Saratoga News

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Tom Clendening, co-owner of Vaquero's Border Chop House, keeps hungry meat-eaters coming back for more.

Vaquero's offers meals for the trendy carnivore

By Suzanne Cristallo

Observers of America's dining habits say there is a grand move back to eating meat in California. Picking up on the trend, Vaquero's Border Chop House says beef is what's for lunch and dinner at the new rib, steak, chop and chicken house at El Paseo de Saratoga shopping center, bordered by Saratoga and Campbell avenues.

The first to open in a planned chain of 20, the restaurant is owned by Tom Clendening of San Mateo, Ray Klein of Mountain View and a third, silent partner.

"People are eating more meat now than they did 20 years ago," says Clendening, 42, explaining the emphasis on meat dishes at Vaquero's. He is in a position to know. He has owned and operated the Elite Cafe on Fillmore and California streets in San Francisco, which he says was the first Cajun and Creole restaurant in California, for 16 years. He also owned the Dixie Cafe for four years and what used to be known as Today's, both in San Francisco.

Klein brings additional business expertise to the new chain as president of the Pollo Rey string of Mexican fast-food restaurants headquartered in Mountain View.

"While people may not be eating meat at home," Clendening says, "it's splurge time in their leisure hours. After working hard, they are going out and eating meat like it's going out of style."

Chef Robert Morris, a veteran of the Elite Cafe, where he was sous chef, is accommodating the hungry carnivores by offering flatiron-seared and pan-roasted New York or filet mignon steaks; 12-ounce, two-inch-thick oven-roasted pork chops; full slabs of baby back ribs spiced with pecans and red chili; and seared chicken breast.

"Our food strategy is to let the flavor of the food speak for itself instead of covering it in thick sauces," Morris says.

For vegetarians, there is the "Vegetarian Filet Mignon"--two grilled portobello mushrooms stuffed with wild mushrooms steeped in balsamic vinegar and red chile marinade. Several Southwestern side dishes, such as green onion and sour cream mashed potatoes, jalapeño-glazed green beans and Tumbleweed Potatoes, may tempt Tex-Mex fans.

Fresh fish and shrimp balance a menu of a la carte entrees priced from $11 to $18. Lunch runs about $7 for dishes like half-pound burgers, tacos and grilled chicken.

To get his customers in the mood, Clendening has personally designed "a cowboy lodge" with wood fixtures, antler chandeliers and leather-laced Western lampshades.

He commissioned Wet Studios in San Francisco, which specializes in big stage backdrops for music stars like Carlos Santana, to create an acrylic 35-by-7 mural depicting a colorful profusion of cowboys and horses bucking and galloping across the length of the room in a Cubist style.

A full bar with a lengthy selection of California wines is available, as is patio dining.

Vaquero's Border Chop House, 1010 El Paseo de Saratoga, San Jose. Open daily, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. 871-1114.

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