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Review: Madera restaurant offers locally sourced cuisine in an elegant yet comfortable setting

by Jane Knoerle

The old adage, "The better the view, the worse the food," does not apply to Madera, the new restaurant at the Rosewood Sand Hill hotel in Menlo Park.

The vista of the Santa Cruz Mountains is lovely, and so is the food.

Executive Chef Peter Rudolph calls Madera's cuisine "rustic American food." Presentation isn't fussy, but ingredients are top notch. He uses many of the same produce purveyors he came to know while heading the kitchen at Navio at the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay. He also shops at local farmers' markets.

A good example of quality ingredients was the red Russian kale and stone fruit salad, with endive and blue cheese ($12), recently served at dinner. The raw kale was delicious and tender. White nectarine slices were sweet, and top-quality blue cheese added just the right zest.

The greens served at Madera make the simplest salads taste delicious. Their crunchy sweetness shames salad greens poured from a bag.

I've had lunch and dinner at Madera, but prefer dinner. The view of the Santa Cruz Mountains at twilight is magic. Diners dress up. The tables are nicely appointed, with plenty of room between them. There is the feeling you have been invited to a very nice party.

Our server started us off with an amuse bouche of ceviche served in a tiny white cup. We split the kale and fruit salad and settled back in comfortable chairs to await our entrees.

Rotisserie chicken from the open kitchen, considered Madera's signature dish, came with polenta, Swiss chard, and chicken sausage ($31). The chicken was moist and flavorful, but where was that crispy skin you find on most rotisserie chicken? The chicken sausage link added a piquant note and the sides were fine.

Grilled rib eye, served with mushrooms, Yukon gold potatoes, and spinach ($34) was a winner. "Best I ever ate" was a fellow diner's comment. We all tasted bites and agreed.

Rainbow trout stuffed with crab and served with cherry tomatoes, green beans and warm Italian bean salad ($32) sounded strange, but was very good, and a nice choice for a warm summer night.

Roasted cauliflower ($7) was a mushy disappointment; no comparison to the crisper version served at San Francisco's Perbacco.

Our server was gracious enough to bring three plates for strawberry rhubarb cobbler with creme fraiche ice cream. Wonderful, and I don't even like rhubarb. The portion was large enough for three. All dinner portions were very generous.

The finishing touch was a mignardise of three chocolate lychee truffles and a little dish of caramel corn. Complete with espresso and lattes, it was a meal to savor.

Lunch at Madera is more casual. Many guests sit outside to savor the view and sunshine. There is a nice selection of salads and a great-looking burger with cheddar cheese, bacon, fries and pickled vegetables ($18). The ingredients in salmon Nicoise ($16), especially the tiny green beans, were top quality, but the salmon was bland.

At another lunch, the chicken salad sandwich ($15), made with generous pieces of rotisserie chicken and served with fries and mustard greens, was more to my taste than sand dabs with artichokes and parsley potatoes ($22). The sand dabs were fine, but the two artichokes pieces were miniscule. The dish was too buttery — I couldn't taste the lemon caper sauce.

Hope the soft shell crab BLT on grilled focaccia ($19) is still on the menu next time I return. It sounds fabulous.

Madera hits the right notes: luxurious, but approachable. Where else can you find upscale, yet casual, dining in a gorgeous setting?

Madera restaurant is located in the Rosewood Sand Hill hotel, 2825 Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and serves a light menu in the lounge. For reservations, call 561-1540.