Portola KitchenLove PV KitchenWe live in san jose but we make it to Portola Kitchen a couple times a year, and we always have a great meal and good service.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMSurprisingI went there with my husband on our weekly date. We were looking for something neighborhoodie and not too fancy. The food was amazing. Every bite we took was a wow. The service was very informal yet friendly and fast. Too fast at times.6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMSurprisingly goodThis is the same prioprieter as the various Mike's Cafe's around the area, but this is much better than any of those. Good food all round, nice wines, nice place. A keeper.6/3/2013 12:00:00 AMGood blend of pleasant ambiance,Good blend of pleasant ambiance, interesting menu choices, well prepared food and very good service.5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMA Wonderful ExperienceThis was our second time dining at the Portola Kitchen. The wait staff on both visits were friendly, cheerful, and very helpful.
All of our main dishes were evry very good. The fish, veal, and chicken were paired with tasty sides and attrcatively served.
We would recommend the Portola Kitchen for you and your family.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMWorth crossing the 280 for..In Palo Alto and need a restaurant that ticks the boxes (fresh, innovative, solid wine list and attentive service)? Look no farther than Portola Kitchen.5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMI so enjoy this restaurant.I so enjoy this restaurant. The food is wonderful and the service very good. I do think that their wine list is too pricey. They do not have many moderately priced bottles of wine. This is unfortunate. You are much better off with the corkage fee. We used our opentable points with absolutely no problem. I highly recommend this restaurant!5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat againI always enjoy Portola Kitchen. It's a comfortable place the has great food, a nice wine list and a good staff. Highly recommend.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is a great neighborhoodThis is a great neighborhood restaurant. The bar serves excellent and generous drinks, and the food is always good with generous servings. Nice to see the chef and the owner both nearly always in the restaurant warmly greeting guests in evenings.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous new "kitchen"From the decor to the food everything was perfect!
Extensive wine list including wines by the glass. Ordered the buratta crostini - outstanding, kale pesto homemade pasta- delicioso, fish of the day - cod (fresh) - cooked to perfection. Two shared and we still didn't have room for dessert. To wind up the evening we decided to have a nightcap at the full bar. Who do we meet? Mike, the owner. Yes the name rings a bell because he owns all the Mike's Cafes - Portola Kitchen being an ex. The executive chef was chitchatting at the bar as well and we had a very exciting culinary discussion with him - being the foodies that we are. Ended the evening with a Sasacaia grappa. Unique!5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMWe recently had a family dinnerWe recently had a family dinner (10 of us) ... dined outdoors facing Bianchini's produce display; the feeling is like being on a patio in a tiny market village. The atmosphere encourage people to relax, laugh out loud, sit comfortably, and (if there are pre-schoolers in the mix) move around. It is the perfect extension of the indoor restaurant. Our group ordered a variety of entrees: always excellent sole; the veal porterhouse special; homemade torchio pasta with lamb ragu; mussels; the huge burger and indescribable fries. Cocktails, wine and voila!! it was a memorable evening.
PK is a regular go-to place when we are just 2 or 4 people, and we like to dine at the bar, too. But this was perfect for a larger, happy, talkative group.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious entree. But appetizerDelicious entree. But appetizer lacked flavor. halibut crudou laced acid or salt.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMOverall just a great placeOverall just a great place to grab a very nice meal. The food and flavors are wonderful and excellent portion size. Our favorite places when needing to eat in the Portola - Woodside area.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMGood lunch spotHad a business lunch there, sat outside, was quiet, comfortable and the service was very good. Had the seared salmon salad, which was very good.4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMTerrific! Our meal was deliciousTerrific! Our meal was delicious and tge hospitality of the staff sheer perfection! Portola Kitchen will be a favorite of ours to share. Thanks!!!!4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved itExceeded all expectations. It was great. We'll be back.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMWe frequent the restaurant,We frequent the restaurant, and always enjoy the menu innovations, the setting, and the terrific staff. Highly recommended, always fun, always interesting. And, on top of that, reasonable prices.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMTry the new pork chop andTry the new pork chop and a bottle of Cartlidge & Brown Pinot!!! Amazing!!!!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMPortola Kitchen: Worth Finding It!Portola Kitchen is worth finding. It is hidden from street view, tucked inside Ladera Shopping Center, directly across the pedestrian walkway at Bianchini's Market. The location adds to PK's ambiance: if you sit outside, (under a covered canopy with noiseless ceiling fans), you face Bianchini's beautiful fresh produce displays. The open-air and local market displays transport you to a small European town.
