December 2014/January 2015 57 LURE + TILL PALO ALTO A shabby former residential hotel for the aged and disabled was utterly transformed in early 2014 into chic lodging for well-heeled business travelers. The ground floor quickly became the most see-and-be-seen bar and restaurant downtown—hip, bustling Lure + Till. Even though it’s open to the street, the noise level here can be deafening, but few bar patrons care after sipping on the creative cocktails from Carlos Yturria, a longtime San Francisco star lured south to expose Silicon Valleyites to his progressive, unexpected concoctions. Drinkers are raving about his smooth, exciting Rum Old Fashioned, which blends a spectacular Guatemalan rum with a dash of a tropical-flavored liqueur garnished with citrus peel. Or his Steinberg Sting that combines gin, vermouth, Bénédictine and orange bitters. A refreshing choice is his Bright Idea, which mixes smoky mezcal with citrus, agave nectar, prickly pear puree and a splash of absinthe. The chef was also imported from the city, and the restaurant’s full, complex menu is every bit as innovative and exciting as Yturria’s drinks, from the ever-changing crudos and irresistible pastas to a long list of must-order starters and entrees. 180 HAMILTON AVE., PALO ALTO; 650/666-3320; LUREANDTILL.COM OAK & RYE LOS GATOS BRIGHT IDEA Reinvented Oak & Rye is a family affair, replacing the white-tablecloth Restaurant James Randall with a bustling, noisy pizza and small-plates spot where rye whiskey is a focus of the expanded bar. Former chef Ross Hanson still presides in the kitchen but is now joined by his sister and their respective spouses. The popular bar is run by Ali Sell, who whips up big-city concoctions like Catcher & the Rye, which blends rye, Grand Marnier, Fernet Branca, mint and bitters, and the Pink Panther, which combines apple brandy, herbflavored Japanese plum wine, homemade ginger liqueur, lemon and simple syrup. Some pre-blended cocktails are exotically tasty, and this is one of the few places around with a list of high-end boilermakers—serious beers and special whiskeys. The small bar is in the lower, louder section while the upper level holds the restaurant’s centerpiece: the wood-burning pizza oven. The thin-crust pies get high marks along with starters, salads and a few entrees that help soak up the booze. Dialing down the formality has turned this restaurant into a Los Gatos hot spot, with the waiting area now standing room only. So snag a cocktail and hope the weather is warm on the patio, where people watching rules. 303 N. SANTA CRUZ AVE., LOS GATOS; 408/395-444; OAKANDRYEPIZZA.COM CATCHER & THE RYE
South Bay Accent - Dec 2014/Jan 2015
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