The Kitchen Table

News: The Kitchen Table announced plans to close after June 3^rd.
Remaining schedule: «TKT will be closed in observance of Shavout on Sunday, May 27^th and Monday, May 28^th. We will reopen with regular business hours on Tuesday, May 29^th through close of business on Sunday, June 3^rd.»
Last chance to compare TKT’s pastrami with the soft version made at the very fashionable Refuge pub in San Carlos.

UGH. I had such high hopes for this place.
Came here for lunch with the coworkers, and being the only other people in the restaurant besides ONE couple, I wouldn’t have expected such terrible service (TERRRRIBLE).
We were greeted by the melodic sounds of Green Day (weird atmosphere), seated, and then nobody checked on us & our menus for… I don’t know how long, but it seemed like forever. When they finally brought out our food, all the fries were cold, my coworker’s reuben was cold, the menu said «chicken soup» and my coworker got matza ball soup (which our waiter failed to mention until he brought it out with a «oh yeah…»)… hot mess.
I think what put the icing on the cake was when we paid our bill and had it split evenly. I got my receipt back with the grand total of $ 4, another coworker got $ 1.50, and yet another got $ 15. I asked the waiter what was up, and he told me, «well, I crossed out the tip because it was included, so eventually it will be even when it shows up on your statement.» I’m pretty sure your receipt should have the actual amount, and i’m signing to pay $ 4, not $ 15…

Probably the worst risotto of my life. No salt. 3 pieces of mushrooms had no flavor. Mushy. Walnuts were way too sweet. Risotto needs a lot of TLC when cooking, and this definitely didn’t have that. Poor execution. Sad.
I’ve served a lot of risotto in my past cooking life. Risotto fail!
Zucca served the worst meal of my life… now I have had the worst risotto (same owners).

What wonderful jew food!
Simple ordering (at lunch), and the Baleboste was quite the friendly and customer service-​oriented lady. I’ll certainly be back soon with a goyish appetite for more cured meat sandwiches and other dazzling mouth pleasures.

This review is only for Thanksgiving dinner.
W00t for a restaurant open on the day of with a special Thanksgiving menu! Two choices for the starter, entrée, and dessert; twas very simple and classic. I had the butternut squash soup, the turkey entrée, and the pumpkin pie.
To be honest, the food was just meh. The soup was okay, but not exactly what my tastebuds were expecting, the best part of the turkey entrée was probably the stuffing and the salty green beans, as the turkey tasted like rubbery ham. And the pumpkin pie was okay, but I was so full and not really feeling it.
Also, I was a little disappointed as the hostess moved our table (too close to the door and hence the wind) but the waiter totally forgot our drinks. Also, fruit flies appeared when our entrée came out and we kept having to swat at our food.
Then why three stars? Because I’m feeling generous and thankful that my family and I can opt to eat out for a holiday. I later found out that night there was only one waiter, so my bad, sir! Also, the food was in good portions so we didn’t really overeat.

My friend was telling me about the delicious Jew food at Kitchen Table and I had to see for myself. We arrived for dinner and I was disappointed to find that they didn’t offer their knishes all day (guess I’ll have to return).
Rather than try the entrees, we decided to order several appetizers to share. Of course I was immediately drawn to the matzo ball soup. It was good, but I must warn you that you’ll have to salt it to your liking. The matzo ball was a bit denser than I typically make, but I was quite pleased with it.
The lamb meatballs were delicious, make sure to order extra bread so you can enjoy the ragu that it comes with. And you can’t go wrong with hummus and pita. But the best item of our entire meal had to be the challah bread pudding. Seriously, this thing was phenomenal.
We had great service, the server was attentive and my water glass never went empty. Though I must admit, it is a bit pricey. I’ll be back to try their lunch options (mainly for the knishes) and to get another piece of that bread pudding.

I really wish I could give this place five stars because it has so much potential, but I was really disappointed with my meal.
I was so excited to give this place a try because the décor is amazing and all the pictures made the food look delicious. But when my eggs Florentine came out, I already knew just by looking at my eggs that they were overcooked. I cut into the yolk and, yep, I was right. They weren’t runny in the least bit. So then why was my English muffin so soggy?!
I’ve come to the conclusion that the only explanation is that their eggs Benedict/​Florentine are sitting under a heat lamp. My sister’s Benedict was also overcooked, and her muffin was soggy as well. As we were finishing our meals, I couldn’t help but overhear the waiter speaking to the next table and notifying them that the kitchen «is out of pastrami and only had a couple of Benedicts left». What does that mean??? I guess I was right about the heat lamp.
Their host and waiters were really nice and the prices are pretty cheap (Benedicts = $ 9/​Florentine = $ 8), so I might come back to try something else. Maybe.

