Review: Flea Street (Menlo Park)

My cousin and I recently tried Flea Street in Menlo Park. I honestly had never heard of it before I found it on Yelp, but I’m glad I did. The restaurant has a total farm to table approach to food. They really take care to present seasonal, fresh, local ingredients (many of which come from the owner’s personal farm!)

Our meal in the order it was presented…

1. A beet and potato amuse bouche: just totally fresh and tasty.

2. The house made bread and biscuits with butter and pink seasalt: The biscuits were amazing. I could have eaten several more of them. Not sure what the seasalt added, but I tried it anyway.

3. The frito misto: It was an assortment of fried breaded vegetables with a spicy aioli. Honestly, nothing to write home about.

4. The vegetarian assortment entree: This had 5 seasonal vegetables prepared in a variety of ways. The highlight was the mushroom ravioli. The pasta was amazingly tender and well-made. I could have eaten an entire bowl of it. The croquettes and squash were also very good.

5. Halibut in a saffron broth: To be upfront, I love all things saffron. Maybe it’s the Indian in me? Regardless, this halibut did not disappoint. It was flaky and tender and just melted in your mouth. It was served with a great pearl pasta with peas which was a really nice textural compliment.

6. The fresh raspberry tart: This was the special and we happened to get the last one! I generally lust over all baked goods, but this tart shell was just in a class of its own. The custard filling wasn’t overwhelming and the fruit was fresh and crisp. They served it with homemade whip cream which was also great.

Overall: the wait staff was friendly and organized. The meal was a little pricey for the portion size. I would love if they also had a prix fixe option. Will come back for a special occasion, but not somewhere I would go for a random weekend dinner.

http://www.cooleatz.com/flea-st-cafe/index.html