Saratoga News

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Rosemarie Thompson, owner of Southern Kitchen, carries a Belgian waffle bursting with fresh fruit.

Homestyle Southern Kitchen has something for everyone

By Suzanne Cristallo

At 6 a.m. they start streaming in--the hard hats, the linemen, the cops--an animated and hardy bunch seeking the warmth of fried eggs and bacon, steaming coffee and Rosemarie Thompson's welcoming smile.

By 6:30 a.m., every chair is filled in the Southern Kitchen. It's a typical day. Customers are called by name, some having followed Thompson from other restaurants where she's worked in her 16-year career as a waitress. But she has called this place her own since the day Tom Ward decided he wanted to have "a little piece of Los Gatos" and became her angel.

That was five years ago. Ward, a Los Gatos contractor, was a regular customer. Because Thompson shares her life with her customers, he learned of her dream to own her own place. Today, he's the silent partner, while Thompson can be found cooking, washing dishes, hostessing, waiting tables and doing the books. "Whatever needs to be done," she says.

By 9:30 a.m., the crowd has changed. Local business people, mothers with strollers, cyclists and joggers stop in. "It was a jogger who invented our blueberry banana pancake special," Thompson notes. It is served with a choice of hominy grits or potatoes and toast or a muffin. Omelets are many and varied, and the restaurant has won awards for its apricot and apple and cinnamon French toasts.

Head cook Leo Gonzalez, with brothers Sergio and Gerardo, has been around since Thompson started. They work with a speed that guarantees food on the table within 10 minutes of ordering--such as the lunch specials of chicken-fried steak and country gravy, avocado stuffed with chicken salad and fresh-roasted turkey sandwiches.

Among the customers who found their way to Southern Kitchen, thanks to the restaurant's reputation, are Dustin Hoffman, John Travolta and the Doobie Brothers, who have all signed menus commemorating their breakfasts.

"We kept the star of Coach waiting 45 minutes. We tried hard to get him seated, but it was one of those days. He refused to sign," she says with some chagrin.

Thompson, 36, has been working in restaurants since she was 16. Of Irish and Mexican descent, she remembers being a part of the restaurant culture since the days when she visited her grandmother's little Mexican restaurant in San Jose.

Thompson says she married at 17, had two children, divorced at 23 and supported her youngsters in day care by waitressing in all the local breakfast houses. "I've seen my customers' kids grow up, and they've seen me grow up," she says with a smile. Her sons, one a high school junior and the other at West Valley College, spend their weekends helping their mom.

The breakfast and lunch counter seems to be where some major events of Thompson's life have occurred. Two years ago, flirtations over the menu with Michael Thompson, bartender at the Black Watch for 20 years, resulted in marriage. But time between them is precious.

"We see each other one hour each day," Thompson says. Their schedules--hers by day and his by night--require a getaway every six weeks or what she calls "a day of isolation together at home."

Southern Kitchen, 27 E. Main St., Los Gatos. Open for breakfast and lunch Mon.- Fri., 6 a.m.-3 p.m., Sat. 6 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m.-4 p.m. 354-7515.

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