A beloved holiday tradition returns, with lunch at Allied Arts A beloved holiday tradition returns, with lunch at Allied Arts (December 01, 2004)

By Jane Knoerle

After being closed for two years, the Allied Arts Guild restaurant in Menlo Park is once again open and busy serving holiday lunches. For many longtime residents, lunch or tea at Allied Arts has been a part of the holidays since they were children.

They recall getting dressed up and accompanying their mother to what was then called the "tearoom." Lunch could be chicken Monterey or quiche ole, accompanied by a glass of lemonade, homemade rolls, and, perhaps, Hershey Bar cake for dessert.

Afternoon tea was a big hit, too. Glasses of punch would be accompanied by orange and cinnamon bread sticks, lemon or strawberry tea bread, shrimp and cucumber or smoked salmon finger sandwiches, cream puffs or petit fours. Christmas carols by choirs of local children were always a highlight until fire regulations ended the programs.

After tea there was a visit to the giant Christmas tree in the Traditional Shop, where indulgent parents allowed the children to choose a Christmas ornament for their own tree.

The Allied Arts restaurant has been operated by the Palo Alto Auxiliary to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, to benefit the hospital, since the 1930s, when members used to bring casseroles from home. It is one of the few restaurants on the Peninsula that is run by volunteers. It now has a new stainless steel kitchen and a new professional chef, Marc-Thomas Frias, who previously cooked at the Hayes Mansion in San Jose.

"This is the first time I've worked in this neck of the woods," says Mr. Frias, a resident of San Jose. He also says it is the first time he has worked with volunteers. "I enjoy working with the ladies. I have a new group every day. They are already good home cooks and I get to teach them new techniques."
Holiday menu

During the bustling holiday season, the restaurant is staying with its traditional three-course menu: soup or salad, entree, and dessert for $15. A vegetarian meal, usually pasta, is always available. Starting in January, the menu will include a la carte items, such as hamburgers and entree salads.

"If you want something, just ask for it," says Mr. Frias. "For instance, if you don't like what's on the menu, we'll find something you do like."

When photographer Carol Ivie and I lunched at the restaurant, we liked the salad of designer greens with dried cranberries and the main course of pork loin with whipped sweet potatoes and stir-fried zucchini and carrots. The pork was delicious and the vegetables crisp. The potatoes were cold, however.

The brownie with whipped cream and caramel sauce could have easily served two people.
Volunteer spirit

The restaurant has 250 volunteers, including Margaret Robinson, who has worked there once a week for 50 years. There are morning and afternoon shifts of four to six cooks and 10 to 12 servers who volunteer to run the restaurant.

Auxiliary members are looking forward to spring, when their new cookbook, "Tastes, Tales and Traditions," will be published.

The book will contain all-time favorite recipes, a history of the restaurant, and vignettes about the early days when Monday fashion shows were a must. Women came dressed in their finery, complete with hats and white gloves.
Outdoor dining

Also in the spring, probably mid-April, the restaurant will begin serving outdoors. The terrace room, which overlooks the Blue Garden, has been rebuilt. Its French doors open to an area of bistro tables with umbrellas that surround the outdoor fountain.

Joan Heye of Menlo Park has been president of the Palo Alto Auxiliary for the past three years. She notes that the restaurant opened less than two months ago, and immediately headed into its busiest season. "We're still practicing."

Reflecting on the trials and tribulations of undergoing a major remodel and being closed for two years, she says, "Sometimes I wondered, why are we doing all this, but now I feel so proud of what we've accomplished." The Allied Arts Guild restaurant serves lunch Monday through Saturday at 75 Arbor Road, Menlo Park. It will close December 23 and re-open January 3. For reservations and details, call 324-2588 or see www.alliedartsguild.org.

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