After the successful Taste of Los Gatos culinary festival last month, which attracted more than 4,000 attendees from throughout the Bay Area and beyond, the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce—ushered along by its vibrant CEO Jennifer Lin—moved on to hosting a weeklong celebration of local dining destinations.
From Oct. 12-18, Los Gatos offered its historic downtown center up as the setting for the first incarnation of Indulge, Los Gatos Restaurant Week.
Over 15 restaurants participated, ranging from fine dining restaurants and chic wine bars, to brunch spots, cafés and dessert favorites. There was something for everyone’s palate (and wallet). Highlights included three-course prix fixe dinners at Los Gatos Parkside, Tasting House and Gardenia, a unique lunch at Oren’s Hummus, an exclusive dish at Coup de Thai and complimentary beignets for those who enjoyed an entrée at The Bywater.
“There’s something about breaking bread and sharing food that creates connection,” said Lin. Primarily showcasing flavors, the idea of Indulge was to invite locals and visitors to explore the variety of culinary skills in Los Gatos through special menus, offers and signature events at participating restaurants. “We do have a history of wonderful restaurants, in a walkable, safe and charming setting,” said Lin of her hope to bring even more visitors to the quaint Silicon Valley haven.
(Lucille Tepperman / Los Gatan)
Highlights
I attended one such special event on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 15. In collaboration with CineLux Theatres, which operates the historic Los Gatos Theatre, Chez Philippe’s French bistro-style restaurant presented Dinner & A Movie: A French Cuisine & Cinema Experience. “They are very much loved here,” said Lin, noting the business provides “an intimate authentic experience.”
There was a bustling energy as mostly silver-highlighted diners patiently lined up out the door, ready for a little Parisian magic. The dinner was set to start promptly at 5:30pm, leaving the adept and well-mannered staff scurrying to seat and serve the packed bistro. Time was of the essence, with the clientele arriving all at the same time to enjoy their meal before heading across the street to the 7:30pm movie showing.
An open kitchen lines one side of the restaurant. It’s visible from the street, with its outdoor seating. Old leather armchairs and family photographs hang on the tapestries of the bistro’s main room, providing a vintage feel—sort of like when you visit an older aunt or relative back east. “We wanted to make you feel like you were in our home in Paris, not in a stuffy French restaurant,” said Deena Elkassed, who co-owns Chez Philippe along with her husband, Chef Philippe Leroy.
The chef is a native of France who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. He opened this bistro in June 2022 after spending 30 years in Palo Alto, where he operated restaurants including Pastis and La Bohème.
What is a bistro? Well, it’s a French casual-style restaurant, with limited seating—usually an unpretentious neighborhood joint—that offers simple, rustic, home-style comfort food, like the classic steak frites or soupe à l’oignon. These are two staples of French cuisine, always on Chez Philippe’s menu.
At $87.50 per person, the event included a French dinner followed by a ticket to the screening of “Midnight in Paris” at the Los Gatos Theatre, accompanied by a complimentary before-movie refreshment and macaron. The French don’t do things halfway.
The prix fixe dinner presented the choice of one entrée and a dessert in a prix fixe “formule,” or menu, offering three classics: coq au vin (a grandmother-style chicken-in-wine), poached salmon with rice and lemon zest, or a ratatouille crêpe (the vegetarian option). It was a real Parisian bistro experience. My mother, Marie-Helene, 79, who happened to be visiting from France, joined me for the event. “I don’t think I’ve ever had coq au vin in a restaurant,” she said, eager to revisit this very traditional French chicken stew that her mom and grandmother used to make.
A generous portion of chicken stewed in a red wine gravy accompanied by creamy mashed potatoes and steamed-yet-still-crunchy green beans didn’t disappoint. The dish was rich and flavorful, although a hint more bouquet garni would have really hit the savory spot. (More thyme, please.) Maybe it was an adjustment for the American palate.
I went with the 2020 St. Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux (red wine) to accompany the stew. The heavier the wine, the better, in my opinion. This came after the waiter’s nudge toward the Sancerre, a Pinot Noir-style wine. I did not regret the pairing. The 2020 red was exactly what this dish needs and, at $49 a bottle, it was a steal, bringing the experience to the next level.
Seated nearby in the outside streetside patio with a friend of hers (both are retired teachers), Jo Ann Shannon, 82, told me they were regulars of Chez Philippe. A fan of Paris, and frequent visitor there, she comes regularly to get her fill of the Parisian ambiance and flavors.
With just enough time to finish the chocolate mousse that was clinging to its glass receptacle, we paid and headed across to the theater. Chef Philippe Leroy joined moviegoers in the continuation of the French experience, introducing the night’s screening of Woody Allen’s Paris-based film, “Midnight in Paris.”
In this continuation of our imaginative Parisian night in Silicon Valley, a protagonist from modern New York is invited on a bistro- and bar-hopping evening drenched in liquor and artistic discussion with the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Zelda Fitzgerald.
It was a night of cultural discovery that took us around the world via food and film.
