Goodbye, Late for the Train; hello Mike's Goodbye, Late for the Train; hello Mike's (February 19, 2003)

** Some vestiges of old restaurant will stay when second Mike's Cafe opens in April, says new owner.

By Pam Smith
Almanac Staff Writer

Late for the Train, a longtime fixture for organic diners in Menlo Park, will soon close to make way for a spin-off of Mike's Cafe Etc. in Palo Alto.

Restaurateur Mike Wallau, who grew up in Woodside and worked his way up in the local restaurant business since he was 16, hopes to open Mike's Cafe Menlo Park "in the middle-end of April," at 150 Middlefield Road, he said. "We plan to take over the spot March 3," said Mr. Wallau. He's bought the property, and bought out Late for the Train's business, he said. Late for the Train owner Bob Cool could not be reached for comment.

While lunch and dinner will primarily hold true to his other cafe's menu, which Mr. Wallau describes as "Italian-American," Late for the Train customers will notice some holdovers from the old restaurant, said Mr. Wallau.

Unlike its Palo Alto counterpart, the new Mike's is going to mimic Late for the Train's seven-days-a-week breakfast service, and incorporate "some of the popular breakfast items off of the Late for the Train menu," said Mr. Wallau. "I want to try to keep people happy that have been going there for 20 years," he said.

Though he had originally considered demolishing the restaurant and building from scratch, Mr. Wallau ultimately decided to remodel it, replacing the roof and making minor changes to the floor plan.

"To be honest with you, I just thought that the attempts that I made at designing a new structure to go on that spot, I kept ending up with a building that looked like Olive Garden or something," said Mr. Wallau. "I didn't want to lose the rustic appeal or charm."

"I'm really excited," said Mr. Wallau. "I love the location, and I'm really committed to beautifying this spot."

His idea to "spruce up the place a little bit, (and) maintain the character and charm" sat well with Menlo Park's Planning Commission, which voted unanimously and quickly to approve his designs February 10.

Mr. Wallau started in the restaurant business as a 16-year-old busboy at the former Auberge in Redwood City, he said. He opened his first cafe in Palo Alto's Midtown neighborhood, where he grew up, in 1995.

"A lot of my customers have known me since I was in a stroller," he said.