As Parkside restaurant gets ready to open in downtown Los Gatos, there are a few things missing—namely, the “a” in its name on the side of the building. Apparently, the company that fabricated the letters had powder-coated the wrong side of the “a” and it needed to be redone. Owner Darren Matte is eyeing an Oct. 13 opening date. (Photo by Laura Ness)
As Parkside restaurant gets ready to open at Montebello and Main in downtown Los Gatos, there are a few things missing—namely, the “a” in its name on the side of the building. Apparently, the company that fabricated the letters had powder-coated the wrong side of the “a” and it needed to be redone.
Restaurant owner Darren Matte says the HVAC system needed to be modified, which will necessitate another inspection before they can officially open. Perhaps we are looking at Oct. 13 at this point.
The good news is that the weather has been ideal for drying concrete and building planter boxes, which are looking really handsome with their brick facing. Soon the plants will be installed, giving it more of a garden feel. Walking through the parklet area gives you an idea of just how capacious an outdoor dining area this will be, and with any luck, there will be some level of warmth in October befitting the enjoyment of a cocktail or a glass of wine al fresco.
Just down the street, serial restaurant entrepreneur Yvonne Khanakis is readying her version of what was Montebello Market and will be the new home of Grocer + Goddess. Already it has a totally different vibe, with large couches for seating, shelves with various imported sauces and dry goods from her original Grocer + Goddess location.
A mix of housewares, serving dishes, gift items, table runners, condiments and sauces, woven shopping bags, fancy liquors and exotic swag lamps of various materials and sizes give the place an international bazaar feel. Khanakis says three former employees of Montebello Market will be returning, so there will be some familiar faces.
The breakfast menu, served Monday-Friday, 9-11 a.m., features Green Eggs and Ham—a house-made English muffin with prosciutto, basil pesto and wild arugula—or the country breakfast, with an abundance of bacon, soft scrambled eggs and warm buttermilk biscuit. There’s also a breakfast burrito with chicken, avocado, beans and eggs, plus quinoa and veggies topped with sunny siders and chimichurri. Go lighter with house-made granola and Greek yogurt plus local honey, or a bread basket with croissant, bagel or English muffin.
Lunch offers house-made soups and salads, like the kale with queso fresco and tortilla strips or baby field greens with goat cheese. Specialty salads include the macro-grain salad bowl, starring house-made sauerkraut, organic heirloom brown rice, raw kale, carrots, red beans, herb-baked tofu, braised mushrooms and sprouts, tossed with carrot ginger dressing. That should set you up for anything.
And of course, there will be somewhat familiar sandwiches like the Reuben, turkey club and fried chicken with Gochujang aioli, plus a slew of Yvonne’s creative concoctions, like duck confit with cherry jam and the Crabby Patty, a crab cake on brioche.
Entrée options like salmon, lasagna Bolognese, fish and chips, pasta al forno, adult mac ‘n cheese and spatchcock chicken, will be available from 11 a.m. until close.
There is a separate catering menu for offsite events as well, and don’t forget Khanakis is offering the former Grocer + Goddess space by her OY! Gluten-free bakery Manresa’s original bakery storefront), as a rental space for events.
She’s hoping to open Sept 30. Hours will be 9 a.m.-6 p.m. to start, with later hours possible.
