The Cupertino Courier
Dining
Power lunch hot spots keep business execs coming back
By JENNIFER M. VAN DER KLEUT
Silicon Valley is home to some of the wealthiest and most powerful corporations in the world--and every day, the executives who run those companies must ask themselves the same question.
What's for lunch?
No matter how many changes this tempestuous valley seems to undergo, one time-honored tradition seems to be here to stay--the "power lunch."
Carolyn Allen, the owner and chef at Paolo's in downtown San Jose, says she feels the low noise factor at her restaurant is one of the biggest reasons it is so popular amongst the Silicon Valley elite.
"A lot of other downtown restaurants are very noisy. So, if you want to have a good business lunch and be able to talk and hear the other people at your table, and actually hold a conversation, we're in a secluded location, and we have a lot of noise-deadening, so you can really focus in on what you're discussing. You can come and relax and not have a lot of exterior noise going on around you," she says. "Plus, with our location, being located right off of Guadalupe Park, we have a beautiful view."
Allen says her regular clientele includes some of the Valley's most powerful car dealers, attorneys and stockbrokers.
"They like to come here to meet with clients, or hold [staff] meetings. We get the whole roster of who's who in the Silicon Valley. At one time or another, they're all in here for lunch," she says. "We've been around for so long--we're in our 48th year in business--so people know it's a great place to come, especially if you want to have a serious meeting. And they know they will get great service and food, so they don't have to worry about what they're going to get."
Parking in downtown San Jose can be quite a hassle, especially during the work week, so Allen says that's another factor that contributes to Paolo's appeal.
"Access is easy, with great parking, so [the power lunchers] don't have to stress about where they're going to park, or how they're going to get here; traffic isn't as bad for them," she says, pointing out Paolo's attracts loyal clients from all over the Bay Area, not just downtown San Jose.
Of course, as the adage goes, time is money--so Paolo's promises to get its diners in an out in under an hour, no matter what the menu choice.
A little farther north in Sunnyvale, the Lion and Compass restaurant has the same appeal to its clientele.
"It has a lot to do with tradition. We were founded in 1982," says manager Jim Hayter.
The Lion and Compass was started by the Nino family, which included Nolan Bushnell, the creator of Pong.
"Nolan was really big in the Valley, so a lot of local executives would come here. It was kind of laid out the way it is for that reason. It was made for business people--the restaurant was designed with a lot of private areas and quiet corners," Hayter says. He says the element of privacy is important to the power lunch experience.
Hayter says the restaurant's successful, 24-year history has also revealed how important inobtrusive service is when catering to high-powered business diners.
Of course, great food helps. Hayter says Lion and Compass is known for its signature dishes such as the Chilean sea bass and the venison stir-fry.
"That's something people come in and ask for--every time," he says.
A newer dish that is gaining in popularity is the cowboy ribeye steak, Hayter adds.
It certainly seems as though, at least inthe Bay Area, business executives need never go hungry.
