contemporary Mexican concept, El Alto, on Thursday evening in Los Altos, giving the State Street Market — the Peninsula’s first food hall — its eagerly anticipated star tenant.
There was a steady stream of diners hoping to snag a table even though the opening announcement had been low-key. You had to be a savvy Los Altan, a foodie who follows Des Jardins or a devoted reader of local news to know.
We couldn’t resist joining them for a first look.
THE VIBE: Fun and buzzy and welcoming. It was a joyous opening night, with diners who ranged from fans of Des Jardins since her days 25 years ago at San Francisco’s Rubicon to groups of young women who had never heard of her but found out there was a new restaurant opening at the hall. Des Jardins was in the kitchen most of this busy night but made appearances to deliver plates of food, greet old customers and pose for a couple of selfies. At night’s end she thanked employees before heading out.
THE FOOD: Des Jardins, a Fresno area native whose mother is of Mexican descent, has teamed up with another chef with Mexican roots, Central Coast native Robert Hurtado, to create modern, seasonal takes on Cal-Mex cuisine. A veteran of Des Jardins’ Arguello at the Presidio, he also cooked at Incanto and Rich Table.
Intriguing dishes on the antojitos menu include the spicy, not-your-grandma’s Terracotta Deviled Eggs ($10) and the salsa-verde-sauced, plant-based meatballs, the Impossible Albondigas ($15), which drew raves from a meat-eater and vegan pair Thursday. Spring vegetables star in the Asparagus Salad ($15), dressed with a honey-ancho vinaigrette, and the Ayocote Bean Salad ($15). with spring peas, pea shoots and celery.
The platos fuertes, or main dishes, range from Cochinita Pibil Tacos ($20), three on house-made blue corn tortillas with habanero salsa, to platters of Pollo al Oregano with nixtamal corn “polenta” and nopales ($47 for two diners) and Pescado a la Mibrasa, with Mexican rice and almond salsa ($41 for two). The mibrasa, a Spanish charcoal oven, is also used for Grilled Vegetables with salsa macha ($20). A signature entree, the Confit Liberty Duck Leg ($34), pays tribute to the orchards of Los Altos’ past with a complex, spiced apricot mole. This one is served with rich duck-fat refried beans and tortillas.
THE DRINKS: Bar consultant Enrique Sanchez, who also worked at Arguello, has created seven craft cocktails ($15 each), all mezcal- or tequila-based. The Sabina Sabe blends Siete Misterios mezcal, carrots, beets, ginger, lime and ancho reyes, and the Holy Water is Pueblo Viejo Blanco tequila with lime, passion fruit and green chartreuse, garnished with the herb hoja santa. Also available are two fruity “mocktails,” house-made agua fresca, wine, craft beers and Mexican Coke and Squirt.
DON’T MISS: It’s rare to see a rhubarb dessert on a menu. When you do, the spring stalk is typically paired with strawberries and overly sweetened. Not so here. The rich, thick El Alto flan ($11) is topped with a rhubarb compote that retains some of its refreshing tartness — perfect after a Cal-Mexican meal. Chef Hurtado plans to change up the fruit on this one seasonally.
THE STAFF: General manager Derek Schuette, a longtime Bay Area restaurateur, has a flair for hiring people who have a flair for hospitality. You would never guess this team had just come together for El Alto.
GOOD TO KNOW: For the first few weeks, El Alto will seat a limited number of diners on a walk-in basis. Your wait for a table will pass quickly if you head over to the main building of the State Street Market, just feet away, on the other side of the covered paseo. Grab a seat and do some people-watching, watch the game from the bar or scope out the casual food stands — Bao Bei, Ostro, Banks & Braes — for your next trip here.
DETAILS: Open from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday at 170 State St., Los Altos. www.elaltolosaltos.com
Source: www.mercurynews.com