Chef Guillaume Bienaime has extensive experience creating very fine menus -- there is truly "something for everyone" on the menu. Tender petrale sole (in season of course), torchio (pasta) with seasonal ragu (lamb, duck, short rib, etc), terrific pizzas, huge wonderful burgers. DO NOT MISS THE FRIES! These are one-of-a-kind.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMWe are thankful every dayWe are thankful every day Guillaume Bienaimé is now in Ladera!4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMThe pizza and mint fennelThe pizza and mint fennel calamari were good. The fish entree was too, except was overly salty. Still, it was within our tolerance limit so we beared through it.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and service - whatGreat food and service - what more can you ask for?4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMCartlidge & Brown Pinot NoirCartlidge & Brown Pinot Noir and a meat ball.... nuff said!4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat find!Great to find a nice place like this close to campus. Not the mob scene on California or University Streets. The burgers looked great. Next time I will order one. The chicken liver terrine was chunkier than I like but the accompanying toasts and rhubarb jam were very good. Will not order the Caesar salad again -- it was tasteless; not an anchovy in sight! But the ambiance of this place is great and, as I said, the burgers look like the are special. Will definitely be going back.3/28/2013 12:00:00 AMThe starter courses were exceptionaThe starter courses were exceptional, as was the mushroom risotto special. The decor is perfect for the community: contemporary and informal but sophisticated.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMCreative, delicious, well-preparedCreative, delicious, well-prepared food. Festive atmosphere. Perfect way to end a long work week!3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMMoving towards new heightsAs Portola Kitchen evolves and reaches for consistency it will still remain one of our go-to spots, albeit with the caveat that when the head chef is off duty to lower one's expectations for the sous chef is not of his caliber...yet. Tommy, the gracious manager was most accommodating to our comments and is genuinely interested in making sure PK's consistency and presentation continue to improve. I referred four more people yesterday alone to PK fully convinced they will enjoy the place. Nick is the star server and makes your experience a special occasion.3/9/2013 12:00:00 AMService problems persistStill the back of the house gets a solid 9, while the front of the house (sorry) gets a 4. Why? Attitude upon first walking in. Servers that walk by and don't serve. Menus that are soiled. But even so, the food that is coming out of the kitchen is consistently good. They just need to really get their act together on hiring and training staff..and soon! I sent over a couple with their kid and they were treated rudely and almost walked out. That's not supposed to happen. I was told it was a young hostess who said no tables were available and it was 6 PM, almost nobody there and that included the outside. Fortunately a more experienced hostess said no problem, but there was no graciousness and it soured their buildup that I gave.2/22/2013 12:00:00 AMLick you plates ladies & gentlemenAll it takes is one, personable, knowledgable waiter to make a meal and "Nick" suggested three outstanding choices that we all shared and drooled over: Eggplant caponata sandwich, absolutely delicious on a fresh, toasted garlic ciabatta roll, big enough for two or in our case, three to share; a literally bubbling chafing dish of coddled eggs in a cheesy peppery sauce that had us all poking our forks into for more and more; the wonderful crisp-on-the edges ricotta pancakes with fresh maple syrup... how decadent yet light and filling. Steaming hot coffee from Peerless, I think, and once again a great server, Nick, to make sure we were well taken care of and happy. Now that's what I call an excellent meal! Thank you.2/3/2013 12:00:00 AMDid good job on off niteWent on night of superbowl - mistake! when chef & sous chef were not in. Pasta was great but special entree overdone. The restaurant "made it right" by taking it off the bill & being extra nice about it. We've been there before & know the food is good, so we will return!! The waitress was outstanding & friendly too2/3/2013 12:00:00 AMService is weakest linkFour times dining now at PK and mostly this has been wonderful, however this time was not. Service has always been casual, with young woman who have little or no knowledge of the menu and are not that helpful. This time the server, another young woman, walked by our table and until I actually stopped her the fourth or fifth time, did she acknowledge that she would "be right back." So it took several minutes, maybe 10, to get a service. She didn't come around without being asked. The busser did, and refilled water glasses, but he was the one, not the server, who was asked to refill the coffee cup. The pizza was okay, not worth writing home about. The PK sundae was definitely not okay and while interesting, fair. Caesar salad was good.1/24/2013 12:00:00 AMWorld Class Food in a Cozy PlaceDined here twice now, once for lunch and once for dinner. I'm saying without any hesitation, that Portola Kitchen is world-class. Never had better food anywhere. Raving about this place is redundant. Pastas with sauces that defy description and require every last drop to be sponged with fresh Mayfield Bakery bread. A pancake made from ricotta that was so perfect that I want to have it everyday. Panna Cotta that melted in your mouth with fresh strawberry preserves. Wines that are perfectly paired. Prices that are absolutely reasonable. Figure about $30 per person! If I could go anywhere, including SF's finest, I would pick Portola Kitchen. Please don't go there!! I want it all to myself. :-)1/2/2013 12:00:00 AM