Breakfast and renovations come to Willow Street Pizza
By Suzanne Cristallo
This is a call to all the longtime locals who won't set foot in crowded downtown Los Gatos on the weekend. There's a new place to have Sunday breakfast, and so far, there's no line out front.
It's Willow Street, across from the Town Plaza on S. Santa Cruz Avenue, and it's the only one of the four stores owned by Monte Sereno resident Ed Rathmann that is offering breakfast.
"We've tried it a couple of times in the past," says Willow Street General Manager Nancy Reineking, referring to breakfast service in the Willow Glen store and, for a short time in Los Gatos, some six years ago. Essentially, "this is a new experiment," she says.
Breakfast fans can spend a full Sunday morning in the south end of town between the Farmers' Market, which opens at 8 a.m., and breakfast at Willow Street, which begins at 10. Reineking says the crowds of Sunday strollers attracted to the area by the market is what helped them decide on offering breakfast. "We may begin earlier once we see how it goes," she adds. A big plus is the valet parking provided for customers by the restaurant.
Following through on its signature wood-fired pizza dishes, the restaurant offers three new pizzas on the breakfast menu: eggs Benedict; bacon and sausage; and veggie with spinach, bell peppers and mushrooms. There is also a bacon omelet with Gouda cheese to give it a creamy texture and nut-like flavor, as well as a vegetarian version. Fresh fruit as a side salad and toasted homemade focaccia bread round out the morning menu, which will be extended until 1 p.m. The regular luncheon menu will be available, as usual, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Willow Street diners can enjoy breakfast on the front patio on new outdoor furnishings--another of the upgrades the restaurant is providing. "Sleek and contemporary" granite tables were just delivered, Reineking says, and new lights to replace the old white ball lights are being strung. Some reconfiguring of the inside bar is planned.
"We're trying to get a liquor license," Reineking says, noting that the decision by the town council will be made on April 16. "Up to now, we've had only beer and wine," she says, adding that new liquor licenses have not been granted in downtown Los Gatos for 25 years. "We hope that because Los Gatos Brewing Company was given one, we might get one, too." She notes that public demand for full-service bars has jumped in recent years.
Reineking, 42, grew up in Pleasanton and has been a resident for the past nine years in Los Gatos, where husband Michael serves as a children's soccer coach through the town recreation department, and sons Adam, 17, and Kyle, 16, attend Los Gatos High School. She became involved in the restaurant business at age 18, while working as a waitress during her years at San Jose State University, where she studied administration of justice. She says that Willow Street has a diversified customer base, beginning with families all day and into the early evening, and then high school and college students later in the evening. "It's a fun and lively place--unique with great quality," she says. "The patio is a big thing this year."
Willow Street, 20 S. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos. Open Mon.-Fri., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.-10 p.m. 408.354.5566.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
