When Palo Alto amount up in conversation , the only foods you ’re probable to hear about are futurist get - up fuel like Soylent , or vegetarian core that bleeds . As it turn out , though , Palo Alto is hardly a restaurant barren – from Korean bulgogi tacos to aureate folio - decorate caviar blowouts , there are quite a little of good chuck to be had in this tekki beehive . Here are 15 governance worthy of your metre .
< h2 > well Cuban food for thought ( and cigars ): < a href=“http://www.thrillist.com / venues / wipe out / san - francisco / eating house / atomic number 57 - bodegu … ; target="_blank”>La Bodeguita del Medio
< em > Evergreen ParkHemingway probably would ’ve fuck this Latin and Caribbean eating house on Cal Ave , name for the Havana barroom he frequented – you know , the one that ( falsely ) claim to have invented the mojito . Cigar enthusiasts light it up in the back patio , while rum lovers sip from the ginmill ’s extensive collection , and the eternal rest of us just revel a sweet - tart Hemingway daiquiri and Edvard Munch on a perfect Cubano sandwich .
Flickr/Jay Tong
< h2 > expert pizza : < a href=“http://www.thrillist.com / locus / eat / san - francisco / restaurants / terun - piz … ; target="_blank”>Terun
< em > Evergreen ParkTerun sets the stripe for woods - fired pizza pie , and is arguably the best Italian restaurant in a city that seemingly has more Italian restaurants than Sorrento itself . From the exquisite falafel - like eggplant polpette to picture - thoroughgoing cannoli , the dolce vita is here . Really , just look at how al dente the chitarrine is , or how local Italian expats jaw for a pre - dinner Americano and animatedly discuss who Berlusconi slept with last week .
< h2 > Best Mexican : < a href=“http://www.thrillist.com / locus / use up / san - francisco / restaurants / palo - alto … ; target="_blank”>Palo Alto Sol
Terun
< em > Evergreen ParkFor sublime mole poblano - drenched chicken , a definitive chile relleno , and killer shrimp enchiladas , this Cal Ave favorite is all you need to love . If that ’s not enough , lie with that there are also flick - perfect margarita and guac on deck here . If that ’s not enough , know that Mark Zuckerberg ( supposedly ) enjoy this spot when his company was headquartered nearby . That ’s got ta be enough , right ?
< h2 > well sushi : < a href=“http://www.thrillist.com / venues / use up / san - francisco / restaurants / hommas - br … ; target="_blank”>Homma ’s Brown Rice Sushi
< em > Evergreen ParkBring John Cash ( no credit rating scorecard ) and along with your raw Pisces appetite for the city ’s premier sushi experience , which uses flabby , nutty sum of brown rice for its rolls . Nobu is apparently coming to Palo Alto before long , but Homma ’s has possess the mellow - lineament , no - trumpery ( plastic tabular array , no web site … ) sushi scene for three decades now .
Flickr/Kris Vera-Phillips
< h2 > Best unusual cuisine mashup : < a href=“http://www.thrillist.com / venue / eat / san - francisco / restaurants / valencia- … ; target="_blank”>Valencia Asian Market
< em > Barron Park / El Camino RealTacos , ramp up - your - own salads , and Chinese barbeque pork barrel : all some of our preferred things , and all useable under one roof at this class - die hard cafe / marketplace on an otherwise unremarkable stretch of El Camino . The fact that you may have both a massaman curry , cotton candy , and an al parson burrito at the same placement means it ’s basically impossible to not fall in love with this office . earnestly , those homemade tortillas steal the show and make you wonder why everyone else does n’t do the same .
< h2 > Best falafel : < a href=“http://www.thrillist.com / venue / eat / san - francisco / eatery / mediterra … ; target="_blank”>Mediterranean Wraps
VAM Asian Fusion Restaurant
< em > Evergreen ParkQuick : who makes the best falafel in the whole Bay Area ? You got it , this narrow Cal Ave space . You ’ll be tempted by the glitter lamb - beef shawarma , and there is nothing wrong with going that meaty direction , but that parsley and fleeceable Allium cepa - stain falafel is one of the neat beauty of Palo Alto . It ’s the real passel . Pro tip : seize the Turkish cappuccino coffee from Zombie Runner , the café / run gear wheel shop next doorway , and ride outside at the sidewalk tables with your falafel wrapping .
< h2 > good contemporary Vietnamese : < a href=“http://www.thrillist.com / venues / exhaust / san - francisco / restaurants / tamarine- … ; target="_blank”>Tamarine
< em > DowntownRemember when Zibibbo and Spago were the primary players on the Downtown Palo Alto dining aspect ? Back before Facebook even started in our endearing town ? Yep , we ’re looking at 2002 , where Tamarine opened within days of when the Giants broke our hearts in the World Series and the economy was in the tank . Thirteen restaurant years is basically like 130 human years , and the modern-day Vietnamese deary ( shaking squawk ) and new idea ( grill Elmer Rice cakes with pork barrel and dried seaweed ) are as vibrant and refined at Tamarine today , as back then . Zibibbo and Spago ? Long gone . Tamarine ’s gorgeous fine art on the walls and crab and garlic noodles are here to outride .
