My boyfriend works in Palo Alto, so recently I've been driving there with him in the mornings, and then reading at a coffee shop/shopping/walking around until he leaves work. Yesterday, we met up for lunch, which I think is probably the cutest, most coupley thing ever.
At Umami Burger, we got truffle fries to share. Everyone, if you're going to do truffle fries, this is how you do it; if you're not going to fry it in truffle oil, you have to douse it in truffle-infused ingredients, instead of sprinkling three drops of truffle oil on top. Ours came with truffle cheese, truffle salt, and chives--they were so good, even says my boyfriend, the food snob. Also, there is melted cheese at the bottom of the dish, so the best way to eat the fries is with a fork, so you can really scrape up the cheese. It's also a really good value ($5.50), considering you're getting a small bucket of well-done, intensely truffley fries.
I got the Truffle Royale burger, with braised short rib, garlic aioli, and truffle cheese--it's not much to look at, and the plate is otherwise completely empty, but it's so delicious. It may be too rich for some people--the burger is really loaded with umami (savory) elements, and there aren't any lighter ingredients for balance (like lettuce), but you are getting a pretty unique combination. However, this is probably not the place to go if you're looking for a large, satisfying burger, since these are on the small side.
After lunch, we went next door to Chantal Guillon. I have very nice memories of this place; my boyfriend can never really surprise me, because he usually gets too excited and tells me about it. But buying macarons from here is the one thing he has ever truly surprised me with. Some of these macaron flavors can be a bit hit or miss, but they do have some unusual flavors, like jasmine green tea and lavender cassis. They're a little inconsistent in texture, and I think some can afford to be a bit drier (the interior of some flavors are really moist and gooey, and the shells aren't always crispy enough). But, overall, they do sell good quality macarons and the shop itself is really cute.
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| Chocolate-covered tuxedo macarons. I'm dying from the cuteness. |
452 University Ave.
http://www.umami.com/umami-burger/eats/palo-alto/menu/
Chantal Guillon
444 University Ave.
http://chantalguillon.com/
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