Testarossa’s Sunday brunch is music to foodie’s ears—and tastebuds
Nothing brings a crowd together like Sunday brunch especially when you add wine Head to the old novitiate in Los Gatos for Sunday Brunch at Testarossa where you can enjoy a range of hearty fare including breakfast sliders with mortadella hash browns and scrambled eggs Related Articles South San Francisco has a new sandwich spot Mac s Old House in Antioch to close after years McDonald s launches chicken strips taking on Taco Bell and Wienerschnitzel Jack in the Box launches turnaround with plan to close up to locations Portugal Restaurant Week offers deals in San Jose SF Sonoma At a up-to-date gathering of ravenous girlfriends we made a pretty good dent in the menu including the humungous cast iron pan cinnamon rolls buttery and lathered with cream cheese frosting which got big and sticky thumbs up The Brokaw avocado toast is served with labneh and salsa to which you can add an egg for while the crunchy huevos rancheros tostada was topped with refried beans and a fried egg We shared fennel sausage kebabs and smoked salmon latke as well as biscuits and gravy Testarossa club manager Tracy Chastain who grew up in the South personally vetted the gravy and everyone universally loved the buttery goodness of the biscuits of which were left nary a crumb We supplemented the feast with an order of Hobbs bacon and mimosas for the table There are simple coffee beverages as well as a deep variety of wines by the bottle and glass Items we didn t try but will ponder for next time are the chocolate pain perdu bone marrow toast and Mediterranean breakfast to share Accompanied by live music Testarossa s Sunday brunch is from a m - p m in a lovely al fresco space Make reservations for Mother s Day brunch on May at https www testarossa com bistro The Hayes Mansion is one of San Jose s true architectural gems with the feel of an historical retreat It had fallen off my radar but I in recent months learned that Executive Chef Joshua Macaluso is now helming Palm Ember with a variety of culinary influences from all over California There s a classic Cali Club on toasted sourdough as well as clam chowder sous vide scallops French onion soup Central Valley fattoosh poblano quesadillas avocado-citrus salad with feta salmon en papillote and wagyu steak frites Check it out for lunch and dinner indoor or by their outdoor fire pits It s a serene and relaxed setting https www hayesmansion com san-jose-restaurant The all-new Treehouse Hotel in Sunnyvale on Mathilda which used to be a Sheraton is home to the hot new restaurant Valley Goat the latest restaurant by Stephanie Izard She in recent months moved to LA after opening award-winning restaurants in her native Chicago including Girl and the Goat We sampled a taste of her strange menu including goat empanadas bite-sized fluffy chickpea fritters with goat yogurt and herb chutney asparagus and golden beets with yuzu kosho vinaigrette and party nuts and excellent spicy fish tostadas A large number of tables indulged in the avocado dip with fried plantains and pork belly noodles Our server reported us the -hour pork dish with spiced Asian pear and hoisin mayo on the dinner menu is a must Don t miss the excellent bite-sized biscuits served with sesame butter We re going back for the spiced fries with tamarind chutney and three-sauce soy-glazed chicken with chili lime hoisin mayo and lettuce cups Valley Goat at N Mathilda Ave in Sunnyvale is open daily for lunch and for weekend brunch a m - p m and dinner - p m Reservations are required to https www valleygoatsv com Pebble Beach Food Wine was the usual cornucopia of edible delights from candied maple bacon to a martini and garlic fries bar The excess of excellence is overwhelming but a insufficient dishes and chefs made a lasting impression People s Choice went to Solbar Chef Gustavo Rios for his wagyu tartare handroll which was wrapped in nori I loved the roasted beet tartare by Mike Stoves of La Playa Hotel in Monterey and the braised bison short rib with crispy polenta and fire-kissed spring onion by Jeanette Money of US Foods Chef Lee Frank of Otis restaurant in Exeter NH served up a bowl of locally grown grits with a perfectly blanched ragout of peas and asparagus total spring comfort food Chef Goran Basarov of Carmel s Covey Grill presented Land and Sea which combined Dungeness crab Miyazaki wagyu cr me fraiche and Meyer lemon into one amazing bite Michael Toscano of La Farfalle and Porchetta Shop presented a divine Surf and Turf Tartare with beef crudo octopus Charleston shrimp beech mushrooms ramps and shrimp head vinaigrette Valle s Chef Roberto Alcocer s Land Scallop was a brilliant display of braised king oyster mushroom with serrano beurre blanc Chef Chris Barnum-Dann of Localis served up Thai beef tartare wagyu beef and red curry with Thai chili crunch and lime leaf aioli served on a edible ginger tapioca chip
