Photograph by Paul Myers
The owner and chef of the Crimson restaurant in Los Gatos, Diane Rose, loves her work.
The gourmet food at Crimson is a labor of love for its chef
Chef cooks, serves the foods she likes to eat
By Suzanne Cristallo
Now that it's spring, as soon as the green garlic is in, guests at the new Crimson restaurant in Los Gatos might be treated to the sight of owner/chef Diane Rose dancing around the kitchen with it.
Rose is a celebrant of the seasons, and her food reflects it.
"When I'm cooking, and I can smell it and touch it, I just know whoever ordered that plate is going to love it," she says, describing her zest for the sensuous aspects of food and her love of sharing that with her customers.
She believes that not only the food but the atmosphere in which it is cooked is important to the whole eating experience. "I won't allow any negativity around my kitchen," she states with a smile. "If anybody talks that way, they go outside--away from my food."
Rose opened Crimson, a play on her surname, in December 2001 in the location once occupied by Cafe Trio. Swags of red fabric used as scarves by women in India adorn the walls. The floors are tiled in a patchwork of red, gray and ochre. Red votive candles flicker at each table. And blue-red roses are everywhere.
"They're classy reds right out of Safeway, and they stay perky for a week," she marvels.
The menu, subject to change as the season and Rose's whims dictate, offers Alaskan King crab, Ahi tuna, flat iron steak, braised pork, smoked chicken and Chilean sea bass. A la carte prices range from $14 to $24 for entrees. Luncheon salads are around $10 and sandwiches around $8.
"Everything on the menu is there for purely selfish reasons: I love to cook and eat them," Rose reveals. "I really love the braised pork." Starting early in the morning, she first browns the meat, then cooks it covered with a small amount of liquid for two and a half hours. It is served with a lingonberry-pinot noir reduction, roast potatoes and organic vegetables.
"Thai-Di" noodles--a play on her first name--are her version of pad Thai noodles, which she says are the judging standard for Thai restaurants. She first stir fries the softened rice sticks, then adds a blended coconut curry sauce, lime juice, orange juice, tamarind, fish sauce, peanuts ground to a powder "so you can get some of it in every bite" and sweet Thai chile sauce. A skewer of 1-ounce prawns tops it off with fresh lime and cilantro. The dish is the result of an inspiration Rose had during a trip to Thailand. "Traveling, for a chef, is very important," she notes.
In the dessert area, her assisting chef, Alberto Gamboa, who ran the kitchen when it was Cafe Trio, offers apple crisp. "He's famous for this," Rose says. "It's a homey dessert--so comforting in the old-fashioned way, served with vanilla bean gelato on top."
Rose, 34, was born in Massachusetts but grew up in San Jose. She studied at San Francisco's California Culinary Academy, where she met her husband-to-be, Eric Tosh, now chef at Valeriano's in Los Gatos. "I thought he was a cute, young boy in March. By October, that was it," she smiles. They will be celebrating their first anniversary this April.
The pair will be cooking together at a winemaker dinner with David Bruce Winery on April 28. "Eric is truly inspired when it comes to food-wine pairing," she says. "It's our one day to cook together and have fun." Reservations, limited to 40 for a four-course dinner, are $120 all-inclusive.
Crimson is located at 15466 Los Gatos Blvd., Los Gatos. Lunch is served Tuesday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and dinner is at 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday. For information, call 408.358.0175 or visit www.crimsonrestaurant.com.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
