Ristorante Mataro, Menlo Park’s newest Italian restaurant, recently opened at 827 Santa Cruz Ave. in space formerly occupied by JZCool cafe.
Proprietor Cumhur Ulas has redecorated the spacious room with cream-color walls, large mirrors, a granite bar, and red hanging halogen lamps. White tablecloths are laid with burgundy napkins.
The restaurant seats 60 inside, 10 outside. The large menu includes salads, panini, pizza and pasta for lunch, as well as several entrees, including risotto funghi and veal piccata.
The dinner menu features several appetizers. Fried calamari with aioli ($9), beef carpaccio ($9), and clams and mussels in a light tomato sauce ($10) are among the choices.
Along with pasta and pizza, there is a selection of pastas. Linguini gamberi, with prawns, fresh tomato, basil, capers and white sauce, is $15. Fettuccine primavera, with mushrooms, tomato, seasonal vegetables, spinach and artichoke hearts, is $12.
Among the 10 entrees are petrale sole ($18), veal saltimbocca ($19) and, in a nod to the past, Cornish game hen ($16). There are also nightly specials.
Mr. Ulas has 11 years of experience in the restaurant business, working his way up from bus boy, to server, to owner. He formerly worked at Caffe Riace and Cafe Pro Bono in Palo Alto, as well as eateries in San Mateo and Burlingame.
Ristorante Mataro is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, with brunch served on Saturday and Sunday. There is live music on Friday nights. For reservations, call 325-7900.
