Madera with a View
Hamachi crudo with strawberries at Madera in Menlo Park.
Majestic is the word all right for Madera restaurant in the Rosewood Sand Hill resort in Menlo Park.
It’s got to be one of the most breathtaking dining rooms in the Bay Area, what with its floor-to-ceiling windows and wide terrace with a panoramic view of the Santa Cruz mountains. It’s easy to forget you’re in the thick of the hustle-bustle of Silicon Valley and not on vacation instead.
Over the past five years, with its proximity to all the venture capitalists on Sand Hill Road, it’s turned into a hot spot for business wheeling and dealing, as evidenced in my recent story in the San Francisco Chronicle. Even if it’s well known among the VC and CEO set, it’s still rather under the radar for the rank-and-file tech employees, says Chef Peter Rudolph, who is always surprised when he does corporate events at how few people have even heard of Madera.
That’s a shame because it’s such a lovely oasis. And we sure need more of those, don’t we?
Madera boasts a lofty feel with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Chilled wine awaits.
I ate at Madera when it first opened. Although I liked the food, I found many of the dishes had just too much going on.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when I was invited in to dine as a guest of the restaurant. The dishes are still far from simple, but they felt more reined in than previously.
Dinner is not inexpensive — starters are $15 to $20, and mains are $33 to $41. But to put it in perspective, this is also a place where tech folks are known to celebrate by ordering premium scotch for $500 a shot (again, see my link to my Chronicle story above). There’s also an impressive 2,000 wines to choose from.