There’s a running joke in Menlo Park, a quiet Bay Area suburb just north of Stanford University: It’s full of rug stores.
There are indeed six carpet stores in this diminutive downtown, nearly outnumbering restaurants. But that’s starting to change: At least nine new restaurants have recently opened or will open soon in Menlo Park. It’s a level of activity never seen before for this small, affluent city better known for its Silicon Valley history and excellent public schools than its food scene.
Within the last year, a wave of newcomers has included chic Cal-Indian restaurant Eylan; Texas seafood chain Clark’s Oyster Bar; tea and cake shop Temp & Time; Middle Eastern bakery LeVant Dessert; cocktail spot Bar Loretta; and Little Sky Kitchen, a sister restaurant to nearby Little Sky Bakery. They’ll soon be joined by Yeobo, Darling, a Korean-Taiwanese restaurant from an acclaimed chef couple; Cafe Vivant, a chicken-focused spot from two New York City sommeliers; an outpost of San Francisco’s Causwells; and Bubbelah, a Jewish-inspired deli from the owners of Che Fico…