Was a bit worried from some of the reviews but I enjoyed my brunch here.
Food: 4, Service: 4, Atmosphere: 3.5
Cost to worth it rating: 3
Return worthiness: ok
Highlights:
— Pastrami eggs benedict: thinly sliced pastrami on top of beautiful poached eggs and english muffin with just enough hollandaise served with homestyle chunky potatoes. They must have changed it since other reviewers had it as I liked it a lot.
— Waiter: professional and helpful guiding us through the menu
— Atmosphere: clean, open, upscale feel to the place
Lowlights:
— Not too many patrons so felt a bit empty
I wouldn’t mind returning for those eggs, specialty pancakes, or matzo ball soup which sounded good.

My first time trying a certified Kosher restaurant. My friend who found this one from Unilocal based on its high rating, even though she has no idea what kosher means, lol…
See the photos of the three main dishes we ordered:
Pan roasted sea bass with black rice — sea bass was cooked just right and it actually looked and tasted like a piece of chicken (i.e. not fishy at all). Well it even had the texture of chicken meat. How can that be?!! The sauce was very light and simple and deglazed with white wine. The black rice is also called the «forbidden rice» as it used to be only enjoyed by the Chinese emperor and forbidden for anyone else to eat it. It contains more nutritional value than white rice as its black coating is the bran, which contains not only dietary fiber but also more vitamins and trace minerals that the body needs. The texture is harder and has a light nutty flavor.
The Syrah braised boneless short ribs with mashed potatoes and green bean — this is the Thursday night special. The short rib was fork tender and this is a very comforting dish. The friend who ordered it loved it.
Salmon Roulade with sweet corn coulis with sauteed spinach and roasted potatoes — having made a chicken roulade dish myself, I know what it takes to make a roulade (i.e. a roll) out of meat (chicken or pork). But to make a roulade out of a salmon? Wow. And it came out looked like a perfectly seared humongous sea scallop! I’d like to learn how they make this! I didn’t taste this dish, so the next time I’d like to try this dish.
All the dishes were very simple and prepared well. You know in a kosher kitchen you have to separate dairy and meat dish or meat and seafood dish. To make it simple they just do not use any dairy in any of dishes. Also this restaurant is peanut-​free in case you are allergic to peanuts.

Pros:
Decent sandwich in Mountain View.
Cons:
I’m not a sandwich guy.
Fun:
I think the guy at the table next to us was audibly snoring during lunch.

Sadness. This review has brought my perspective on The Kitchen Table to a new low. I was not completely sold on it based on my last visit, but now I’m definitely not a fan.
A friend and I stopped in for a meal, and ordered the fish cakes (described by the waiter as crab cake-​like), flatiron steak, and a salad. We were highly disappointed by everything.
The fish cakes were a mealy texture and had a stringy quality to them, and the flavor was more fishy than fresh. I tried my best to scarf it down, but my friend left more than half of her portion on the plate.
The salad was probably the most decent part of the meal, but you’d hope that they couldn’t mess it up. It had asian pears and candied pecans, which made it tastier.
But the biggest letdown by far, was the flatiron steak that was served with roasted turnips. We had asked for the steak to be cooked medium, and it came out rare … a very rare red! So when we asked for it to be sent back and refired, it came back charred on the outside and still medium rare on the inside. The charred burnt flavor was NOT doing anything for the already sad steak … and I could barely stand to eat it, but didn’t want to complain again.
The service made up for some of the poor food, because our waiter was good about comping us a dessert for the botched meal, but I had to ask him to comp it. The flourless chocolate cake was good, but not good enough to save the rest of the meal.
Sorry TKT, I’m not returning until your kitchen hones it’s skills a bit more. Then I’ll dine at your table again.

The corned beef sandwich was horrible. dried out, no flavor.
The corned beef sandwich at Dittmer’s is better (But not by much):

