Issue date: February 17, 1999
By JANE KNOERLE
Gregory Eaton is 35, single, lives in Los Altos Hills, and thinks big.
In December he opened Rio Grande, a huge restaurant and country western nightclub on Mountain View's Castro Street that can accommodate 700 patrons. In three weeks he opens the Palace Cafe, across the street from his Palace restaurant/nightclub in Sunnyvale. Early this spring, he and his partner and executive chef, Joey Altman, will launch Wild Hare restaurant at 1029 El Camino Real in Menlo Park.
Isn't he spreading himself a little thin? "Yeah, no wonder I can't sleep at night," he says with a smile.
Greg Eaton describes himself as a developer of entertainment facilities. His first big project was the Palace restaurant, which he installed in an abandoned movie house in a run-down area of Sunnyvale. He bought the building in 1989, restored it to its original Art Deco splendor, and re-opened it as the Palace restaurant in 1992. "I like to get involved in tangible things," he says.
The new Rio Grande, at 228 Castro St., is also located in a multilevel former movie theater that steps down to include a large dance floor and stage. There are two bars on the main level and a 100-seat dining area and a third bar on the top level.
General partners of Rio Grande are Mr. Eaton, his sister Donna Eaton, 30, who is general manager of both Rio Grande and the Palace; and Jeff Fini.
Success comes naturally to Greg Eaton. His father, Donald Eaton, is a former CEO of Payless Drugs, and is now a venture capitalist. One of seven kids, Greg grew up in Orinda and graduated from the University of Santa Clara with a degree in anthropology. He worked for Equitec Financial Corporation in the East Bay as an executive assistant to the senior vice president until he left to co-found New Entertainment Corporation.
The Eaton family spends a lot of time at their place in Idaho, where Greg is an avid hunter and fisherman. That's how the Wild Hare concept originated.
A huge mural of wildlife dominates the high-ceiling restaurant and wild game has a place of pride on the menu. "We will import wild hare from France, deer from New Zealand. The style will be bold and robust. It's big food," he says.
Joey Altman is Wild Hare's managing partner and executive chef. Well-known in San Francisco "foodie" circles, Mr. Altman has cooked in top-rated restaurants and has his own television show, "Bay Cafe," on channel 35. John Alamilla, formerly of Farallon restaurant in San Francisco, will be chef de cuisine.
Chef Altman's eclectic menu will include such starters as wild hare and mushroom strudel ($7.95) and terrine of pheasant and foie gras ($8.95). The portion of the menu labeled "From the sky" will highlight grilled smoked duck breast ($16.95) and oven-roast squab ($18.95).
Wild boar loin medallions ($19.95) and osso buco with polenta ($14.95) are among "From the land" selections. Baked sea bass with black Thai rice ($18.95) and red curry shellfish in a clay pot ($17.95) lend an Asian touch to "From the sea." The less adventurous might choose four-cheese pizza, seafood chowder, Caesar salad, beef Wellington, or grilled halibut.
Bradley Goldberg, who grew up in Sharon Hieghts and attended local schools, will be Wild Hare's general manager. His mother, Liz Goldberg, is well-known locally as the former executive vice president of Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce.
Arcanum Architects of San Francisco, whose architects did design work for Evvia restaurant in Palo Alto, is restoring the cavernous interior of Wild Hare. Formerly the site of Cafe d'Orleans, a Cajun restaurant that folded after a year, the building is undergoing a $1 million dollar renovation. "The look will be rich and rustic, with lots of stone and imported old wood," says Mr. Eaton.
The mural featuring wildlife, from mountain sheep to a soaring eagle, is the dining room's focal point.
Amber glass tiles are to be installed behind the cook line, with limestone pavers covering cement floors. Six-foot, 18th century Spanish Colonial wrought iron chandeliers, which Mr. Eaton found years ago in Arizona, will be suspended from the ceiling.
Valet parking from the alley behind the restaurant will be available because there is a parking shortage in downtown Menlo Park, especially since the recent openings of three new restaurants (Left Bank, Vida and Juban) within a block of Wild Hare.
Gregory Eaton sees Wild Hare as a fine dining restaurant, while he considers the Palace and Rio Grande more as "entertainment facilities." Wild Hare will seat 125 and have 75 employees, under the direction of Joey Altman. "I don't get involved in management," says Mr. Eaton. "I build the race car. Joey will drive the race."
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