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Publication Date: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 Review: Lunch in the garden at Allied Arts restaurant
Review: Lunch in the garden at Allied Arts restaurant
(August 24, 2005) By Jane Knoerle
Almanac Lifestyles Editor
You won't find a prettier place for lunch than outdoors at Allied Arts restaurant where bistro tables surround a splashing fountain.
This summer is the first time lunch has been served outdoors in the Blue Garden. There are also tables in the adjoining Terrace Room, which has been rebuilt.
The restaurant, or "tearoom" as it was known in the old days, dates back to the guild's early days when Palo Alto Auxiliary members began serving lunches to raise money for children who needed medical care. Back in the 1930s, members first prepared casseroles at home and brought them to the restaurant. Palo Alto Auxiliary volunteers continue to serve as volunteer cooks and servers today. Proceeds from the restaurant benefit needy children who are patients at Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital.
The restaurant reopened last fall with a professional chef, Marc Thomas Frias, and an updated menu. Diners may either choose a traditional three-course lunch for $16 or two choices of lighter lunches for $9. With the one-course lunches, beverages cost $1.50, desserts $4.
The menu changes every week. On a recent visit, the three-course lunch offered chicken noodle soup or a salad of mixed greens, yellow tomatoes, and blue cheese for starters. My fellow diner liked the soup. The salad was the best part of my meal.
The grilled salmon entrČe, with roasted red potatoes and green beans, was well-prepared, but too much food for lunch. The potatoes were crisp and golden brown; the green beans lacked seasoning and were too al dente.
Since she doesn't like salmon, my guest chose the lentil salad entree. Baby spinach was topped with butternut squash, tomatoes and a strange lentil salad. She would not order it again. Dessert was a fudge brownie with raspberry sauce.
Next time we'll both order the light lunch. We could have had a turkey melt on toasted sourdough with a cup of soup or salad, or a large soup and salad combination. Then, if you're still hungry, you can opt for dessert.
The restaurant's volunteer servers bustle about, treating you as if you were a guest in their own home. Our server, B.J. Sorensen, like many of the volunteers, is a longtime member of the Palo Alto Auxiliary. She joined in 1963.
The volunteers don't work on weekends, so the restaurant is run on Saturdays by a caterer, Stephanie Hill.
You won't find trendy food, but for a pleasant interlude, take an hour or two and join a friend for lunch at Allied Arts.
INFORMATION
Allied Arts restaurant, located at 75 Arbor Road in Menlo Park, is open from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Reservations are suggested. Call 324-2588.
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