Introducing Scratch in Mountain View

This week, Harrington Insurance Agency had the opportunity to attend a soft opening for Scratch, a new restaurant in Mountain View. This fine dining restaurant is located at 401 Castro Street (at the corner of California and Castro Streets) and is set to open for dinner December 30th, extending its hours to also offer lunch around January 10th.

Owner, Rob Fischer, has opened several successful restaurants in the area. His group of restaurants includes: Palo Alto Creamery Fountain and Grill (with locations in Palo Alto, CA and Stanford, CA), Reposado (located in Palo Alto), and newly opened Gravity (located in Palo Alto).

Upon arriving, one of the first things our group noticed was the excellent ambiance of the place. The slightly dimmed lighting, the stylish decor, and the friendly staff were all welcoming signs.

Our group sampled the Goat Cheese Souffle and Bacon wrapped Chorizo and Dates. Both were delicious and full of flavors that delighted the pallet. For our Entrees, we had a Salmon dish and a Herb Chicken dish. Each dish arrived with a beautiful presentation and was cooked to perfection.

To finish up our meal, we were brought a menu of desserts. We opted to try the chocolate lava cake with a vanilla ice cream, the rice pudding with fruit, and the apple upside down cake. All three desserts were a great way to end a lovely meal.

Throughout the entire meal, the staff was attentive and maintained our table regularly. There were quite a few people in the restaurant, but the noise level was never an issue. Seated at our table, we were able to enjoy our meal and conversation as expected. We truly enjoyed our dining experience.

To learn more about Scratch, take a look at their website or see what others have to say on Yelp.

Local Restaurants You May Have Missed

Every city has their hidden gems. San Jose, CA has many great restaurants throughout the area. Here are a list of some you may not know about.

Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe:
With eleven locations in California, there happens to be a Camille’s in south San Jose, at 864 A Blossom Hill Road. This cafe offers a variety of foods including salads, sandwiches and wraps. Their ingredients are natural and fresh, and they even have vegetarian selections. Not only are there nutritious foods, but they also offer a selection of smoothies, coffee and teas.
Find out more here

Naglee Park Garage:
This restaurant is located near San Jose State University at 505 East San Carlos Street. Though it is close to campus, you will not usually find that rowdy group of college students. This bistro is classy and casual. They offer a great assortment of fresh hearty seasonal meals and some of their ingredients come straight from their very own garden! You can sit outside on their deck area and even enjoy some live music or a movie from your seat.
Find out more here

The Old Wagon Saloon and Grill:
Located in Downtown San Jose at 73 N San Pedro Street, this western themed bar and grill is as comfortable as a pair of old Levi’s. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed and they offer a variety of food sure to please even picky taste buds. They may be best known for their burgers, which are made with 100% pure Buffalo Meat (although you can request beef if you would like).
Find out more here

Henry’s World Famous Hi-Life:
Located within a historically significant area in San Jose at 3301 West St. John Street, this restaurant not only has a regular crowd, but a big tie to the community of San Jose. At Henry’s Hi-Life, you can expect to get the best of the BBQ world. What goes best with BBQ? How about Sports! Not only can you expect to watch the games, but you may even run into your favorite Sharks player as you finish up your meal.
Find out more here