This is a unique restaurant in the south bay that actually serves kosher food. It lost a star for the high price, but I can understand why it’d be so expensive according to another review here.
I ordered the chicken & matzo ball soup, which I thought was very good. But the portion was really small, which I didn’t like. Is it traditional only to get one matzo ball? That one ball was delicious but too precious! I wish there were 3 in there! The soup actually tasted like beef broth, in which case I didn’t think it was then kosher (chicken & beef).
I also ordered the salad with radish, which I really liked. Again, the portion was really small for the price. I was really hungry at the end, but I resisted the temptation to look at the dessert menu so that I can grab a froyo from a nearby place.
My husband ordered the corned beef. I typically taste my husband’s food, but I got scared of the excessive fat hanging off the beef. Is this also typical of kosher meat? I thought this corned beef looked more marbled than any other corned beef I’ve ever encountered. I was going to order this! I’m glad I didn’t, because I never would’ve been able to chew through the grit.
Anyhow, I would return to the restaurant for its unique menu and beautiful indoor décor. We sat outside on a warm Sunday for lunch. I loved how the staff offered COMPLIMENTARY ORGANIC BABY FOOD to our 4.75 month old son. I was taken aback by the hostess’s consideration, but we declined since he doesn’t eat solids yet. We’ll come back and try the organic baby food. That’s very thoughtful of families. I really appreciate that.
As for the reviewer who complained about kids on mother’s day… I think I had that sentiment awhile back (but never expressed it) before I had a child of my own. I’m so much more empathetic of stressed out moms who savor each moment of their outing with their kids. Being cooped up in the house because they can’t go to restaurants and other public places would foster some major female serial killers. In other words, understand their point of view as I’ll be «looking forward» to «controlling my kid» at public places.

Back here for the third time with friends for the kosher food. It wasn’t super crowded when we got there last night (Sunday) at about 6, but a little later, the restaurant almost filled up. Since there are many restaurants along Castro Street, many that weren’t full, this is a testament to how good the restaurant is.
Last time, I believe I had the mushroom burger, but it wasn’t hearty enough for me. I decided on the rib-​eye steak that comes with yam bread pudding with marrow butter and broccolini.
Steak was very good. Cooked perfectly at medium rare. Yam bread pudding was sweet, a little spicy, and a little salty, though it can get quite filling. Broccolini was also a little spicy and it was savory as well. Overall a very good dish. Though it got pretty filling about ²⁄₃ way through with the butter and the yams.
We also got the lamb sausage that comes in a sweet sauce and dijon mustard. Comes as two small sausages about 2 inches each. Had the yam fries that come with a savory sauce. I really like the sauce. It also tasted good with bread. Yams were a little soggy this time though. Also got the chocolate and espresso custard. Both pretty sweet. I liked the espresso more. The chocolate was Mexican chocolate so it was a little spicy but really sweet. Too sweet for my taste, but a couple of my friends liked it. Dessert for us also included Banana Bread Pudding. It was basically like eating banana bread with nuts. It was very good, but a little much for a dessert after a heavy meal.
We will continue coming back for the kosher-​ness. And their menu changes monthly so that’s a plus for us!

I give props to Kitchen Table for being one of the few kosher restaurants in this area. To be in compliance with all the kosher rules, takes a lot of courage especially in the recession like times we’ve had lately.
I came here after reading a review raving about their pastrami. So I trekked over to Kitchen Table and ordered myself one. Yes it was $ 12 and I could have gotten two burritos for that price… but hey, it’s pastrami! Feeling a bit parched, I went to get horchata from Taq La Bamba. I came back and my sandwich was ready so I was about to pay… when they told me I had to leave the horchata outside… I was like, «Huh?» They told me no non-​kosher foods are allowed in the restaurant… Literally I had to count, one one-​thousand, two one-​thousand, before the thought finally registered…
Later after I asked a few questions, it seems that no external food, drinks, or wine is included in the restaurant including food and drinks for the young kids. It truly is a 100% kosher environment… Pretty hardcore! Still it’s a $ 12 pastrami sandwich and yes it was tasty… but who knows how much a full sized dinner will cost? I imagine kosher food ain’t cheap based on their preparation standards.
In the end, this place is definitely worth trying and experiencing once but make sure to leave the kids at home.

Finally. I got them on a Saturday night, opens at 8:30pm and last seating at 11pm.
Service is smart and fresh, the menu serves up some flavorful options:
–Lamb sausage, more like ground sausage shaped like the naughty version.
–Lamb mole, perfect bites of sheep-​y goodness.
–Yam fries, I love yams, so can’t go wrong with these, the aioli rocked.
–Ahi Ceviche, surprisingly good.
–Caesar, the only miss for the night, overly drenched in dressing. Stale croutons.
–Mediterranean Salad, LOVED, perfect balance of flavors.
–Moroccan fish, HUGE, super potent spices, in a yummy way.
–Chicken sando w/​lamb bacon. Excellent, could do w/​o the thick bread.
–Organic coffee, seemed watered down.
–Crème caramel, made in house, the butternut squash reminded me of the season. Mmm.
What a fantastic find on the Castro. Entrée portions are HUGE. Our bill came out to about $ 100, tummies were happy and we had PLENTY to bring home. Oh, we were seated next to the kitchen and we didn’t smell like what we ate! Thumbs up for good ventilation.

