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Uploaded: Saturday, February 23, 2013, 2:45 PM
Updated: Monday, February 25, 2013, 8:43 AM
Shop Talk: Burgers, bison and more
Afghani restaurant in Midtown, Cafe Sophia, closes
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by Daryl Savage
Palo Alto Weekly Staff
Photo
 | CAFE SOPHIA CLOSES
It's the end of the line for Midtown Palo Alto's cozy Afghani restaurant. Cafe Sophia at 2706 Middlefield Road closed on Feb. 12 after a nearly eight-year run. Owner Sophia Omar, who had a significant presence in her restaurant, has had a long history in Palo Alto. She started Sophia's Cafe in Charleston Shopping Center more than a decade ago, serving coffee and pastries in the small space that Peet's Coffee now occupies. Omar, saddened by the closure of her cafe, politely declined to give details or be interviewed for this story. The restaurant is dark and locked, awaiting a new tenant.
HOLY COW! BURGERS BURGEONING IN PALO ALTO
Big burger news this week with the recent announcement that Umami Burger is coming to Palo Alto, marking the Los Angeles company's 15th location in California since 2009. Scheduled to open in mid-2013, the burger joint will take over the 1,500-square-foot space at 452 University Ave. Umami Burger, which was named Best Burger of the Year in 2010 by GQ Magazine, is known for its unusual offerings such as the truffle burger and the port-and-Stilton burger, along with its variety of sauces.
The University Avenue location has seen a variety of restaurants come and go in recent years. Han Fine Korean Cuisine was the most recent occupant. Prior to that, it was Mint Leaf, a Thai restaurant. For several years, the spot was home to the long-standing Italian restaurant Palermo Ristorante. Umami joins two other burger eateries on the avenue: Workshop Burger Bar and Sliderbar Cafe, which recently opened a second location in San Francisco.
In other burger news, The Counter Burger at 369 S. California Ave. has started serving bison. Although the burgers cost an additional $3.50, putting the price at $12.45, "customers don't blink an eye at the higher price," owner George Haymaker said. It's all part of the movement toward more healthful alternatives to beef, he said: "Our bison is very lean; it's organic; it's lower in cholesterol and higher in protein." Mountain View is next on the list to get a Counter Burger. It's scheduled to open in late May at 2580 El Camino Real.
TWO NEW ARRIVALS: DIM SUM AND PIZZA
Two new restaurants opened in Palo Alto this month. Steam, a dim sum restaurant, made its debut on Feb. 6 at 209 University Ave. Occupying the former site of Mediterranean Wraps, the restaurant went through a complete makeover and is now elegantly decorated in a sleek, contemporary style. The small 48-seat space was created by the owners of the Palo Alto Chinese restaurant Tai Pan at 520 Waverley St.
Also new this month is Terrone at 448 S. California Ave., taking over the former home of Bistro Elan (which moved down the street and around the corner and became Birch Street in 2011). Terrone opened its doors on Feb. 11. The 2,000-square-foot traditional Italian pizzeria is co-owned by Franco Campilongo, his brother and his cousin. "We've had a great response so far. Lots of our friends are coming here," Campilongo said. The restaurant, which serves lunch and dinner, also has a patio in the back for additional seating. Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by Kathy K., a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Feb 24, 2013 at 11:43 am Thats a shame about Sophia's closing. We really liked going there for lunch and Sophia was also so kind to everyone.
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Posted by Organiclaws, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Feb 24, 2013 at 5:27 pm
Organiclaws is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online I ate at the Umami Burger down in LA while at a conference a few months ago. One of my all time favorite burgers. Unlike The Counter, they will do a real medium rare burger, and properly seasoned as well. Another nice addition to downtown!
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Posted by Always Hungry, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Feb 24, 2013 at 8:05 pm I love these Shop Talk columns.
We just tried Steam tonight. Yum. Everything was delicious and the prices were reasonable... for Palo Alto. ;o)
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Posted by D, a resident of Stanford, on Feb 25, 2013 at 10:37 am I've gotten takeout from Steam twice. More affordable than other University Ave restaurants, clean and friendly. Terronne was like a trip to Italy. The staff spoke Italian and the Neopolitan style pizza was delicious.
Tacolicious opened up this week too on Emerson. Very trendy and lounge-like. Food was fresh and tasty. Many items were locally sourced and/or organic.
