Photograph by George Sakkestad
Kitchen manager Guadalupe Dimas shows off the choices available at the new HomeTown Buffet in the Westgate Shopping Center.
By Suzanne Cristallo
Diners who like to go back for seconds but enjoy a more formal atmosphere than that of many buffet-style restaurants offer will find this combination at HomeTown Buffet in the Westgate Shopping Center.
A representative of a chain operating in 21 states, HomeTown Buffet recently merged with Old Country Buffet under Buffets, Inc., founded by Dennis Scott and operating out of Minneapolis, Minn.
Each day, different menu items are featured at lunch and dinner. On Mondays, meatloaf and "hot wings"--spicy chicken wings--are offered along with a special dessert at dinner called a "flurry," soft ice cream with various toppings. Tuesdays feature sauerkraut, smoked sausage and pizza; Wednesday's specials are egg foo yung and vegetable stir fry; Thursdays are family nights with barbecued ribs, veal parmigiana, pizza and banana splits; Friday's specials are shrimp and clam chowder; Saturday's are chicken and dumplings and potato skins; and Sundays feature candied yams, ham, roast beef and baked mostaccioli. A variety of more than 80 food items accompanies the specials. Lunch is priced at $5.69 and dinner at $7.49.
A $5.99 brunch, which includes scrambled and poached eggs, French toast, bacon and sausage, quiche, biscuits and gravy and a waffle bar, is served on Sundays.
"Be prepared to do nothing the rest of the day if you come to our brunch," says cashier Gaylene Thomas, smiling about the effects the feast can have.
Kitchen manager Guadalupe Dimas keeps constant watch over the steaming serving trays during the 11 hours he is on duty. "We cook in small batches so the food is always fresh," he says. In addition, he oversees 30 kitchen staff and 35 service employees who bus, maintain the buffet islands and seat guests. Dimas, 39, spent 13 years in food preparation before joining HomeTown Buffet.
HomeTown Buffet, 4735 Hamilton Ave., San Jose. Open for lunch Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; dinner, Mon.-Thu., 3:30-8:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat., 3:30-9 p.m., Sun., 11:30 a.m.- 8:30 p.m.; brunch, Sun., 8-11:30 a.m. 378-8886.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, January 15, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.