Figo, Palo Alto

[David Arnstein]

Figo is a new Italian restaurant on University Avenue in Palo Alto:
http://www.figopaloalto.com.

I had a small lunch there today: Lasagne $16.00 Prosecco $10.00 Pistachio
panna cotta: $8.00 Double espresso: 3.00

The lasagne was smallish but delightful. There was a surprising herbal
element that I cannot identify. NOT gut-busting comfort food, but
unexpected and verrrry nice.

The prosecco was OK, and in decent quantity.

Panna cotta was OK. Actually, it was more dry/dense than I like. Other
folks might prefer this, I don't know. I could taste the pistachio, but
it was not dramatic.

I could rave on about the espresso. Perhaps the price was a mistake.
$3.00? The demitasse arrived with a thick, disgusting looking layer of
foam on top, promising intense flavors. The promise was kept! This was
one of the best cups that I have had recently: lots of flavor, not a
hint of sourness. As well, there was a mysterious, armomatic flavor that
I cannot identify. Surprising and wonderful.

I really wanted another one of those cups, but it was getting dark out,
so I asked the waiter for a decaf espresso. Without a hint of
condescendence, he told me that they don't have. I guess they are too
proud to bother with inferior flavors. I can respect that.

The room is divided into a long bar area and a long seating area. Very
nice ambience, but the tables are just a bit too close together to suit
me. I have not seen this place busy, so this is not a problem. Yet.

I did not find the waiters to be chatty. They were unfailingly competent
and helpful, so that's all right.

I will return again. And again. If this place doesn't gain a following
soon, it will be gone, and I will miss it. On the other hand, if there
is any justice in this world, it will soon be sold out whenever I am in
the neighborhood. So it goes.

The old restaurant Lavanda is gone and I do NOT miss it. In its place
is a new pizza place named Campo. It looks nice from the outside.

On one of the side streets is a new place named Roast. A sign on the
door says that it will open on January 10. Obviously, there will be meat
on the menu. It might be a nice place to take your owl.
--
David Arnstein (00)
arnstei...@pobox.com {{ }}
^^

[sf]

On Mon, 7 Jan 2013 02:31:47 +0000 (UTC), David Arnstein
<arnstei...@pobox.com> wrote:

> Panna cotta was OK. Actually, it was more dry/dense than I like. Other
> folks might prefer this, I don't know.

I haven't met a panna cotta I didn't like yet, so this one would be
interesting.

> I could taste the pistachio, but it was not dramatic.

Sounds horrible. I don't think I've ever seen pistachio as a flavor
in panna cotta and I don't think I'd order it if they claimed it was
there.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

[Steve Pope]

sf <sf.u...@gmail.com> wrote:

>I don't think I've ever seen pistachio as a flavor
>in panna cotta and I don't think I'd order it if they claimed it was
>there.

Googling gives a ton of hits on this. It does not sound
like such a bad idea, other than the textures might clash.

Steve

[sf]

I'm talking about what I've seen with my own eyes on a menu.
Googling doesn't count and is just an updated way to play Gotcha.

[Steve Pope]

sf <sf.u...@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Mon, 7 Jan 2013 07:05:05 +0000 (UTC), spo...@speedymail.org (Steve

>> sf <sf.u...@gmail.com> wrote:

>> >I don't think I've ever seen pistachio as a flavor
>> >in panna cotta and I don't think I'd order it if they claimed it was
>> >there.

>> Googling gives a ton of hits on this. It does not sound
>> like such a bad idea, other than the textures might clash.

>I'm talking about what I've seen with my own eyes on a menu.
>Googling doesn't count

I wasn't googling to counter your statement that you've never
seen it as a menu. I was googling to find out if it was
a popular combination.


Steve

[Al Eisner]

On Mon, 7 Jan 2013, David Arnstein wrote:

> Figo is a new Italian restaurant on University Avenue in Palo Alto:
> http://www.figopaloalto.com.
>
> I had a small lunch there today: Lasagne $16.00 Prosecco $10.00 Pistachio
> panna cotta: $8.00 Double espresso: 3.00

[snipped]

> I really wanted another one of those cups, but it was getting dark out,

This seems like extraordinarily slow service. Or did you mis"speak"?

[...]

> I will return again. And again. If this place doesn't gain a following
> soon, it will be gone, and I will miss it. On the other hand, if there
> is any justice in this world, it will soon be sold out whenever I am in
> the neighborhood. So it goes.

The menu online looks interesting, if a bit pricey -- I'll likely give it
a try.

> The old restaurant Lavanda is gone and I do NOT miss it. In its place
> is a new pizza place named Campo. It looks nice from the outside.

