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While many of us are looking to wrap up 2023 with holiday parties and last-minute shopping, new restaurants are hoping for an end-of-the-year holiday rush. Palo Alto saw a flurry of new places to dine in late fall and we wanted to put them on your radar as the year comes to a close.
Though Stanford is technically its own census-designated place, we’re grouping two new Stanford restaurants under the Palo Alto umbrella. The other three eateries listed below are located within the California Avenue business district. Walk, bike or drive your way to these new spots and spread some holiday cheer.
Hummus Mediterranean Kitchen
The newly opened Hummus Mediterranean Kitchen at Stanford Shopping Center is the brand’s fourth location and third with new partner Amir Hosseini. Hosseini, who founded Curry Up Now, knows a thing or two about growing a restaurant’s brand and joined partners Onur Alkanoglu and Yasar Bulutoglu in 2021. “I saw a great vision for Hummus; I like to build things,” he said.
Since coming on board, Hosseini and the team have opened restaurants in San Francisco and Mountain View and refreshed the original San Mateo location. The team chose Stanford Shopping Center as their model for fine-casual dining moving forward as they develop new spaces, though that’s not to say that each location will be identical. Currently, this is the only location with full table service, and Hosseini acknowledged that they wanted this location to showcase great service. “We are very focused on warm service at all of our restaurants,” he said.
No dark woods and heavy woven textiles for this modern Mediterranean brand. Instead, the light, airy space feels more Aegean beachfront than Istanbul’s iconic Grand Bazaar. Even though both Alkanoglu and Bulutoglu are Turkish, Hosseini explained that the menu reflects a broader Mediterranean vibe.
Meze dishes have quickly become a popular option, and the restaurant just started serving weekend brunch with many traditional Turkish breakfast items. Look for a breakfast board for two that includes sweet and savory spreads, sliced soujouk (cured beef), marinated boiled eggs, fresh pastries and a pot of traditional tea; a shakshouka with eggplant and peppers; and a pide (Turkish flatbread) with Turkish-spiced minced lamb, vegetables and egg.
Hummus Mediterranean Kitchen, 715 Stanford Shopping Center, Stanford; 650-331-4516, Instagram: @eatathummus. Open Monday-Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. eatathummus.com.
Birdie’s at Stanford Golf
Though Stanford University’s golf course is private, the incredible views at its new public restaurant, Birdie’s, can be had for the price of a sammie, burger or salad. Perched next to the elevated 18th tee and surrounded by stately oak trees, Birdie’s is now open with new ownership, a remodeled kitchen and dining room, and a menu featuring American classics like the Cardinal Club (club sandwich), the Old School Tuna Melt, the Clubhouse Cobb and a signature rib-eye steak.
The course was designed by George C. Thomas Jr. and William P. Bell in 1930 and has been through a couple of upgrades since. Likewise, the ownership of its restaurant has changed hands quite a bit. The folks behind Bodega Hospitality Group, the same ones who operate Winner Winner at San Mateo’s Hillsdale Mall and Suavecito Birria & Tacos out of the company’s catering storefront on South Amphlett Boulevard in San Mateo, took over the course’s dining program at the beginning of 2023 and recently opened for the public, members of the course and Stanford community.
Co-owner Bridgette Cheng spoke about the kismet connection with the course and said, “Both my husband Jeremy and our partner Randy Magpantay are big golfers, so when we learned that the space was available, it was a no-brainer.”
With an extensive catering background (William Jay Catering), the team was more than equipped to handle the course’s needs. The university’s learning center and driving range, which is open to the public, has a Birdie’s Express where you can grab a burger or a birria taco. Next spring, the team will be launching Birdie beverage carts to keep players quenched.
Birdie’s at Stanford Golf, 198 Junipero Serra Blvd., Stanford; 650-521-0714, Instagram: @birdies_at_stanford_golf. Open Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m. to sunset. birdiessg.com.
Rara Restaurant
There are some similarities between Nepalese and Indian cuisine, but for Ishav Dawadi, manager of Rara Restaurant, the majority of restaurants don’t do a good job defining the differences. “My family and I all come from Nepal and every time we would dine at a Nepalese place, we would find Indian dishes on the menu. We were so frustrated that we decided to open Rara to show diners how fresh and different Nepalese food is,” he explained.
In Nepal, water buffalo contributes to more than a third of the country’s meat consumption, and the ingredient is used in several dishes. The spicy, stir-fried dish, Buff Choila, is one of several dishes on the menu that use the meat. Chicken 8848 highlights the unique spices that are sourced in the Himalayas. Dawadi said, “We source our spices from Nepal, which makes our dishes unique. The dried Akabare chile peppers we get from Nepal are used as the base spice for our chicken wings.”
The intimate dining room feels like an oasis, with soothing music and art-filled walls. Staff wear traditional Dhaka topi, brimless hats that match their formal uniforms, an indication of the pride that staff and ownership take in their country and cuisine.
Rara Restaurant, 201 California Ave., Palo Alto; 650-485-1055, Instagram: @rara.restaurant. Open Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 5-10 p.m. for dinner. rararestaurant.com.
GK Pastry
After several years of running successful farmers market stands up and down the Peninsula, the Musabaev family has opened their first brick-and-mortar location in Palo Alto. Situated on Park Avenue within the Palo Alto Central building, GK Pastry now has a permanent place to sell its popular jar cakes. Formerly a spa, the space is tranquil, with a living wall that greets customers. Packaged cookies are also available, and coffee service and an expanded assortment of baked goods will be added soon.
Brothers Osman and Hasan Musabaev run the bakery with their mother, Gulnoza, who oversees the recipes and baking. The family are Uyghurs, and though the baked goods don’t necessarily reflect their heritage, co-owner Osman Musabaev said, “Our commitment to only using the freshest and highest-quality ingredients comes from our background.”
“Our next location at Mountain View’s Blossom Valley Shopping Center should be open by mid-December and in that space, we’ll be offering an assortment of freshly baked breads and pastries in addition to our jar cakes and cookies,” Musabaev said. “People love our pistachio jar and crepe cakes and they are our top sellers.”
GK Pastry, 2417 Park Blvd., Palo Alto; 650-521-0714, Instagram: @gkpastry_ca. Open Monday-Sunday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. gkpastry.com.
Imperial Treasure
The former Peking Duck restaurant inside the mixed-use Palo Alto Central building is now Imperial Treasure, an elegant Chinese dining spot specializing in the foods of Beijing and Shanghai. One of the specialties is Peking duck carved tableside. If you’re going for this special dish, plan to place your order in advance by calling the restaurant.
Authenticity seems to be rewarded, as diners have been flocking to the new spot and enjoying dishes like xiaolongbao (steamed buns) with crab roe, dry pot pork ribs, baked fish in red oil and cold platters of fish and meat. An elegant dining room matches the elaborately plated dishes.
Imperial Treasure, 151 California Ave. Unit E, Palo Alto; 650-656-9597. Open Monday-Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 5-9:30 p.m. for dinner. yelp.com.