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Something's new at Valeriano's Italian restaurant in Los Gatos. Now they're serving lunch—and there's a new ceiling. The two may seem unrelated, but without the security of knowing the roof will stay in place, lunch wouldn't be as enjoyable as chef Eric Tosh is determined to make it.
The restaurant, which occupies some charming space in a historic bank building across from the Town Plaza, has been closed for repairs for almost five months. The old building made its need for repair known when an air-conditioning grate fell out of the ceiling and hit the floor about a foot away from the bartender Brian Engles. The new ceiling comes on the heels of some previous renovation and was a chance to brighten the place with fresh color. The grand reopening was Oct. 15, coincidentally just in time for Tosh's 34th birthday.
The new luncheon menu "is very simple and very identifiable without too many esoteric items," Tosh says. The four entrees served at mid-day include chicken scallopini and flat-iron steak. Eggplant Napoleon and the roasted half-chicken are familiar carry-overs from the dinner menu. For the casual diner wanting lighter fare and some tasty surprises, a variety of sandwiches are made "with a twist of Italian flavors," like the traditional turkey sandwich served on focaccia bread with aioli (a strongly flavored garlic mayonnaise). In addition, there are grilled chicken breast, Angus beef burgers, portobello mushroom burgers, and tuna melt and steak sandwiches. Some seven salads include tuna niçoise, Cobb and Caesar. Pastas include spaghetti with carbonara sauce (cream, eggs, Parmesan cheese and bits of bacon) and seafood linguini. Lunch prices range from $4.95 to $13.95.
For Valeriano regulars, Tosh's signature dishes remain on the dinner menu. Most popular are the grilled veal chop, Tuscan steak, Italian sausage rigatoni and pancetta-wrapped pork tenderloin. Entrees run from $10 to $36.
As executive chef, Tosh normally divides his time between Valeriano's and two other restaurants owned by San Joseans Steve and Kathleen Borkenhagen: Blakes Steak House and Eulipia. Since the reopening of the Los Gatos restaurant, Tosh is concentrating his efforts on overseeing the core menu.
"Although we're told our menu is great, our daily specials have not been as creative as folks expect," Tosh says. "So I'm going to be here, and Dan will help keep us consistent."
Dan, 28, is Tosh's brother who just arrived from Michigan and will be serving as sous chef along with Pablo Guadarrama. "Our consistency is solid. You can expect to eat something here on a Tuesday and find it will be the same a month from now."
The rest of the staff of familiar regulars has returned after a five-month-long respite at odd jobs while awaiting the reopening. Among them are manager Rob Rubia and "famous" bartenders Frank Ventura and Brian Engles, who serve up a line of humor along with a variety of drinks from the full-service bar. "We're the same owners and the same staff," Tosh says. "We've been here a long time and take a lot of pride in our cooking."
Valeriano's Restaurant, located at 160 W. Main St. in Los Gatos, is open daily for lunch, 11:30 a.m.2 p.m., and open for dinner Sunday 59 p.m., Monday through Wednesday 510 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday 511 p.m. The bar is open until
2 a.m. "or so." Call 408.354.8108.
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Photograph by George Sakkestad