Prime bone-in rib chop with blue cheese butter at Birk’s. (Photo courtesy of the restaurant)

Birk’s Celebrates 25 Years

Birk’s of Santa Clara marks its 25th anniversary this month with a slew of specials.

Through the end of March, the restaurant, which has long hosted the movers and shakers of Silicon Valley, will offer a $25 three-course “Classic Americana” menu that includes choices such as prime rib, beef tenderloin fettuccine or stuffed petrale sole. To go with it, the restaurant also is pricing five select wines at $25 per bottle.

During “Happy Hour” during the month, look for 25-cent wings or a plate of a half dozen for $1.50. Pair that with an “89er” anniversary cocktail ($8.90) made with apple wood-smoked bacon infused Maker’s Mark Bourbon and garnished with maple foam.

What’s more, anyone born in 1989 who dines at Birk’s in March will receive a $25 gift card to use on a return visit.

With its custom split grill, back-iron broiler and a 250-pound capacity smoker, Birk’s is known for its chops and seafood. Executive Chef Maurice Dissels has headed the kitchen since 2001 at the Pat Kuleto-designed restaurant.

Doppio Zero Opens in Mountain View

A new Neapolitan-style pizza joint has opened in downtown Mountain View.

Its name is Doppio Zero for the highly regarded, finely milled flour used to make pastas and pizza crusts in Italy.

Zucchini, pepper and mozzarella pizza at Doppio Zero. (Photo courtesy of the restaurant)

The daily star-shaped pizza. (Photo courtesy of the restaurant)

Pasta selections include house-made garganelli with sausage, broccoli rabe and pecorino; and house-made spinach fettuccine with morels, asparagus and shaved Parmegiano Reggiano.

Seventeen pizzas are offered, including two that are gluten-free and two others that are fried. Among the more unusual pies is a star-shaped one, offered as a daily special, in which each point is filled with a different ingredient.

New Hotel-Restaurant Coming to Palo Alto

Later this month, the new Epiphany Hotel will open its doors in the heart of downtown Palo Alto.

A Joie de Vivre property, the eight-story luxury boutique hotel will have 86 guest rooms and suites.

A rendering of The Epiphany Hotel. (Image courtesy of Joie de Vivre)

On the ground floor will be Lure + Till, an 80-seat restaurant headed by Executive Chef Patrick Kelly, formerly of Gitane in San Francisco, Angèle in Napa and La Folie in San Francisco.

Look for craft cocktails, as well as house-made cheeses, preserves and pastas, and dry-aged beef on the seasonal, locally-sourced menu.

The hotel will be housed in a 1970s building that has been completely redone from the ground up. But one thing will remain the same: The six-story-tall mosaic of El Palo Alto, the 1,000-year-old coastal redwood for which the city is named, will be retained.

Winner of Last Week’s Food Gal Contest

In that Food Gal contest, I asked you to tell me what you most look forward to receiving in the mail. The winner will receive a sample gift box of chocolate bars from Cocoeclectic (a $34 value).

A chocolate box sampler from Cococlectic. (Photo by Carolyn Jung)

Congrats to:

Rich, who wrote, “We’re parents to an active 17-month-old and we like to keep diaper inventory tight. Sometimes too tight! Nothing brings a smile to my face faster than the box of Pampers on the front porch.”