Zaytinya, a Mediterranean restaurant from the James Beard Award-winning chef José Andrés, is making its Bay Area debut Dec. 1. Photo by Katrina Frederick.
A neon sign reading “Share mezze, make memories” hangs near the bar of yet another buzzy Stanford Shopping Center restaurant opening.
Zaytinya, a Mediterranean restaurant from the James Beard Award-winning chef José Andrés, is making its Bay Area debut Dec. 1. The José Andrés Group operates 15 unique concepts across the nation, but Zaytinya, which was first established in Washington, D.C., in 2002, is the first to land in the Bay Area.
“Of course you want to be in the Bay Area, if you can,” said concept chef Michael Costa. “This is one of the world’s meccas of food. So as far as what attracted us to it, it’s plainly obvious what would make us want to be here. It’s an amazing place.”
The interior design of Zaytinya aims to give an “open, breezy, Mediterranean feel,” said concept chef Michael Costa. Photo by Katrina Frederick.
Like its other locations, Zaytinya Palo Alto will offer Turkish, Greek and Lebanese cuisine in an ambiance meant to give an “open, breezy, Mediterranean feel,” Costa said. The name pays homage to the Turkish word for olive oil, zeytin yağı, an ingredient found throughout Zaytinya’s menu of spreads, flat breads, soups, salads and mezze.
For a first-time diner, Costa recommends trying the hummus, which is topped with a harissa chili crisp, and the crispy Brussels afelia with barberries (tart, red fruits), coriander and roasted garlic yogurt.
“You get the kind of crispiness of the Brussels sprouts with the nice creaminess of the yogurt, that little bit of punch from the coriander seed, and then we put this lovely garnish and barberries on there,” he said.
Zaytinya’s crispy Brussels afelia with barberries (tart, red fruits), coriander and roasted garlic yogurt. Courtesy Zaytinya.
Palo Alto local Andy Cohen will serve as the head chef at the new restaurant. Cohen previously worked at Palo Alto businesses such as Radiate Hospitality, Graduate Hotels and Stanford University.
What makes Zaytinya stand out from other Mediterranean restaurants, Costa said, is that each dish starts with traditional ideas.
“When we work on new dishes for the menu, step one is always to execute a traditional thing the traditional way with really good ingredients,” he said. “We then take a look at that dish, evaluate it, and decide if we want to just serve the classic, which we often do.”
The bar at Zaytinya Palo Alto. Photo by Katrina Frederick.
For example, the soujouk pide, a Turkish beef sausage flatbread, is prepared traditionally, whereas the htipiti, a Greek feta cheese dip, has some twists.
Zaytinya will also have a full bar, offering Mediterranean twists on classic cocktails, such as a margarita with za’atar air, or a pickleback with Efe Black Label Raki (a Turkish spirit made from grapes distilled with anise seeds) and Kilikya Salgam (Turkish turnip juice). Zaytinya Palo Alto will have a broader selection of wine than its other locations due to its proximity to wine country, Costa said.
Zaytinya’s Mediterranean sea bass grilled whole and partially deboned, served with yellow squash skordalia, sun-dried tomato tapenade and salt-cured capers. Courtesy Zaytinya.
Expect a classic Mediterranean aesthetic to the restaurant, with servers in white shirts, khakis and white shoes. A unique design element to the Palo Alto restaurant is that the dining room extends into the heated patio, creating the feeling of one seamless room.
“It’s not meant to be a serious, ponderous restaurant,” Costa said. “It’s meant to be fun and lively.”
Zaytinya Palo Alto’s menu will at first closely resemble its other restaurants, but it’ll evolve over time depending on the preferences of the guests in the area.
“For me, it’s all about the smiles on people’s faces,” he said. “We’re in the making-people-happy business.”
Zaytinya’s octopus Santorini with grilled Mediterranean octopus, marinated onions, capers and yellow split pea purée. Courtesy Zaytinya.
Zaytinya isn’t the only recent restaurant opening at Stanford Shopping Center. Delarosa opened Monday and Kappo will host its grand opening Dec. 3. Cedar & Sage Bistro & Lounge and Bacio di Latte have also announced plans to open at Stanford Shopping Center.
Zaytinya, 180 El Camino Real, Suite EE 1400, Palo Alto; 650-203-2000, Instagram: @zaytinya. Beginning Dec. 1, open Monday and Tuesday from 4-9 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4-9 p.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4-10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4-10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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