April/May 2019 85
but the fluffy, buttery, house-made (as is
everything) Parker House rolls with ribbons
of extruded butter are well worth the $5.
Appetizer portions are a little more sizeable
but still petite in quantity, like the pillowy,
addictive ricotta dumplings with seasonally
rotated accompaniments, or the remarkable
octopus with picholine olives, creamy
romesco sauce and other touches. The largest
of a few entree choices is gorgeous “brick
chicken,” which is actually a deboned game
hen cooked under a hot brick that produces
juicy meat and crackling skin. As in all fine
restaurants, the choices here change frequently
and one unfortunate update is to
the short ribs, which are now a few hunks
of super-tender but fatty meat, which isn’t as
compelling as the earlier rendition, in which
perfect pastry encased the meat, Bordelaise
sauce, sweet turnips and white asparagus.
A few expertly prepared desserts can be
ordered from a towering cart, including
vanilla custard-filled canelés that put the
best of Paris to shame, various pies, seriously
thick and soft cookies and a chocolate tart
with all the bittersweet richness one could
dream of. Servers suggest topping these
treats with house-made ice cream, which
goes for $8 per scoop.
Those fortunate souls who reserved a
month or so in advance will swoon over
their impeccable meal in the comfy, intimate
dining room. In addition to the four everchanging
courses, a couple of small extra
bites are whisked to the table and diners have
a few choices on the prix fixe menu, which
can spiral upward in price if one picks, for
example, white truffle lasagna ($65 supplement)
or Wagyu ribeye ($75 supplement).
Some regional food critics have pointed
to Protégé’s arrival in the area as a testament
to the increasingly sophisticated tastes of
South Bay residents who understand, indeed,
that first-class food, wine and service
will always cost much more than the check
at a chain pizzeria and are happy to pony
up the dollars involved. Food may be food
but a dining experience can be priceless.
PROTÉGÉ, 250 California Ave., Palo Alto;
650/494-4181. protegepaloalto.com
HOURS: 5–9:30, Tuesday–Thursday; 5–10, Friday–
Saturday. Closed Sunday–Monday. Reservations
only available online in advance.
PRICES: Fixed-price dinner: $120. Lounge à
la carte: Snacks, $4–25; appetizers, $15–19;
entrees, $27–44. n
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