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The Red Currant bistro is open for business at the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park. The proprietors are Nir and Ayellet Perry, a young Israeli couple who own the Cassis Catering Company in Redwood City.

The cafe is open for breakfast and lunch from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Reservations are needed for groups of five or more.

The morning choices include “shakshuka,” as well as a continental breakfast. “Shakshuka” is a traditional Middle Eastern egg dish ($12.50). It can be ordered in American, Greens, or Mediterranean style.

There are sandwiches and salads for lunch, as well as such entrees as hanger steak medallions with celery root-potato puree and carmelized onions ($19.95) and chicken schnitzel ($15.75).

Pastries offered at lunch include chocolate babka cake, chocolate-orange marzipan cake, and apple crumble cake. Chocolate or caramel pot de creme, espresso tiramisu and lemon tart with amaretto crunch are all house-made.

The restaurant space at Allied Arts has been vacant since the end of February. That’s when the Palo Alto Auxiliary, whose volunteer members ran the restaurant for 75 years, closed because the Guild’s owner, the Woodside-Atherton Auxiliary, did not renew the lease.

In keeping with the terms of the auxiliary’s use permit for the complex, the Red Currant won’t be serving alcohol.

The Red Currant is located at 75 Arbor Road in Menlo Park; call 322-2626.

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7 Comments

  4. Why isn’t the Allied Arts Auxiliary doing more to let people know that they finally got a restaurant open?
    Isn’t the Christmas shopping season an important source of income? Shouldn’t they be shouting it from the rooftops?

  5. The food at the Red Currant is a sumptuous mix of middle eastern and contemporary California cuisine. It is part art and part nurishment and the blend is very satisfying. A very special dining experience, in a lovely setting, with a very gracious staff. It felt a little like going on a mini exotic retreat to go there. Enjoy it!

  6. We took our whole family there for a Saturday brunch, and it was great for everyone. The salads were so fresh and bountiful, and the breads are to die for! They have a great selection of fresh juices. And Nir Perry is such a delight! As the owner, he loves to “shmooze” with all the guests, and you feel very much at home. So glad they took over the space!

  7. I had lunch there last week. I agree, the bread, warm from the oven, is wonderful. The pot du creme was tiny, but delicious.

    That said, I didn’t think the rest of the food lived up to the high prices.

    The dining room was understaffed, even though it was only about 60% full. The waitress apologized and said she was the only one working, and then disappeared for long stretches of time.

    I think there are kinks that still need to be worked out, but it’s nice to see some signs of life at Allied Arts again.

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