A notable chef, market-fresh food and welcoming service make this cozy South Bay restaurant a destination.
(650) 521-5094
3607 Alameda de las Pulgas
(Avy Avenue)
Menlo Park,
CA
94025
37.4317
-122.2013
Neighborhood: University Heights
Hours:
Tue-Sat 5:30pm-9pm
Sun 10am-2pm, 5:30pm-9pm
Price:
$$
Flea Street Cafe
Last updated 9.05.09
What People Are Saying About Flea Street Cafe
The Owner
Flea Street Cafe
Owner
For more than 25 years, Flea St. Cafe has been a favorite place to dine with the local community. The warm, inviting atmosphere makes it an ideal location for both business and pleasure. The food and Atmosphere have a European Provencal flair that intertwines casual sophistication with a flavor driven, locally inspired menu. Menus are seasonal and make full use of the nearby Pacific, artisan cheese makers, local produce farmers, ranchers and wineries, weaving an interesting, yet approachable cuisine that uses the very best of the season. Flea St?s full bar is a quiet, yet lively spot for…
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene – The decor is romantic, almost evoking a New England feel with its lace curtains and tablecloths, old photographs and snug nooks for dining. This spot boasts a regular following of high-powered Silicon Valley types as well as local foodies, who come in search of chef-owner Jesse Cool's robust regional California cuisine and warm, welcoming service. – – The Food – Cool has been promoting seasonal, organic ingredients for more than 20 years, most of them at this South Bay standby. The menu changes according to what's in the markets, but typically features…
Organic, healthy decadence
by vwestelle
Dinner was really good. The bread was delicious. The friend green tomatoes weren't too heavy. The assortment of vegatables were each perfectly cooked. The steak, although it was a filet mignon, actually had flavor, was a large portion, and was perfectly cooked. The desert was tasty. Although we ate a fair amount and left sated, we didn't feel bloated. I highly recommend this little treasure.
- Pros: excellent organic, sustainable food
- Cons: a bit pricey, but almost worth it.
Resting on its laurels...
by tigerfood
After all the hype and wanting to go for years I finally made it last night and all I can say is--what's the big deal? Our dinner was rather mediocre given our expectations and the cost.
The ingredients were good and each dish had an interesting point but not enough to make up for faults elsewhere. The vegetable fritto misto was tasty and the cornmeal batter was nice but several of the vegetables were far too fibrous and others were overcooked. The 'stacked' beet and goat cheese was also tasty and the citrus zest was a nice touch--not a lot to find fault with here except that it wasn't really a stack so much as three thin presentations of beet-cheese-beet. I had the halibut cheeks. Very interesting texture and good flavor but I could barely taste many of the ingredients for the overpowering and very salty kalamata olives. My friend had the portobello wellington with a beet reduction. Also good, but hardly original (probably stolen from Michel Richard--that's not very 'cool'). Wines were totally unremarkable. The ginger creme brulee was an absolute disaster--it was barely bruleed and full of air bubbles, giving it a texture more like porridge. Yuck.
I won't be returning.
- Pros: Quality ingredients
- Cons: Mediocre use of quality ingredients
Cozy Cafe
by t_girl_dining
Had a wonderful tasting brunch, the complimentary biscuits are warm and delicious and the o.j. refreshing. I have to agree that service is a bit slow and there was a delay in our order due to a mix-up in the kitchen, but they comp'ed us more o.j. I had the Niman Ranch scramble with ham and it was excellent. They have a good menu with interesting pairings of flavors - food for thought. My friend said his cuppa reg coffee was excellent. I would go again. It has a wonderful setting for a more special brunch occassion (e.g., Mother's Day).
- Pros: Food quality
- Cons: Service a bit slow, Dark decor
The Details on Flea Street Cafe
The Extras:
Stone Free Farm provides the lettuce and greens, but it's not just the greens and spuds that are organic: so are the cheese, milk, oils and meats.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Cuisine:
Message from Flea Street Cafe
- 25 years and going
- California cuisine
- Casual setting
For more than 25 years, Flea St. Cafe has been a favorite place to dine with the local community. The warm, inviting atmosphere makes it an ideal location for both business and pleasure. The food and Atmosphere have a European Provencal flair that intertwines casual sophistication with a flavor driven, locally inspired menu. Menus are seasonal and make full use of the nearby Pacific, artisan cheese makers, local produce farmers, ranchers and wineries, weaving an interesting, yet approachable cuisine that uses the very best of the season. Flea St?s full bar is a quiet, yet lively spot for meeting for a cocktail; specializing in martinis and a hand-selected boutique California wine list. Flea St. has received awards with many years of acclaim for its long time commitment to organic, local and sustainable food and practices.









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