On March 24, acclaimed chef Traci Des Jardins’ upscale Cal-Mex restaurant, El Alto, made its long-awaited debut in Los Altos because the anchor of the brand new State Road Market meals corridor. It was her first culinary enterprise exterior San Francisco, her first in Silicon Valley.
On Saturday, simply six months later, El Alto’s Fb web page introduced the restaurant’s abrupt closure:
Chef Traci Des Jardins opened El Alto with fellow chef Robert Hurtado in downtown Los Altos. (Picture by Aubrie Decide)
“As of September 23, 2022, el Alto has ceased operations,” the notice posted midafternoon stated. “Thanks to all which have supported the restaurant by this time, particularly our splendidly supportive company and our employees.”
On Instagram, Des Jardins wrote: “Sadly, yesterday was our final service at @elaltolosaltos. It has been unimaginable to function in Los Altos the place the curiosity, pleasure, and reception to the restaurant blew me away. It was a beautiful expertise to once more work alongside Chef Robert Hurtado, in addition to the superb kitchen and front-of-house employees that labored to carry this idea to life. I liked listening to the suggestions from company as we interacted within the eating room. On the finish of the day, I’m extremely proud and grateful to have been part of this challenge.”
No rationalization was given for the shutdown, and the restaurant’s web site and menu had already been taken down.
El Alto’s opening got here three years after Des Jardins closed her much-lauded Jardiniere restaurant in San Francisco following a 21-year run.
Through the planning and building phases of the Peninsula restaurant, the James Beard Award-winning chef described El Alto as a celebration of “the wealthy historical past of the early California-Mexican ranchos and the agrarian roots of the Bay Space.” A Fresno space native whose mom is of Mexican descent, she teamed up with one other chef with Mexican roots, Central Coast native Robert Hurtado.
El Alto, which served dinner 4 nights per week, has an total rating of 4 stars on Yelp, although the latest evaluations have been one-star and two-star evaluations this month that faulted the restaurant for lack of employees and gradual service.
The March 24 opening was a joyous night, with diners who ranged from followers of Des Jardins since her days 25 years in the past at San Francisco’s Rubicon to teams of younger ladies who had by no means heard of her however came upon there was a brand new restaurant opening on the corridor. Des Jardins was within the kitchen most of this busy evening however made appearances to ship plates of meals, greet outdated prospects and pose for a few selfies. At evening’s finish she thanked staff earlier than heading out.
A signature entree, the Confit Liberty Duck Leg, paid tribute to the orchards of Los Altos’ previous with a posh, spiced apricot mole. The platos fuertes, or foremost dishes, on the inaugural menu ranged from Cochinita Pibil Tacos, three on house-made blue corn tortillas with habanero salsa, to platters of Pollo al Oregano with nixtamal corn “polenta” and nopales and Pescado a la Mibrasa, with Mexican rice and almond salsa. The mibrasa, a Spanish charcoal oven, was additionally used for Grilled Greens with salsa macha.
This can be a creating story. Come again for updates.
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