Chez TJ Marks Its 44th Year with A Reset

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Owner George Aviet in one of the intimate dining rooms at Chez TJ.
Owner George Aviet in one of the intimate dining rooms at Chez TJ.

For an unprecedented 44 years, this charming Victorian in downtown Mountain View has drawn crowds and accolades for its fine-dining cuisine that has proved a jumping off point for a roster of some of the Bay Area’s most illustrious chefs.

Last year, though, Chez TJ lost its Michelin star after an impressive 19-year streak, a crushing blow to owner George Aviet. It was Mountain View’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, too.

But Aviet, 69, remains as determined as ever to forge ahead and continue to shape the restaurant into the best that it can be.

He and his late business partner Thomas J. McCombie bought the 1894 property in the early 1980s, and opened it as a restaurant in 1982. When McCombie died unexpectedly of a heart attack at the young age of 44 in 1994, Aviet pressed on, resolute in keeping Chez TJ going in McCombie’s memory and spirit.

The restaurant is housed in a historic Victorian.
The restaurant is housed in a historic Victorian.

He’s done more than an admirable job. In fact, he’s had an uncanny ability to hire young chefs, who after making a name for themselves at Chez TJ, have spring-boarded into stardom.

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Sponsored Post: Fritter-Style Pazazz Apple Pancakes with Creamy Brown Sugar-Peanut Butter Sauce

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Yeasted pancakes brimming with Pazazz apples that get finished with a velvety peanut butter sauce.
Yeasted pancakes brimming with Pazazz apples that get finished with a velvety peanut butter sauce.

What happens when pancake batter gets a lift from yeast and a boost from an eye-popping amount of diced fresh, juicy Pazazz apples?

You get a stack of irresistible “Fritter-Style Apple Pancakes.” Served with a creamy, brown sugar-peanut butter sauce, they are sure to impress for breakfast, brunch, snack or dessert.

Tender yet with wonderful lofty chew to them, these golden fritters are made with minimal sugar so that the naturally sweet and tangy taste of the Pazazz apples really shines through.

A late-season variety, Pazazz are related to the Honeycrisp. Grown by a small group of family farmers across North America, these shiny red-skinned apples with yellow-green striations are perfect for snacking out of hand or to feature in all manner of sweet or savory recipes. Pick some up now at your favorite grocery store.

Pazazz apples.
Pazazz apples.

The original recipe for these fritter-style pancakes comes from “Dobre Dobre: Baking From Poland and Beyond” (Chronicle Books, 2025), of which I received a review copy.

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Dining In At Petaluma’s Outstanding Della Fattoria

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Honeynut squash toast with herbed goat cheese at Della Fattoria.
Honeynut squash toast with herbed goat cheese at Della Fattoria.

I am no stranger to dashing into Della Fattoria bakery and cafe in downtown Petalua to grab a loaf — or two — of my favorite Rosemary-Meyer Lemon bread. In fact, I am beside myself if I ever find it already sold out, because this crusty, chewy bread strewn with sea salt is absolutely everything.

Yet despite those countless trips, I sheepishly admit that I had never sat down to eat a regular meal in its charming dining room with its tall, beamed ceiling that resembles a big ol’ family barn.

So, last week, my husband and I decided to finally remedy that. In fact, we went to Della Fattoria twice — in three hours.

The dining room set up for brunch and lunch.
The dining room set up for brunch and lunch.

Heed my reasoning here: Since its doors open at 8 a.m. and I was determined to get my bread, we arrived shortly after that hour. I not only got my hands on two loaves to take home, but a box of pastries to enjoy back at our hotel, just a short stroll away.

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Californios Is Always A Special Time

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Sope with caviar served on a volcanic rock plate at Californios.
Sope with caviar served on a volcanic rock plate at Californios.

The last time I visited San Francisco’s Californios, it was 2021, when I dined outside in its well-appointed patio as the world was still maneuvering its way out of a global pandemic.

When I returned earlier this month, it was to a table inside its splashy main dining room, with its patio now relegated to special events only.

Times may have changed, but one thing has remained constant: Californios remains the only Mexican restaurant in the country to hold two Michelin stars. Celebrating the restaurant’s 11th anniversary this year, Chef-Owner Val Cantu and his wife/co-owner Carolyn Cantu have held that honor for 8 years, too.

An evening here is every bit as exalted as that distinction demands.

Art by the bar.
Art by the bar.
The bar.
The bar.
The striking dining room.
The striking dining room.

I love introducing friends and family to this restaurant, because it’s a good bet that unless they’ve traveled to Mexico City, they will not have experienced modern Mexican cuisine as exhilarating as this.

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Prince Panettone Has The Royal Touch

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Prince Panettone's Triple Chocolate Raspberry flavor.
Prince Panettone’s Triple Chocolate Raspberry flavor.

While working at the fine-dining Honolulu restaurant, Senia, in 2018, C.K. Flannigan had his mind blown.

That was when Mimi Mendoza, the restaurant’s pastry chef, ordered a From Roy panettone from the Bay Area to share with colleagues, and insisted that Flannigan try it.

The exquisite pricey treat ($109) has built a reputation far and wide for its rich, buttery taste and its feathery, cotton candy-like ethereal texture. At a time when most off-the-shelf Italian panettone could be had for $20 to $30, Roy Shvartzapel elevated not only the price, but the standards for the specialty sweet bread. While a staple at Christmas and Easter, he dared to sell it year-round.

Flannigan, who’d spent his time on the savory and bread-making sides of a professional kitchen, was floored from the get-go by the quality of From Roy’s panettone.

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