Dal Baffo restaurant closes unexpectedly Dal Baffo restaurant closes unexpectedly (December 29, 2004)

By Renee Batti

Almanac News Editor

Two years ago Vincenzo LoGrasso countered rumors flying about town that his downtown Menlo Park restaurant, Dal Baffo, was closing.

Any rumors that might have preceded last week's abrupt closure of the highly touted, high-end restaurant seem to have floated under the radar, and many may still be confused by a sign on the doors that indicate Dal Baffo is closed only for the holidays. But it appears the Santa Cruz Avenue eatery has closed for good, having served its last meal December 24.

Mr. LoGrasso, a Menlo Park resident, could not be reached for comment, but a friend and longtime Dal Baffo patron confirmed that at this time, Mr. LoGrasso has no plans to reopen the restaurant after the holidays.

The friend said the 27-year-old Dal Baffo was one of a number of fine restaurants hit by the economic downturn that crushed or crippled Silicon Valley businesses. Serving elegant European cuisine and featuring a wine cellar that won one of the Wine Spectator magazine's highest awards for excellence, the restaurant had long been a favorite of high-flying Silicon Valley business people.

When rumors were raging in November 2002 that Dal Baffo was on the verge of closing its doors, Mr. LoGrasso told the Almanac, "Sure we have gone through some lean times lately, but we have managed to keep our heads above water and are well on our way to recovery."

He said that if he should ever decide to close, "you will surely hear about it because Papa Vincenzo will throw one of the biggest parties this town has ever seen -- even if I have to spend my last dime doing it."

Mr. LoGrasso has made headlines in the Menlo Park community through the years for more than just his much-raved-about cuisine and fine wines. In 1992, he was sentenced to two years in county jail for arranging to have his house set ablaze in order to collect insurance. The person who set the blaze caught fire himself, and was charged after he showed up at a hospital with severe burns.

The fire caused $100,000 in damage to Mr. LoGrasso's house, and $12,000 in damage to a neighboring house.

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