A beloved wine bar reopens in Sunnyvale, while another debuts in San Carlos
There’s no shortage of wine along the Peninsula.
About a year ago, I wrote about the opening of Elleary Wine in Los Altos and a² Wine Bar in San Mateo. In April, Tessora’s Wine Bar held its grand opening in Campbell. Last month, I wrote about Haven Wine & Cheese opening in Menlo Park. This month, Winston Champagne Bar is expected to debut in Los Gatos, and Cafe Vivant plans to bring its wine shop and tasting bar to Menlo Park.
And this weekend, one of my favorite wine-focused Peninsula events will be held in downtown Los Altos: the Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival.
I figured, “Wine not keep the focus on wine this week?” Writer Daisy Barringer talked with the owners of two wine bars making a splash: Moods. Wine Bar and Bistro, which recently reopened in Sunnyvale after relocating from Palo Alto, and Rouge Lounge, which recently debuted in San Carlos.
Stay tasty,
Adrienne
The Peninsula’s wine scene gets a cozy refresh with two spots focused on connection, curation and comfort
Wine lovers on the Peninsula have two new reasons to raise a glass. In May, Moods. Wine Bar & Bistro reopened in a new Sunnyvale location, while Rouge Lounge made its debut in San Carlos. Each has its own story and style, but both offer a welcoming space to unwind, connect and explore carefully curated wine lists with a personal touch and a sense of community that extends beyond the glass.
A Palo Alto pizza staple is replaced, check out this chai pop-up and Paul Martin’s San Mateo will permanently close
- Pizza Guys has replaced Pizz’A Chicago along El Camino Real in Palo Alto.
- Grab a cup of chai Monday at The Chai Lab’s pop-up at Fireside Books & More in Redwood City. Menlo Park resident Roshni Madhvani launched her chai business earlier this year.
- The owner of Restorante Carpaccio, which recently closed after 36 years in Menlo Park, said the closure was largely due to the loss of outdoor dining.
- Craftsman & Wolves, which now has a brick and mortar in Mountain View, will no longer sell at the California Avenue Farmers Market, according to a recent Instagram post.
- Paul Martin’s American Grill at Hillsdale Shopping Center will permanently close July 18, staff confirmed.
- Hot chicken news in South San Francisco: Love Burn Hot Chicken will have its last day of service at its South San Francisco location on Sunday and will relocate to downtown San Francisco. Meanwhile, Nashville Hot Chicken, a chain with six locations nationwide, recently opened its newest outpost in South San Francisco.
- A new California law requires bars and nightclubs that serve beer, wine and liquor (but not food) to offer lids for drinks.
- Ponyo Foods will permanently close its brick-and-mortar store in Millbrae, according to a recent Instagram post.
- The 46th Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday in downtown Los Altos. The event features seven wineries, two distilleries, 18 food vendors, two concert stages, a variety of art and merchandise and a Kidzone.
Brunch at Toast In Town
Asian fusion brunch is practically everywhere along the Peninsula, with two of the latest additions being GIWA in Santa Clara and Toast In Town in Foster City.
I decided to have a weekend brunch at Toast In Town myself and see how it stacks up to the other Asian fusion brunch spots nearby.
The drinks menu at Toast In Town does not have espresso or alcohol, similar to Taste and Glory in San Mateo. Toast In Town does offer black drip coffee, matcha and ube lattes, cha-chak (southern Thai milk tea) and sodas in flavors such as passion fruit and mint-peach-lemon. If you want cocktails with brunch, I’d recommend Sweet Maple or Breaking Dawn (the former for espresso-based drinks and the latter for Vietnamese iced coffee).
I tried both a savory and sweet dish at Toast In Town: the croffles bacon cheese ($20) and the pandan French toast ($16).
The croffles bacon cheese was phenomenal. The croissant waffle was crispy and buttery, the scrambled eggs fluffy and creamy, the bacon was thick and meaty and the portion of avocado was generous. The dish was very rich, but it wasn’t too heavy where I didn’t want to devour the whole thing.
The pandan French toast reminded me of the Thai tea French toast at Taste and Glory. The sauces for both were amazing – rich and custardy and packed with pandan/Thai tea flavor. However, the French toast itself was a bit boring and could have been improved with a more interesting bread or the inclusion of pandan/Thai tea directly into the custard.
The interior design and aesthetic of Toast In Town is quite nice. It feels very modern with ample natural light, and many tables have an adorable toast plushie located nearby.
Another aspect of Toast In Town I appreciate is that they don’t drive up their prices for their nice ambiance. The most expensive dish on the menu is $26, which is very reasonable.
I don’t think Toast In Town’s menu is exciting or unique enough to be worth a long drive, but if you are in the area, it makes for an excellent neighborhood brunch spot.
Toast In Town, 1100 Foster Square Lane, Suite 145, Foster City; 650-389-7618, Instagram: @toastintown. Open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
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