I had a number of very enjoyable meals at Lavanda (although it's been
a couple of years since I was last there). We don't really need another
pizza place, unless it's something special. (For example, the pizza
at Figo could well be special -- as it is at Donato in Redwood City.)
The Lavanda location is very close to Patxi's (which I don't care for)
and Rizza My Heart (the opposite).

> On one of the side streets is a new place named Roast. A sign on the
> door says that it will open on January 10. Obviously, there will be meat
> on the menu. It might be a nice place to take your owl.

Are you sure it won't specialize in roasted vegetables? :)

Thanks for the post.
--

Al Eisner
San Mateo Co., CA

[Todd Michel McComb]

In article <alpine.LRH.2.00.1...@iris03.slac.stanford.edu>,
Al Eisner <eis...@slac.stanford.edu> wrote:
>I had a number of very enjoyable meals at Lavanda ....

I did too, early on, but as with many of these places, it seemed
like it "regressed to the mean" and stopped offering what had been
its most interesting items. Then it simply seemed expensive.

[Roast]

>Are you sure it won't specialize in roasted vegetables? :)

Given the rest of the post, I was thinking coffee.

[Al Eisner]

On Mon, 7 Jan 2013, David Arnstein wrote:

I got around to trying Figo for dinner this past week. Here is what I
ordered [extrcted from figopaloalto.com]:

Brussels Sprouts $9
Brussels sprouts sautéed w/ crispy pancetta, mushrooms, ricotta
salata, caramelized onions & white balsamic vinegar

Gnocchetti al Sugo dâ Anatra $19
House made potato gnocchi, red wine duck ragu & shaved Montasio cheese

I should have known better than to order the brussels sprouts. As at too
many restaurants, Figo's are undercooked. I don't want them soft, but
it should be possible to easily stick a fork in each piece. The flavors
and mix of ingredients were very nice, except that I could have done
without even the rather mild vinegar taste.

The gnocchi was very good indeed, and made a satisfying meal. The duck
ragu was nice, although the pieces of duck were mostly very small, and
didn't convey a specifically duck-like flavor.

I had no room for dessert, but based on David's post I ordered a
cappucino, which was excellent.

Service was friendly, but in some ways over-eager. The appetizer had been
delivered before the waiter had returned to take my wine order, so I
decided to forego the wine. And the entree arrived just before I had
finsihed the appetizer. (This speed makes me wonder even more how
David had managed to stretch lunch until it was getting dark, something
I remared upon in an earlier reply.)

The menu is interesting enough that I'll be returning, although I haven't
really decided yet how I rate Figo among other places in the area.
Thanks again, David, for the recommendation.

[Peter Lawrence]

On 2/23/13 4:41 PM, Al Eisner wrote:
> On Mon, 7 Jan 2013, David Arnstein wrote:
>>
>> Figo is a new Italian restaurant on University Avenue in Palo Alto:
>> http://www.figopaloalto.com.
>>
>> I had a small lunch there today: Lasagne $16.00 Prosecco $10.00 Pistachio
>> panna cotta: $8.00 Double espresso: 3.00
>

> The menu is interesting enough that I'll be returning, although I haven't
> really decided yet how I rate Figo among other places in the area.
> Thanks again, David, for the recommendation.

Is their Neapolitan wood-fired pizza so uninteresting that neither of you
decided to order one?


- Peter

[Al Eisner]

There's only one way to find out. You tell us.

[sf]

First, you have to like Neapolitan pizza...

[Peter Lawrence]

On 2/25/13 10:50 AM, sf wrote:
>>>
>>> Is their Neapolitan wood-fired pizza so uninteresting that neither of you
>>> decided to order one?
>>
>> There's only one way to find out. You tell us.
>
> First, you have to like Neapolitan pizza...

Not really.

Because I did stop by over the weekend and ordered one of their pizzas to
go. I ordered the Salsiccia & Rapini pizza. And while they describe their
pizzas as "Neapolitan wood-fired pizza," its crust was anything but.

Yes, the crust had the prerequisite thinness, but not the crackly crispness
I expect from a wood-fired Neapolitan pizza. It was more like a thin-crust
American artisan-style pizza with a soft and chewy crust.

As an "artisan" pizza I thought the Salsiccia & Rapini pizza that I ordered
was quite good and tasty. Better than the ones I've had a Howie's in Town &
Country Village.

But if one was expecting a faithful rendition of a Neapolitan wood-fired
pizza, I think one would probably be very disappointed.


- Peter

[Peter Lawrence]

p.s. While I waited for my pizza, I ordered a double cappuccino. It was
excellent, indeed.

[sf]

On Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:26:34 -0800, Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com>
wrote:

Was it at least wood fired?

[sf]

On Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:38:59 -0800, Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com>
wrote:

>
>

> p.s. While I waited for my pizza, I ordered a double cappuccino. It was
> excellent, indeed.

Good to hear they do something right.

