Andrew F.'s Profile

Went there for the first time yesterday (5/31/10) and loved it.  The falafel sandwich was literally the best I've every had.  The flavor of the falafel was excellent and a little different from any other.  Also, they were the perfect temperature, which for me is warm, but not hot.  Other items we had were the cucumber and tomato salad and hummus, which both were also excellent.  In the salad the tomato, where so many other places skimp, was high quality and fresh.  Our bill came to under $14 for two.

Also, the owners are incredibly nice.

I just had a weird experience with Kurt & Dorn's.  Last year I need to get my car smogged with a "test only" shop and brought it to Kurt & Dorn's.  They were great.  They took the car on very short notice and performed the service for $67 in just a couple of hours.  

Unfortunately, for the 4th year in a row, the State of California decided that my 1999 car needed yet another "test only" smog test.  I called Kurt & Dorn's to bring my car in and they now claim that they don't do "test only" and never have.  I mentioned that they did it last year and they told me that it wasn't possible.  They suggested that maybe last year CA did ask me for a "test only" but that's definitely not true because "test only" is so much more of a pain-in-the-butt than regular smog that I remember it quite clearly.  Especially having been the the 3rd year in a row (at that time) that I was asked to do it.  The only thing more annoying than having to get a "test only" smog check for the 4th year in a row is having Kurt & Dorn's get all shady about it.  Too bad, cause their location is really convenient for me.

I prefer their thin crust but both crusts are solid.  Its decent pizza and it's really cheap.  Probably 3.5 stars for the food, but they get the nod to 4 stars because of the price and their outstanding coupons.

Debating 3 or 4 stars on this one.  I'm not a huge fan of deep dish pizza and it takes a long time so waiting is annoying.  However, I do enjoy Paxti's every so often and their Cesar salads are excellent.

Located just a half block off University Avenue in the heart of downtown Palo Alto you just can't beat the Aquarius Theatre.   Its definitely not the megaplex experience and the screens are small but what the theater lacks in technology it more than makes up for with quaint charm.  Furthermore, it plays an interesting selection of offbeat movies that are generally quite interesting.

The Stanford Barn is beautiful.  Its a great location and an really nice open-air/modern ambiance that blends very well with the historic building.  I didn't have any problems with the service, but unfortunately, I didn't like the food very much either.  I ordered the Mediterranean Penne and I found the chicken to be a little bit too oily.  It was a pesto dish so I realize that "too oily" might seem out of place but it just didn't work for me.

Velo Tech is a great little bike shop right next to whole foods in downtown Palo Alto.  The shop used to be located out of Tom's (the mechanic) apartment a couple of blocks away.  Velo Tech provides excellent customer service and Tom is definitely one of the best mechanics in the area.  Also, they carry a lot of Italian bikes that are really  hard to find.

La Bomba & La Costena top most peoples list for the best Mexican food in Silicon Valley... but thats because they've never eaten at Three Brothers, which is a hidden gem tucked away in East Palo Alto.  The chicken is marinated in an authentic sauce and whether you go for tacos, burritos or nachos it will easily be the most tender and juicy pollo you've ever had.  I'm usually more of a burrito kind of guy but at Three Brothers I definitely recommend checking out their nachos which are gigantic.  

EPA has a bad reputation but these days its much safer than most people realize and Three Brothers is right on University Ave. so there's really no danger in eating there.  Location is the only reason why this place isn't famous.

The Osteria is my favorite restaurant in the Bay Area.  The food is fantastic and very reasonably priced.  Pasta is where these guys really shine but everything on the menu is very good.  Furthermore, I don't think any of the entrees are more than $14.50 and that includes a number of great dishes with chicken or veal.  Oh and one secret insider tip... order their coffee it is the outstanding.  If The Osteria was a coffee shop, I'd never step foot in University Cafe of Coupa Cafe, which are both great in their own right.  

There is something to the complaints about the service at the Osteria.  There can be long waits on Friday and Saturday nights but my simple solution is to eat there on Wednesday or Thursday.  The remarks about the severs are only really true of 1-2 people and while these guys are gruff they aren't rude.  Most of the folks who work their are very friendly and quite good at providing attentive but not intrusive service.

This is definitely the best pizza I've had on the Peninsula.  Well, I did love Redboy Pizza but they closed up shop at Town & Country Shopping Center in Palo Alto several years ago.  The entire Ramona's pizza from the cheese to the sauce to toppings is excellent, but its really the crust that is truly amazing.  Ramona's is a substantial crust that has a slightly sweet taste and perfectly chewy without being too "bready."  I highly reccomend the Ramona's Special, which is similar to a combo pizza but isn't overloaded with meat the way that so many others are these days.  

Ramona's is mostly a delivery shop.  They do sell pizza by the slice and they do a decent lunch business but there is only seating for 5-10 people and the decor is of a place that focuses on delivery and not dine in, ie, you will be sitting next to crates of soda.