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Posted by William, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Feb 25, 2013 at 11:23 am I am SO sorry to hear that Cafe Sofia has closed! I have dined there often ever since she moved there. She was always so wonderful and kind. I had no idea she was closing. What a loss to the community!
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Posted by Hmmm, a resident of East Palo Alto, on Feb 25, 2013 at 11:25 am I find the name Tacolicious unappetizing & somehow disturbing. I'm glad to know there are other options!
Yelp! reviews of Steam are mixed & it sounds less like a dim sum restaurant, based on the limited number of actual dim sum dishes. [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
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Posted by Ken, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Feb 25, 2013 at 12:18 pm We too will miss Sophia's wonderful cooking and great chai.
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Posted by Katie, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Feb 25, 2013 at 12:19 pm Too many restaurants in downtown Palo Alto. Cities need a variety of stores and services, not just restaurant after restaurant. It makes the downtown look cheap and tacky.
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Posted by Resident, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Feb 25, 2013 at 12:42 pm A while ago I was feeling happy about the Midtown area becoming more of a destination and community gem. Mikes was great, Subway opened, a couple of Mexican places as well as Cafe Sofia and I love Palo Alto Cafe for coffee.
Unfortunately, Mikes has taken a turn for the worse and now Cafe Sofia is closing. I hope this is not a downward trend in Midtown.
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Posted by Midtown Upturn, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Feb 25, 2013 at 1:04 pm I think the latest additions to Midtown have actually upped its "cool" factor. School or Rock, Hiruko, Sancho's (in addition to the already-cool Como Esta?) joins an ice cream shop, grocery store, hair salon, a couple of banks, drugstores, coffee shops etc. Everything you need in two compact blocks. ;o)
If only RoundTable cleaned up their interior...Ugh.
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Posted by Maureen&Magnus, a resident of Stanford, on Feb 25, 2013 at 1:40 pm We quit patronizing Sancho's after one of their staffed yelled at my spouse. Check out their bad Yelp! reviews - they're revealing. Sancho's management is lousy & can't manage their way out of a paper bag. We're not big fans of Como Esta but at least the owner does good work in the community, so we patronize for that reason.
What's up w/Mike's downturn? Did they close Nenlo & let PA go down in order to focus on their new venture in PV? Or maybe overall financial woes? We're still sentimental about Mike's, but not enough to deal w/the TVs, so we order to go.
What's happened w/Cafe Sophia makes our hearts ache. We miss you & your bolani, Sophia & Ali!
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Posted by oldtime midtowner, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Feb 25, 2013 at 2:51 pm Cafe Sophia, and its wonderful owner, Sophia Omar will be terribly missed. The Afghan food was excellent, the coffee always good, and Sophia herself was a delightful, sophisticated, intelligent woman with whom one could have a good conversation. She was also a great hostess, a good cook, and was unfailingly kind to all her customers. Unfortunately, today there are too many cafes in Palo Alto, so the competition is so high that inevitably a few of the really just good ones (such as Sophia's) which do not necessarily cater to the fashionably high-tech crowd will go to ground. Too many Starbucks', too much fast food, not enough family-style, comfortable places one can go to sip a latte and read the paper.
Thank you, Sophia, for many years of good coffee, super food, and nice ambiance!
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Posted by ary Ruppel, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Feb 25, 2013 at 3:58 pm Thank you Sophia for providing excellent food, service, and wonderful conversation. You and your staff will be missed. I wish you the est of luck in the future.
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Posted by Donald, a resident of Mountain View, on Feb 27, 2013 at 12:24 am I used to live by Sophia's and went for the Afghan Breakfast with my family. The food and coffee were amazing and Sophia made you feel like a guest of the table at her house. Having gone through the hoops myself I can say that the restaurant industry is a very hard one and some get luckier than others. You'd think a positive and charming attitude, coupled with great food, service and prices would be enough. I hope she gives the area one more shot!
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Posted by AW, a resident of Menlo Park, on Feb 27, 2013 at 10:35 am Very sad news about Cafe Sophia. I enjoyed their food as much as the family that was there and was always so wonderful
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Posted by bobbi FOX, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Feb 27, 2013 at 11:24 am Daryl Savage's column is timely, well written and balanced.
How can we get her to write more often in the newspapers?
She is a great asset to our community.
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Posted by Nayeli, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Feb 27, 2013 at 1:25 pm @ bobbi FOX:
I agree! This is a great column about the ins and outs of life in Palo Alto!
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