The burger ($ 12) was very juicy. It came with a tasty salad.
Good ambiance — high ceilings and intricate wall decorations.

I really wanted to love this place, but… What a disappointment!!!
We decided to make a reservation, (since my husband and I are total opentable whores.)
We were asked if we wanted to be seated inside or out, and when my husband said he’d prefer inside because he hadn’t put on sunscreen, the server thought it was hilarious! Really? Who knew avoiding skin cancer was such a joke?
The server tried to be friendly and helpful, but was actually kind of annoying. I also realized later, (after reading some other reviews) that she never bothered to tell us what the knish if the day was. Good thing I didn’t want to order that…
I settled on the olive oil poached tuna, and the side of potato salad. I would have liked to have gotten the yam fries, BUT instead of paying a little extra to substitute them, you have to pay the whole $ 4. That’s the same price they are on the appetizer menu. Even our waitress said this was stupid, and she has tried to convince the owner to change that policy, but no dice.
I swapped the bread my sandwich was supposed to come on for the whole wheat roll. Sadly, the highlight of the meal was the roll.
The tuna was a little overcooked, and the potato salad was completely flavorless. I had planned to share my guy’s fries, but they were inedible. Seriously, gross! They were drenched in oil, making them greasy and soggy.
We told the waitress we would like them crispy, and she brought a new portion out. Unfortunately, they weren’t any better than the first batch. Even I knew what the problem was, the oil wasn’t hot enough! When you put something into cold oil, it absorbs it. Therefore, making the item greasy.
Our waitress did offer us free sorbet, but we had to pass. She did take our drinks off our tab, which was appreciated.
Sadly, this place was a waste of time, money, and calories.

We decided to try this place since it’s new to us (Next to ZPizza, across from Neto Bakery) and a close meeting spot for after work. We decided to sit outside off to the right of the sidewalk. It’s noisy and lots of flying bugs so not really recommended.
All meat prepared by the restaurant is Glatt Kosher
Certified Kosher by the VAAD Hakashrus of Northern Calif.
I wanted to try the house cured pastrami or rare roast beef sandwich but those are Only served at Lunch! Sucks for us since they are Closed on Sat, they don’t have it for Sun brunch either.
Their dinner menu has small bites $ 4 – 7; Soup & Salad $ 5 – 7, Entrees $ 10 – 28.
FREE tasty homemade (I think) bread w/​garlic olive oil & a small bowl of olive tapenade.
We got 5 things:
curry brined eggplant w/​tahini sauce $ 4 — i was expecting a babaganoush type thing, but it’s just small slices of eggplant w/​a tangy bite. Just ok.
lamb BLT $ 7 — I thought it was pretty good. Nice bread, crispy lamb fat, lettuce & tomato. Served on wooden sticks.
Italian lamb sausage w/​sweet mustard $ 5 — 2 lamb kebabs on sticks. From the 1 stick I tried I thought it was good.
chicken & matzo ball soup $ 5 — It’s a small bowl. Bowl is tilted. 1 fat matzo ball — nice & tender, lots of small chunks of chicken, a few chunks of carrots & celery. Fine.
House caesar salad $ 8 + grilled chicken $ 4 = $ 12. I thought it was just average, nothing special.
They have Dr. Brown’s soda in a 12oz glass bottle $ 4. We got 1 original root beer, I’ll have to remember to try their famous Cel Ray soda:
Desserts: All $ 7 — didn’t try any.
They take credit cards.
Separate bathrooms way in the back of the restaurant.
Hrs:
M-​Th 11a-​10p
Fri 11:30−2, closed sundown — Sat
Sun brunch 10 – 3; 5 – 9

Finally something that’s new and unique on Castro. Kosher and Jewish rooted items with some modern flair. Had been waiting for this place to open for months now and they’ve finally started serving to the public. What is it with the area that there’s just Jewish style food is so rare?
Took the co-​workers today and sat in the patio area since it’s a cool 70 degeres and sunny. The items tried:
— Fried Cod sandwich with fries
— Corned beef sandwich with coleslaw
— Half roasted chicken
— Chicken matzo ball soup
everything was very tasty and the food came out really promptly. The server was super friendly and so was the manager that came out to greet us. Definitely going back for dinner time and to try many of the items that I had a hard time deciding on. A welcome addition to the MV downtown stretch of restaurants. 4.5 stars.