January 13, 2006

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Palo Alto Online

A warm welcome

by Dale F. Bentson

I grew up in a small blue collar town in Illinois, where the landscape was dominated by farming and several large industrial concerns.

A myriad of tap rooms and low-priced restaurants lined the streets near those manufactories. Over time, the surviving entities combined good food and hospitality with their alcoholic offerings. Empire Grill & Tap Room in Palo Alto is far removed from heavy industry but the underpinnings are similar: a lively bar scene, well-prepared food and welcoming ambiance.

Empire Grill also boasts a lovely garden patio for more serene dining, open year-round thanks to heaters and umbrellas. The 80-seat patio is nearly twice the capacity of the well-appointed interior. Climbing vines, a stylish front iron gate and flowering planters add to the subtle magic of outdoor dining. I would be hard-pressed to find a more charming setting for weekend brunch.

Inside, the nearly 50-foot-long Honduras mahogany bar with large TV screens at each end seats 17 comfortably. Recessed lighting, hardwood floors, linen-covered tables and large-paned windows overlooking the patio make the room cheerful and comfortable. Recently, Empire removed the half-dozen booths that lined an exterior wall and replaced them with a long upholstered banquette and a series of tables. "We didn't gain any seating," manager David Trevelyan said, "but we gained flexibility."

For starters, the deep-fried calamari ($7 small, $9.75 large) is about as good as fried calamari can be: tender, meaty and crisp. The secret is that each order is breaded and cooked to order, so the breading doesn't get soggy from sitting around and the mollusk is not overcooked. I could easily see why it is the most popular first course. During several recent visits, nearly every table I saw had calamari perched atop it.

Grilled hot and mild sausages ($8.75) were served with crisp herb-roasted potatoes; a medley of cornichons, onions and olives; and a pot of Dijon mustard. This was a tasty opening with enough bulk to satisfy two. Polenta cakes, ($8.50) even heartier, were oozing with gorgonzola and fontina cheeses. Topped with sautéed mushrooms, this was another near-meal in itself.

The kitchen has been run by Ramon Valverde for all of the 15 years Empire has been around. He and his staff make most everything, save for the breads and desserts. He also smokes many of the meats used.

The grilled pork chop ($18.25) was exceptional. Thick and juicy, with subtle hints of smokiness, the chop was one of the finest I have had anywhere. An intriguing Asian spice marinade added to the allure. The plate was complimented with a mound of crisp, fresh-cut French fries.

Also smoked were the baby back ribs ($14.75 half slab, $28.50 full slab). Trust me, the half slab will sate most appetites. The ribs were meaty and tender and bathed in a semi-spicy barbeque sauce. Hand-chopped coleslaw and French fries completed this pleasing entrée.

Empire offers both a grilled 11-ounce filet mignon ($29.95) with shiitakes and choice of potatoes and a fork-tender 16-ounce New York steak ($27.50) with the same trimmings. At lunch, a petite 7-ounce steak is offered, ($14.75), more on the order of a bistro steak, not always the most tender, but always flavorful.

White bean chili ($8.75) was chock-full of tender chicken breast, cannelloni beans and mild red chili peppers. Simmered in chicken broth, the large bowl serving was perfect fare for the rainy evening. In a smaller portion, this not overly filling chili would make an excellent first course as well.

The restaurant also lists lamb chops, chicken dishes, crab cakes and a special fish of the day in addition to pastas, salads, pizzas and sandwiches. It is an ambitious menu but near everything I tried scored high on the taste-o-meter. Large portions and reasonable prices were the clincher.

The bowl of penne pasta ($15.25) was loaded with shards of asparagus, strips of sweet red and yellow peppers, chopped tomatoes and red onions and shreds of basil and arugula. Piping hot, it needed no grated cheese to please. The aromas wafting upward ignited the salivary glands.

My companion and I shared the smoked salmon pizza ($13.75) as an appetizer one evening. The pizza was layered with salmon, capers, red onion and mozzarella cheese. The New York-style crust was neither too thin nor overly doughy, yet thick enough to hold the ingredients. We could not finish the large serving and still have had room for anything else.

My only disappointments were with desserts. The lemon tarte ($5.75) was not the soft pale lemon curd over crisp crust I had hoped for. Instead, the crust was chewy and the iridescent lemon meringue overly stiff. In fact, I could scarcely cut it with my fork.

The pecan pie à la mode ($6.75) featured pecans that were too soft and gooey, as was the biscuit-y crust. The flavor wasn't bad but I was bothered by the consistency. It was as if the pie had sat around the kitchen a tad too long.

Better was the apple pie ($6.50) with cinnamon caramel sauce. The flaky buttery crust complimented the thick crisp chunks of fruit. The sauce carried just the right hint of cinnamon.

The service was competent during both busy and quieter times. The wait staff and kitchen paced meals perfectly and table-bussing, filling water glasses and changing silverware could not have been better.

Microbreweries are a specialty at Empire with 16 beers offered on tap from the U.S., Ireland, Belgium, England, Germany and the Czech Republic. There are additional selections of bottled beers as well. A formidable lineup of single malt scotches awaits the stout of heart.

The fairly priced wine list is primarily a California affair. Near every varietal grown is represented and many are available by the glass. Corkage fee is $20.

Empire Grill & Tap Room is the perfect combination of food and libation, ambiance and hospitality. Portions are large, the menu unpretentious and prices rational. It is no wonder the place thrives after 15 years. Empire is not intended as a family eatery; it is, after all, a tavern first. Nevertheless, it is a grand place to take the family for brunch on a sunny Sunday morning.
Empire Grill & Tap Room Reservations: Yes Website: No Credit cards: Yes Parking: Street Alcohol: Full bar Children: Boosters only Outdoor dining: Yes Party facilities: Yes Noise level: Noisy in, quiet out Bathroom cleanliness: Good
Empire Grill & Tap Room 651 Emerson St., Palo Alto, (650) 321-3030
Daily hours: Lunch Mon. - Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Dinner Sun. - Wed. 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Dinner Thurs. - Sat. 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Brunch Sat. - Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

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