Stanford Report, Jan. 28, 2004

An international smorgasbord hits the southeast side of campus

BY BARBARA PALMER

Making lunch plans on the southeast side of campus suddenly has gotten much more interesting. Today, Union Square, the final phase of a seven-month-long renovation of Tresidder Union's main dining room, will begin operation with six different food stations offering everything from smoked pork shoulder to freshly rolled sushi to tandoori chicken.

Cook Christian Herrera, left, executive chef Steve Mesa, center, and cook Santos Soto discussed the numerous hot food offerings during a recent trial run of the new Union Square restaurant, set to open today at Tresidder Union. Photo: L.A. Cicero

Meanwhile, the Carrubba family, owners of Caffe Riace Ristorante Italiano in Palo Alto, have opened a sister restaurant, Ciao!, in the basement of the Terman Engineering Center in space vacated by Nuts and Mud last March.

Ciao! down

Gleaming with yards of chrome, Ciao! is, in fact, such a homey place that when a customer was crestfallen because the pasta with pesto was sold out, an employee offered her the serving he'd set aside for his own lunch. (She took him up on it.) The "Tiramisu della Mamma" really is made by Mamma -- Connie Carrubba, who operates the cash register and also makes the cannelloni, is manager Maurizio Carrubba's mother. Carrubba's father, Franco, a brother, sister, his wife and assorted friends work there as well.

Their plan is to sell high-end food at low-end prices, said Carrubba, who formerly was head chef at Caffe Riace. Their sandwiches are made with imported mozzarella, and the pasta, focaccia and gelato (seven kinds) are all homemade. "We buy the best products out there," Carrubba said.

Also on the menu are a soup of the day, tossed-to-order Caesar and other salads, grilled panini and daily specials like Chicken Siciliano. Pastries, bagels and smoked salmon, coffee and espresso drinks, and beer and wine also are available. Prices range from $1.75 for a cup of soup to $5.95 for the specials.

The Carrubbas have spiffed up the previously worn interior of the space and added more indoor seating; on the adjoining patio, umbrella tables have replaced wooden picnic tables. The restaurant is planning happy hour events and, in warm weather, barbecues with live music in the grove next to the building.

"We just want to make people happy and give them good food," Carrubba said.

Ciao! is open from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Catering service is available. Call 723-8721 for information.

Union Square meals

Executive chef Steve Mesa graduated with high honors from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., but he's also schooled in the tradition of Southern barbecue. After cooking school he and friends made a pilgrimage through the South to visit barbecue joints from Georgia to Texas, he said. At the age of 14, he worked as a fry cook at the Panda Inn in Aptos; he later worked as the sous chef at La Mouton Noir in Saratoga and as an executive chef at a Cheesecake Factory franchise.

His range is put to good use at Union Square, where the emphasis is on a diversity of cooking styles, he said. At the Four Corners "global grill," meat, fish and poultry will be smoked, grilled and cooked by rotisserie and in a tandoor oven. Regional side dishes, like black-eyed peas with ham hocks, collard greens, ratatouille, potato and pea curry, and black beans accompany entrees. At the Wrap 'n' Bowl station, meat, poultry and vegetarian fillings can be wrapped in a tortilla, pita or roti, or ladled onto bowls of lentils, rice or tabbouleh. Sushi, sandwiches, salads and pizza also are available. Prices range from $1.95 for side dishes to $6.95 for an entrée, two side dishes and a drink.

Unlike other restaurants where Mesa had the final say on food matters, here student and staff members of the Tresidder Dining Advisory Group worked together with Mesa to design the menu. Students wanted bold flavors, healthy options and cooking traditions from the United States and around the world, he said. Although designing a menu by committee was a new experience, "it's quite cool to get so much student input," he said. "We know we're cooking what they want."

The space, which was formerly occupied by food service operated by Bon Appetit, has been enlarged and revamped, with paint, tile and fixtures selected to complement the world cuisine. About 85 percent of the staff previously were employees of Bon Appetit at Tresidder, Mesa said. Hot meals will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cold dishes and pizza will be available from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Union Square is open Monday through Friday.