Flickr/Johnn
< h2 > good wine-coloured bar with real food for thought : < a href=“http://www.thrillist.com / venues / drink / san - francisco / bars / vino - locale&qu … ; target="_blank”>Vino Locale
< em > DowntownPalo Alto ’s fistful of vino bar / restaurants suffer not from the Goldilocks mind-set : one has formulaic wine , one is right smart too expensive … etc . This petty business district - area cottage ( with a spectacular terrace ) fits just right , however , with legit California wine to match the sunny California outlook . The more substantial intellectual nourishment can be iffy , but self-coloured offerings like the bison meatballs and mushroom cloud cocotte signify you ’re not just in cheese and charcuterie territory .
< h2 > Best beigel ( and food shop ): < a href=“http://www.thrillist.com / venues / eat / san - francisco / eating place / izzys - bro … ; target="_blank”>Izzy ’s Brooklyn Bagels
Vino Locale
< em > Evergreen ParkFor two 10 , Palo Alto has been muck up by bagels that could make the most resolute Brooklynite realize it ’s not all about the water . It ’s all about the smoked whitefish salad on Secale cereale pumpernickel . It ’s all about the thick , pleasantly piquant baseless lox with sun - dry out tomato cream cheeseflower on a whole pale yellow sesame . In short , it ’s all about Izzy ’s .
< h2 > Best French : < a href=“http://www.thrillist.com / venues / feed / san - francisco / eating place / zola" ; target="_blank”>Zola
< em > DowntownThere ’s classic French cooking like you ’ll find at a smattering of dapple around the Palo Alto area ( suppose : butter , croque monsieur , duck’s egg à l’orange ) , and then there ’s the variety of inspired , seasonal French cooking on offer at Zola . “ Escargot butter ” yoke with roast mushrooms without a snail in sight ( but tons of Allium sativum ) ; the beef bourguignon is kick upstairs with exquisitely tender short ribs and the addition of lettuce dirty dog ; and the coal brassicas with golden raisin and curry spice are inspired from nowhere near Avignon or Lyon . It ’s fun French food , basically.Bonus : Zola ’s wine inclination might be the sharpest affordable option in the metropolis .
Zola
< h2 > salutary restaurant that belongs in SF : < a href=“http://www.thrillist.com / venue / eat / san - francisco / restaurants / bird - dog & … ; target="_blank”>BirdDog
< em > DowntownDowntown ’s splashiest porta in years arrived late in 2015 , when this California cuisine goal with exciting Asian ingredients and technique opened its doors . The food for thought is captivating ( fried chicken second joint with an uni - egg yolk dipping sauce , brilliant and gorgeous ceviche , and raw fish preparations ) , and the setting is simultaneously suave and whimsical – recall slick black-market seats , with wooden duck dangling from the ceiling .
< h2 > Best Greek : < a href=“http://www.thrillist.com / venues / eat / san - francisco / restaurants / evvia" ; target="_blank”>Evvia
Bird Dog
< em > DowntownEvvia is the young sibling of San Francisco ’s beloved Greek mental institution , Kokkari , and candidly , it ’s just as good . The retsina and ouzo are poured with gusto here , the Citrus limon and oregano - kissed octopus is unmatched , and the Baklava ’s the perfect path to finish your meal.Pro crest : it ’s hard ( even by SF standards ) to get a primetime reservation here any night of the week , so head up to the back of the eating place and attempt to snag a seat at the hidden legal community there .
< h2 > Best model of seasonal California cookery : < a href=“http://www.thrillist.com / venues / deplete / san - francisco / restaurants / bistro - el … ; target="_blank”>Bistro Elan
< em > Evergreen ParkWhether for that all - important third date or a dinner party word on the theory of relativity , this is Palo Alto ’s go - to for simple , California - meets - France cooking – our Zuni Cafe , in other words . The menu only has about 10 items , half of which seem to be salads , while the other half includes a scallops entree and robust meats like the superb version of duck’s egg confit. So , you ask , is the restaurant bid Birch Street or Bistro Elan ? It ’s BOTH ( seriously , look at the online carte du jour ): a few years ago , Bistro Elan move from Cal Ave to a side street call , yes , Birch St , and it ’s gone by both ever since . The name might be perplexing , but the food for thought definitely is n’t .
Flickr/Benjamin Listwon
< h2 > undecomposed wallet - bursting molecular gastronomy : < a href=“http://www.thrillist.com / venue / eat / san - francisco / restaurants / baume" ; target="_blank”>Baumé
< em > Evergreen ParkJust a block down from Palo Alto ’s beloved ( and only ? ) dive bar , Antonio ’s Nut House , sit one of the costly meal in the entire Bay Area . The atmosphere here is Buddhist - tranquil and resolutely stoical , while the bill of fare blend the " foams and spheres " staginess of molecular gastronomy with the disciplined luxury of French culinary art . The tasting menu is seasonal , and while the terms will vary by the ingredients , you ’ll ultimately have to decide whether or not to use part of your Series A funding to pay the bill .
< h2 > Best halfway Eastern : < a href=“http://www.thrillist.com / venues / orens - humus - shop-94301" ; target="_blank”>Oren ’s Hummus Shop
Flickr/Jun Seita
< em > DowntownYes , everyone hump about this systematically mediate Eastern spot on University Ave , as evidenced by the fact that it ’s systematically packed . Here ’s the thing , though : the hummus is in truth legit , to the point that San Franciscans ( this writer included ) purchase hummus here because nothing can match its quality for miles around . Also , you do n’t HAVE to get hummus – the couscous and shakshuka are also worth the inevitable wait . You should still get the hummus , though .
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Oren’s Hummus Shop
