Mother's Day Brunch at Madera

We tried out the restaurant at the brand new Rosewood Hotel on Sand Hill Rd in Menlo Park yesterday. This is part of a huge complex of offices at the corner of Sand Hill and 280. Although I didn't find the architecture of the hotel very appealing, the interiors were modern and comfortable, with a gorgeous bar area with a patio with views of the hills. I could see this as a great place for drinks at sunset.

The restaurant Madera was quite large and for some reason, our party of 8 was shown to a nice private room with an outdoor patio with a fireplace. It would be nice for a dinner party or intimate shower.

The menu was a $65 prix fixe for Mother's Day, which was a little pricey for the area, but the restaurant is an upscale choice. It included a glass of bubbly, which was actually a Spanish cava.

I started with a great salad of purple asparagus and grilled trumpet mushrooms. The mushrooms was very tasty, although it was served with a soft cheese and was a little unnecessary. I'd go back for this salad alone.






Another nice appetizer was the spring pea soup - very light but with a full pea flavor.







For the entree, I decided to go for the New York steak (seemed like a waste to get Belgian waffles when it was a $65 prix fixe!). There was a bit of a gap in service so I was very hungry when the entree was served. So I started eating right away and forgot to take photos... My dining mates had the Eggs Benedict (served either with salmon or canadian bacon), which was pronounced to be pretty good.

For dessert, I had the ricotta cheesecake served with balsamic strawberries. Nice but nothing to write home about. My daughter had a chocolate terrine, served with grilled brioche - it turned out to be a spreadable chocolate and was like a fancy version of nutella and toast. The dessert winner was a sour cherry almond cake, served with a sour cream ice cream.

And they served an excellent Earl Grey in a nice french press. Top marks for the tea service.

Overall, I don't think this is a destination restaurant by any means, although the space is beautiful. The service pacing was not the best. But it's a beautiful space and in a location where it will get lots of corporate business. If you're in the area, have a drink at the bar.