Nothing brings a crowd together like Sunday brunch, especially when you add wine. Head to the old novitiate in Los Gatos for Sunday Brunch at Testarossa, where you can enjoy a range of hearty fare including breakfast sliders with mortadella, hash browns and scrambled eggs.
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At a recent gathering of ravenous girlfriends, we made a pretty good dent in the menu, including the humungous cast iron pan cinnamon rolls, buttery and lathered with cream cheese frosting, which got big —and sticky—thumbs up. The Brokaw avocado toast is served with labneh and salsa, to which you can add an egg for $6, while the crunchy huevos rancheros tostada was topped with refried beans and a fried egg. We shared fennel sausage kebabs and smoked salmon latke, as well as biscuits and gravy. Testarossa club manager Tracy Chastain, who grew up in the South, personally vetted the gravy, and everyone universally loved the buttery goodness of the biscuits, of which were left nary a crumb.
We supplemented the feast with an order of Hobbs bacon and mimosas for the table. There are simple coffee beverages as well as a deep variety of wines by the bottle and glass. Items we didn’t try but will ponder for next time are the chocolate pain perdu, bone marrow toast and Mediterranean breakfast to share.
Accompanied by live music, Testarossa’s Sunday brunch is from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in a lovely al fresco space. Make reservations for Mother’s Day brunch on May 11 at https://www.testarossa.com/bistro107.
The Hayes Mansion is one of San Jose’s true architectural gems, with the feel of an historical retreat. It had fallen off my radar, but I recently learned that Executive Chef Joshua Macaluso is now helming Palm & Ember, with a variety of culinary influences from all over California. There’s a classic Cali Club on toasted sourdough, as well as clam chowder, sous vide scallops, French onion soup, Central Valley fattoosh, poblano quesadillas, avocado-citrus salad with feta, salmon en papillote and wagyu steak frites. Check it out for lunch and dinner, indoor or by their outdoor fire pits. It’s a serene and relaxed setting. https://www.hayesmansion.com/san-jose-restaurant
The all-new Treehouse Hotel in Sunnyvale on Mathilda, which used to be a Sheraton, is home to the hot new restaurant Valley Goat, the latest restaurant by Stephanie Izard. She recently moved to LA after opening award-winning restaurants in her native Chicago, including Girl and the Goat.
We sampled a taste of her unusual menu, including goat empanadas, bite-sized fluffy chickpea fritters with goat yogurt and herb chutney, asparagus and golden beets with yuzu kosho vinaigrette and party nuts, and excellent spicy fish tostadas.
Many tables indulged in the avocado dip with fried plantains, and pork belly noodles. Our server told us the 12-hour pork dish with spiced Asian pear and hoisin mayo on the dinner menu is a must. Don’t miss the excellent bite-sized biscuits served with sesame butter. We’re going back for the spiced fries with tamarind chutney and three-sauce soy-glazed chicken with chili lime, hoisin mayo and lettuce cups.
Valley Goat, at 1100 N. Mathilda Ave. in Sunnyvale, is open daily for lunch and for weekend brunch, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and dinner, 4-10 p.m. Reservations are required to https://www.valleygoatsv.com.
Pebble Beach Food & Wine was the usual cornucopia of edible delights, from candied maple bacon to a martini and garlic fries bar. The excess of excellence is overwhelming, but a few dishes and chefs made a lasting impression. People’s Choice went to Solbar Chef Gustavo Rios for his wagyu tartare handroll, which was wrapped in nori. I loved the roasted beet tartare by Mike Stoves of La Playa Hotel in Monterey, and the braised bison short rib with crispy polenta and fire-kissed spring onion by Jeanette Money of US Foods.
Chef Lee Frank of Otis restaurant in Exeter, NH, served up a bowl of locally grown grits with a perfectly blanched ragout of peas and asparagus—total spring comfort food. Chef Goran Basarov of Carmel’s Covey Grill presented Land and Sea, which combined Dungeness crab, Miyazaki wagyu, crème fraiche and Meyer lemon into one amazing bite.
Michael Toscano of La Farfalle and Porchetta Shop presented a divine Surf and Turf Tartare with beef crudo, octopus, Charleston shrimp, beech mushrooms, ramps and shrimp head vinaigrette. Valle’s Chef Roberto Alcocer’s Land Scallop was a brilliant display of braised king oyster mushroom with serrano beurre blanc. Chef Chris Barnum-Dann of Localis served up Thai beef tartare, wagyu beef and red curry, with Thai chili crunch and lime leaf aioli, served on a 100% edible ginger tapioca chip.