Saratoga News Photograph by Scott Lechner Pedro Morin, who admits to love at first sight when he met his wife, Rosemary, always looks forward to Valentine's Day at their Village Rendezvous restaurant. Valentine's Day is special at the Village Rendezvous By Suzanne Cristallo The young Texan took one look at the lovely Mexican señorita and blurted out, "You're going to be my wife." She curtly replied, "No way!" A year later, he proved right. That was 40 years ago. As he prepares for this year's Valentine's Day with a special menu, Pedro Morin, now 61, recalls being thunderstruck by the sight of Rosemary. The Morin's restaurant, Village Rendezvous in Saratoga, will offer a variety of beef, seafood, lamb, veal and chicken dishes next Sunday, the day designed to celebrate affections. For 15 years, the Morins have served breakfast, lunch and dinner in the continental style at their rustic eatery on Big Basin Way. Pedro is the chef; for the past 10 years, since the youngest of their four children reached school age, Rosemary has run the front of the house. It's truly a family affair. Son Peter, 35, cooks breakfast. Son, Frenchy, 27, waits tables at night along with wife Vicki. Daughter, Gigi Peebles, also waits tables while her husband, Wade, helps at the cash register occasionally after the day job in construction he shares with Frenchy. Daughter, Tanya, a Saratoga High senior, waits tables after school. "If they eat, they work," philosophizes Pedro, a firm believer in the work ethic. Sunday brunch is the Rendezvous' busiest period. Some 65 customers at a time squeeze into booths and tables under a ceiling of lattice and twinkle lights to partake of traditional omelets, French toast, pancakes and sausages or ham. Lunch can be a burger, a smoothie or sandwiches with quaint names like Benji, Bunky, Shaggy, Freckled Whale and Mopsy Flopsy. Dinners are the creations of Pedro, a veteran of years spent in a variety of restaurants. During the 1970s, he served locally as sauciere at La Hacienda and sous chef at the Plumed Horse--in conjunction with running his own drive-in restaurant, the Carousel, for several years in Los Gatos. One unusual entree he offers on his regular menu is Ostrich Tournedos, served on a cornbread base, with a demi-glace sauce. A special Valentine's Day dish will be Russian Coulibiac: a puff pastry stuffed with poached salmon, rice, spinach and mushrooms served with a salmon sauce. Among other selections on the same menu are beef Wellington, veal Oscar, chicken Normandy and rack of lamb. Most run in the $23 range. Pedro recalls that his entry into the restaurant world came soon after he arrived here from his home state of Texas at age 19. He was greeted by a 15-day stretch of rain that left him out of work as a bricklayer. Hungry, he spotted a broken brick flowerbed in front of the Stone Cellar Restaurant (now the Acorn) in Menlo Park. He asked owner Edgar Brower if he could fix it, saying he would need $20 for materials. "I don't know if I should trust you not to run off with the money," Brower had said. Evidently, Pedro proved his character. After the brick job, Brower fed him, then hired him as "a salad man"--something he had never done before. Soon, Brower offered to pay for Pedro to attend night school at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Their relationship lasted until Brower retired. Village Rendezvous, 14420 Big Basin Way, Saratoga. Open for breakfast and lunch daily, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Open for dinner Wed.-Sat. 5- 9 p.m. Catering is available. 867-2932. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, February 10, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.