[Peter Lawrence]

I would presume so since they have a wood-fired oven on the premise.


- Peter

[Steve Pope]

sf <sf.u...@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:38:59 -0800, Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com>

>> p.s. While I waited for my pizza, I ordered a double cappuccino. It was
>> excellent, indeed.

>Good to hear they do something right.

Questionable, as the time it takes to prepare (and much less consume)
a double cappuccino far exceeds the amount of time it takes
to bake a (real) pizza.


Steve

[Al Eisner]

See, that was easy! Thanks for the review. I happen to like Howie's style,
so I'll likely try Figo's pizza some time.

Donatao Enoteca in Redwood City uses a Neapolitan recipe, or so the chef
told me (even though he himself is not Neapolitan).

[James Silverton]

I guess Figo is an Italian personal name. I know even less Italian than
Spanish which employs the apparent Spanish dislike of the letter "F" and
where figs are "higos" (I think.)

--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not" in Reply To.

[Steve Pope]

Al Eisner <eis...@slac.stanford.edu> wrote:

>Donatao Enoteca in Redwood City uses a Neapolitan recipe, or so the chef
>told me (even though he himself is not Neapolitan).

For those ISO Naples-style pizza, a new place that is really
good is Forge, in Oakland Jack London Square. They are not
VPN, because they use local/organic ingredients (thus precluding
the use of San Marzano tomatoes), but the pizza is great and
very similar to a good Naples pizza, and in some ways better
due to the ingredient quality.

Steve

[Peter Lawrence]

On 2/25/13 1:52 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> sf <sf.u...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:38:59 -0800, Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com>
>>>
>>> p.s. While I waited for my pizza, I ordered a double cappuccino. It was
>>> excellent, indeed.
>
>> Good to hear they do something right.
>
> Questionable, as the time it takes to prepare (and much less consume)
> a double cappuccino far exceeds the amount of time it takes
> to bake a (real) pizza.

Assuming they started creating and baking my pizza right away.

Don't be a cynic.


- Peter

[Todd Michel McComb]

In article <kggqug$6ac$2...@dont-email.me>,

Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com> wrote:
>Don't be a cynic.

I think we need a precise term for bashing a restaurant, when one
has never eaten there, and even in opposition to the positive reports
of those who have.

[Ciccio]

On Feb 25, 2:03 pm, James Silverton <not.jim.silver...@verizon.net>
wrote:

> I guess Figo is an Italian personal name.

I've never heard it used that way. I have heard "figo," however, used
to mean a guy who is "cool," "hip," "with it," "hella kewl," etc.
Likewise fico.

> Spanish which employs the apparent Spanish dislike of the letter "F"

Yep, like Francisco, fiesta, frijole/frijoles, etc.

> where figs are "higos" (I think.)

In Italian, fig is fico. With fico or figo, be sure that you don't
slur the O into an A, or else the best you can hope for is getting
your face slapped. That said, figo is more popular in Southern Italy
whereas fico is more popular in Northern Italy.

Ciccio

[James Silverton]

Like hidalgo, hijo, hija, hierro and so on.

[evergene]

Who would do such a thing?

[Todd Michel McComb]

In article <fb6oi8lh15mvdf9s2...@4ax.com>,
evergene <ge...@geeaitcheekaygee.com> wrote:

>Todd Michel McComb wrote:
>>I think we need a precise term for bashing a restaurant, when one
>>has never eaten there, and even in opposition to the positive
>>reports of those who have.
>Who would do such a thing?

Quite a number of people, it would appear.

My canonical example, at least in my own twisted memory, continues
to be Oaxacan Kitchen: I tried, and obviously failed, to convey
my appreciation for the fresh tortillas they made there. These
statements were met with multiple opposing views, from people who
had never eaten there, stating that they were no different from
most anywhere else. I come back to this memory and think about it
from time to time.

[Steve Pope]

Ciccio <franc...@comcast.net> wrote:

>I've never heard it used that way. I have heard "figo," however, used
>to mean a guy who is "cool," "hip," "with it," "hella kewl," etc.

Yes; I tend to think a further connotation is in the direction of
childishly hip, or not mature. Still it is not a negative remark.


Steve

[spamtrap1888]

The c vs g thing reminds me of capicolla = gabagol (or so my ears
heard it, 30 years ago)

[Ciccio]

Heh, close enough. Gabagool is probably a result of Americanizing
Italian words from dialect. On the west coast, gabagool, etc., is
rarely used beyond second generation Italians, and very rarely by non-
Italians. Other such Italian-American usages common from changing “c”
to “g” is “regot” for ricotta. Also, “gotz” for “cazzo”(dick/prick).
Such usages have been made popular by the media.

