Pizza co-op pulls out of Sunnyvale, making way for a pizzeria known for its loaded and Detroit-style pies
In a world that’s all about money, A Slice of New York founder Kirk Vartan is not acting in his best economical interest. Instead of focusing on his newer and larger pizzeria, he’s left his Sunnyvale location and has passed the pizza peel to Slice of Homage, a decision he said other people call “stupid, dumb, idiotic, nuts, crazy.”
This week, intern Grace Gormley chatted with the founders of both local pizzerias to learn why and how this transition took place.
Meanwhile, I rang the new owner of Steins Beer Garden to ask if the rumors were true: Is he really planning on turning the beloved beer garden into a Mexican restaurant? Plus in Palo Alto, plans are underway to bring a gelateria with a big presence in Brazil to Stanford Shopping Center.
Stay tasty,
Adrienne
A Slice of New York passes the baton to Slice of Homage, helping the pizzeria open its first stand-alone restaurant in Sunnyvale
In June, an independent pizza shop in Sunnyvale closed its doors for the final time, to be replaced by…another independent pizza shop?
A Coastside Vietnamese eatery closes, a new 24-hour restaurant opens and momos come to Millbrae
- A gelateria with more than 200 locations in Brazil will open its first Bay Area shop at Stanford Shopping Center next year.
- Steins Beer Garden’s new owner wants to bring Arizona-based upscale Mexican restaurant Barrio Queen to the Peninsula – but it won’t necessarily replace Steins, he said.
- The Mountain View Walmart held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 6 for the expansion of its grocery section.
- Indo-Nepalese restaurant Momo & Curry Nepal recently opened in Millbrae.
- Johnny & Sanny’s in downtown Mountain View is throwing a Ferragosto celebration Friday, with all-day happy hour, music on the patio, festive decor and a pasta special.
- Artichoke Joe’s Casino in San Bruno hosted the grand opening of its new 24/7 restaurant earlier today, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal.
- Blue Dragon Pho has permanently closed, according to a recent Instagram post.
- lelé kitchen in Los Gatos will host a six-course wine dinner with ASSIDUOUS ($149) Saturday at 6 p.m.
- The Apron, serving espresso drinks, tea, sandwiches, salads, entrees and baked goods, recently opened in Burlingame.
Dinner at Ethel’s Fancy
The food at Ethel’s Fancy is innovative, yet familiar; upscale, but not pretentious; unique, but not gimmicky. From a culinary standpoint, I cannot critique the Palo Alto restaurant and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants their tastebuds to be amazed.
But a warning: You need to plan ahead to dine at Ethel’s Fancy. The reservations get filled up pretty quickly.
Ethel’s Fancy opened in 2022 and was added to the Michelin Guide this year. Created by chef Scott Nishiyama, who previously worked at three-Michelin-starred Daniel and the French Laundry, Ethel’s Fancy serves Californian cuisine with a touch of Japanese influence.
The service started off a bit rocky when I went on a Saturday at 8:30 p.m. I had made a reservation for an outside table (it was the only remaining option), and the service was incredibly slow, with confusion and difficulty surrounding the outdoor heat lamp. About 20 minutes after being seated, the heat lamp was finally turned on, but at that point bar seating was available inside, which I opted for. Once seated inside, however, the service was impeccable and everything was running smoothly.
The food at Ethel’s Fancy is meant to be shared and is served tapas-style. The Hokkaido scallop tartare ($16) came out first, and it set the tone for the rest of the evening. Made with small spheres of piel de sapo melon, also known as Santa Claus melon, and finger lime, the tartare was creamy, sweet and had a punch of unexpectedly numbing Sichuan peppercorn. The rice crisp it was served with added extra crunch, and the sprinkles of nori amped up the umami flavor.
A lot of the dishes I tried featured a wood-fired smokiness, including the grilled summer squash ($19). The basil oil was the most pungent flavor on the plate, and the deep, rich cocoa miso mole sauce balanced out the herbaceousness very well. Add to it the acidity, sweetness and crunch from pickled peaches and funkiness and creaminess of Hodo tofu “feta,” and the plate was one big medley of textures and flavors.
Continuing with that wood-fired flavor, the grilled Romano beans ($11) were well-seasoned, with a nice acidity and sweetness from the tomato boshi and extra crunch from crispy red quinoa. If you need to skip a dish, I’d pick this – not because it was bad by any means, but because it just wasn’t as exciting as the others.
The pea tendril cavatelli ($29) blew my mind. The pasta isn’t just green – it tastes exactly like peas. The miso-braised lamb belly is so rich and meaty and perfectly seasoned, and the acidity of chili pineapple cuts through the richness and adds an extra crunch. The lamb was so delicious, I ate it by itself like a soup.
The dry-aged Liberty Farms duck ($52) was extremely tender and cooked immaculately. Duck is so often paired with cherries that it was refreshing to have tart huckleberries with a zingy ginger sake reduction as the accompaniment.
Ethel’s Fancy offers three desserts, and the portions are surprisingly large. Again, the wood-fired/charred flavor translates to dessert, with griddled pistachio financier ($14) and grilled Brentwood corn soft serve ($14). Between the two, I’d recommend the soft serve, which was made right in front of us with a chef grilling the corn over an open flame.
While the pistachio financier was delicious, the grilled corn soft serve was so unique and eye-opening that skipping it should be a crime. The soft serve itself tasted of smoky, sweet corn, and the ginger- and lime-infused meringue on top was luscious and had a sharp bite that cut through the creaminess of the corn. Topped with corn powder, the dessert was extremely corn-forward without tilting into the savory zone.
All this to say, Ethel’s Fancy is a must-try restaurant. The ambiance is relatively casual, and the plates are phenomenal. Just make sure to reserve in advance.
Ethel’s Fancy, 550 Waverly St., Palo Alto; 650-561-4860, Instagram: @ethelsfancy. Open Tuesday to Thursday from 5-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5-9:30 p.m.
Menlo Park resident opens Middle Eastern bakery featuring her grandmother’s recipes
Find sweets like orange blossom pudding, booza and baklava, as well as savory options, coffees and teas
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