Willow Glen, California Since 1992
Cafe Willow Glen
Sharky's Oyster Bar and Grill becomes a pearl in Willow Glen By Staci L. Jameson It was only about six months ago that Jim Latter purchased his first restaurant, Sharky's Oyster Bar and Grill, but he comes from a long line of chefs. Both of Latter's parents were cooks, and culinary skill seemed to come naturally to the former Cal Poly student. While the physical education courses Latter took in San Luis Obispo may not help him run his new restaurant, the business courses should. "I think that the only cooking classes I ever took were back in high school. I really enjoyed it and just kept cooking," says Latter. He also worked as a chef at Palo Alto's Pearl restaurant for a time. Latter hasn't given up his day job yet; he still sells packaging during the day and works as a chef at Sharky's in the evenings. "We serve mainly seafood here. I've gotten to make up a few sauces that the customers seem to like. We have a smoked salmon pasta dish with a sherry cream sauce. I think that would have to be the house specialty. It's either that or the crab cakes," says Latter. Latter has made sure to keep the fun alive in his restaurant. "In the few months I've owned the place, only 12 people have finished their plate. The portions are huge and we keep a running tab of how many people can finish an entire meal. It's fun," Latter says. One of the things Latter is most proud of is the fact that there is no freezer at Sharky's. "The food here is fresh—nothing frozen. The seafood comes in, gets cooked and ordered. If there's any left, we don't use it the next day. Fresh seafood is the best tasting and the best quality," says Latter. An occasional special at Sharky's is Latter's crab-stuffed mushrooms. He doesn't make them often, but when he does, they sell out quickly. "We advertise a little, but we depend on word-of-mouth mostly. Almost everyone that comes in here comes back and usually tells a couple of people about the food and the service," says Latter. Sharky's recently began opening for lunch as well as dinner. "It was by demand. The customers kept asking for a lunch service so we thought we'd give it a try. It's a light menu, mostly salads and sandwiches, like the smoked salmon sandwich. You can get lunch in about 15 minutes, and it's healthy. About $15 covers lunch for two," says Latter. Latter has always believed in giving back to the community. For years he has held golf tournaments, with the proceeds going to the Special Olympics, an organization he has worked with since college. This year is no different, only Latter plans to hold the first Seafood Olympics; that event is scheduled for August, and proceeds from the event will go to the Special Olympics. There will be five events, each of which has a $20 entry fee, and there will be a two-event limit. One of the events will entail finishing an eight-inch burnt-almond cake from Dick's Bakery, also in Willow Glen. "Since that's the only desert we serve here, it seemed right," says Latter. "There will be other events as well. There's going to be an event to see who can eat the most oysters in 30 seconds." Sharky's Bar and Grill, 1151 Lincoln Ave., is open Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for lunch and 5 p.m.-10 p.m. for dinner. For more information, call 408.279.0996. |
Feedback, or story ideas for the Willow Glen Resident?
(Close this Window to go back to our home page.)
Copyright © SVCN, LLC. Maintained by GoGuys, Inc.