Same with the slang for zucchini, which is pronounced variously
“googoots,”/ “cucoots”/“cucuzza,” etc. My theory is that way back
when, it came from the French for zucchini, which is “courgette,” but
I’m TLTG. “Googots,” etc., however, has various meanings...”He’s full
of googoots” can mean, he’s crazy, he’s full of it, etc. or it can be
an affectionate or friendly term like “Hey googoots, how are you
doing?”

Ciccio

[Steve Pope]

Todd Michel McComb <mcc...@medieval.org> wrote:

>Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com> wrote:

>>Don't be a cynic.
>
>I think we need a precise term for bashing a restaurant, when one
>has never eaten there, and even in opposition to the positive reports
>of those who have.

So basically you are against people forming their own opinions
based on someone else's reporting.

All Yelp reviews, etc. shall be taken literally.

Who are you, the thought police? :--)



Steve

[Todd Michel McComb]

In article <kgjh0f$qnm$1...@blue-new.rahul.net>,

Steve Pope <spo...@speedymail.org> wrote:
>So basically you are against people forming their own opinions
>based on someone else's reporting.

Mainly, I was advocating for forming opinions based on actual
experience.

[evergene]

Todd Michel McComb wrote:

>In article <kgjh0f$qnm$1...@blue-new.rahul.net>,
>Steve Pope <spo...@speedymail.org> wrote:
>>So basically you are against people forming their own opinions
>>based on someone else's reporting.

That does seem to be the most common way most blogs and websites
operate -- passing along information that they haven't verified.

Although I suppose it would help if you (generic you) preface your
opinion with the disclaimer "My opinion is based on second-hand, not
first-hand, experience. I haven't been to this place, I've only read
about it."

>Mainly, I was advocating for forming opinions based on actual
>experience.

The digital age has passed you (second person pronoun, not generic
you) by.

[Todd Michel McComb]

In article <shnqi8de6u1b077bi...@4ax.com>,

evergene <ge...@geeaitcheekaygee.com> wrote:
>The digital age has passed you (second person pronoun, not generic
>you) by.

Funny, isn't it? I was listening to a corporate presentation (I
wasn't the audience, really, but I was there) where the speaker
asked people to think about how "at home" they were in the digital
world, which she broke into digital native, naturalized citizen,
and alien. It was amusing to me, because I have to qualify as a
digital native by any account, yet I loathe the very things she was
pimping. A friend who was also in the back of the room with me,
and who gives tours at the Computer History Museum in his (retired)
spare time, piped up with "What about a digital dinosaur?"

Talk about a need to mitigate the effects of human activity....

[Al Eisner]

Back on Mon, 7 Jan 2013, David Arnstein wrote:

> Figo is a new Italian restaurant on University Avenue in Palo Alto:
> http://www.figopaloalto.com.

...
> I will return again. And again. If this place doesn't gain a following
> soon, it will be gone, and I will miss it. On the other hand, if there
> is any justice in this world, it will soon be sold out whenever I am in
> the neighborhood. So it goes.

Well, I tried it a month after David's post, and liked it enough to
want to return. Looking for a Palo Alto restaurant for the near
future, today I finally looked into doing that. But, as David
predicted, it closed, back in May 2014, so it lasted only a little
over a year. Sad.

> The old restaurant Lavanda is gone and I do NOT miss it. In its place
> is a new pizza place named Campo. It looks nice from the outside.

I never had any inclination to try Campo, but it too closed earlier
this year. It was replaced by a branch of Half Moon Bay's
Sam's Chowder House. I haven't been there yet either (I looked
at the menu for a possible lunch, but it is pretty expensive
for lunch.)

Next?

[Mike D.]

I suggest yelperating, based on the number of one-star reviews left
on yelp, by non-diners put off by the treatment they supposedly received,
from whoever answered the phone when they called.

Or perhaps negstarring. ("If I could leave negative stars, I would.)

[sf]

E-gad.


--
Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them.

[Peter Lawrence]

On 11/5/14, 4:48 PM, Al Eisner wrote:
>
>
> I never had any inclination to try Campo, but it too closed earlier
> this year. It was replaced by a branch of Half Moon Bay's
> Sam's Chowder House.

It's the same owners.

Campo was their stab at pizza/Italian but then they realized the Palo Alto
already had a lot of those restaurants so they changed the restaurant to be
a new branch of their already successful Sam's Chowder House.

Been there. The food is good, but expensive. Too expensive to be a regular
stop for me.


- Peter

[Al Eisner]

Thanks. I had earlier concluded that I didn't need another pizza
place in that area. I hadn't been to Sam's on the coast for many
years, but based on distant memory and current prices, I would
agree with you.

[sf]

On Thu, 06 Nov 2014 00:58:17 -0800, Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com>
wrote:

I love Sam's Chowder House, but agree that it's not a cheap date. I
go with a GF for lunch every now and then.