Thea Mediterranean Cuisine

Santana Row
3090 Olsen Dr, San Jose

It is never unusual to see throngs of shoppers, diners and partygoers congesting the entrance to Thea. A popular restaurant on San Jose’s Santana Row, Thea Mediterranean Restaurant’s motto is ‘simplistic chic’.

Inside, Thea possesses an unfussy, Spartan atmosphere with its tall white walls, wrought iron sconces and beachy whitewashed wooden benches. Past a long, white semitransparent drape lies Thea’s dining room. Noisy and bright, the spacious dining area houses a maze of marble tables, all pushed very close together, surrounding the room’s centerpiece faux olive tree. The wait staff—clad in white from head to toe—is nothing short of friendly, happily making suggestions and correcting pronunciations, though the service is hardly supersonic.

Thea’s strongest suit is its starters. While the Spanakopita is no doubt delicious, Thea’s most unique and interactive appetizer is the Sampler of Regional Spreads and Dips. The sampler features all four of Thea’s Mediterranean spreads, accompanied by its housemade pita. Not only does this dish present delicious classics like Hummus and Baba Ganoush, but it includes two very innovative concoctions that are sure to impress: the first is Htipiti, a tasty puree of red bell pepper, feta, harissa, garlic and olive oil, and the second—by far Thea’s best menu item—Tzatziki, is a creamy blend of yogurt, cucumber and garlic. Even on a busy night, the restaurant’s housemade bread was served right out of the oven, keeping anxious diners satisfied.

Thea’s menu features a wide range of entrees, though it offers vegetarian diners only one item—a Stuffed Portobello Mushroom filled with potatoes and spinach, served over a sweet balsamic reduction. For the seafaring diner, Thea offers Solomos Piaki, a bric dough-wrapped salmon filet, served over sautéed spinach and feta, accompanied by a creamy yogurt sauce. Though the salmon offered good flavor and superb texture, it was a bit ‘fishy,’ and its accompaniments were rather bland. For those who prefer white meat, the Pork Loin Chop was a true winner. The cured and roasted pork loin chop, served with sautéed green beans and soft polenta, really came to life when paired with the accompanying fig-walnut relish. Finally, for the fan of dark meat, Thea proffers the Braised Lamb Shank. This gargantuan braised Colorado lamb shank was served over natural jus, alongside a summertime vegetable risotto. In my case, the risotto was grossly undercooked, leaving me with the distinct sensation of eating birdseed. While the risotto was an utter disappointment, the titanic lamb shank was not only tender and full of flavor, but it was as juicy as a ripe lemon.

Ultimately, Thea Mediterranean Restaurant delivers a rustic, but chic dining experience to those who find themselves on ‘the row’. Every aspect of the restaurant works carefully to enhance Thea’s simplistic, but fancy vision of Mediterranean culture. Served to every guest with a slice of cucumber, even the water here leaves you feeling as if you are dining somewhere between Greece and Turkey.

Come for the big portions and great-tasting food, stay for the relaxed atmosphere and (of course) the Baklava.

Rating:
***1/2 "Oh that's freakin' Smurf"

California Pizza Kitchen

531 Cowper St., Palo Alto



Hip, chic, and distinctly Californian. With its tinted glass walls and silhouetted palm tree logo, California Pizza Kitchen blends perfectly into downtown Palo Alto, which stretches along University Avenue in the shadow of Stanford University.

Inside the restaurant, the tiled walls are colored in an understated pattern of black, white and yellow stripes that would be quite minimalistic, were it not for the palm tree figures and decorated pizza boxes that dangle and droop all around the restaurant’s inner walls. In true California style, CPK’s multinational menu boasts everything from Asian dishes (Singapore Shrimp Rolls), to Spanish influences (Sedona Tortilla Soup), to Italian fare (Portobello Mushroom Ravioli). Known for its inventive, but delicious pizza combinations, CPK really does have something for everyone (vegetarians too), making it a favorite among families.

Though deciphering the menu is no simple feat, it seems like most items on the list leave their consumers in an exultant state of food coma. Appetizers are a must here, as they showcase the ability of CPK’s culinary masterminds to mix and match cultures and flavors. While the Chicken Lettuce Wraps—wok-seared chicken with Shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts and green onions, all in a soy ginger sauce—please even the pickiest eaters with gentle flavors, try the Tortilla Spring Rolls—available in three flavors: Baja Chicken, Thai Chicken and, my favorite, Mediterranean—for a surprising blitz of harmonious flavors and textures.

But CPK’s celebrity is not derived from its starters, soups or salads. It is the pizza here that is truly a show-stopper. For guests of a more selective taste, CPK offers a wide variety of classic pizzas that aim to please. The Five-Cheese and Fresh Tomato pizza is a popular choice that is unanimously well-liked. For the slightly more adventurous, the menu offers the sublime Original Barbeque Chicken pizza. This, CPK’s most popular pizza, is an amazing marriage of cheese, chicken and barbeque sauce. The addition of sliced red onions and fresh cilantro add just enough panache to keep this pie atop the list of favorites. But, believe it or not, CPK’s Tostada pizza takes top prize here. This unexpected combination of Southwestern flavors is like nothing you’ve had before. A bed of black beans and two cheeses baked on pizza dough is topped with lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, a creamy dressing and crispy tortilla strips to really create a "fiesta of flavors," so to speak.

For the adventurous eater on a (not-so-slim) budget, California Pizza Kitchen answers the call. Where every dish is a conversation piece, this restaurant not only serves up food, but it truly delivers an experience.

Rating:
**** "Oh that's freakin' Smurf"