Bay Area ***Stars***

The Michelin Guide for Bay Area restaurants  just came out for this year and there are six restaurants from the Peninsula.  Los Gatos has two while Mountain View, Menlo Park, Saratoga and Woodside have one each.  None for B'game but I don't feel badly about that.  Having eaten at a couple of the 40 listed for the whole Bay Area, I don't think our dining scene supports that style of restaurant.  I'd love someone to prove me wrong, but the combination of longevity, food quality, service, etc is a pricey undertaking requiring a good landlord or owning the building.

On the local scene, I am impressed by how well Mingalaba is doing.  It's not a large restaurant so perhaps the crowd waiting outside is a little deceiving, but it pretty constant most evenings.

 

Comments

[Roly Poly]

Great call on Mingalaba.

[jennifer]

Yep, it's totally FAB, with great service, too.

[Scheherezade Sharabianlou]

Jennifer,

Do you know who is the landlord for Mingalaba's building?
Who was the rental agent? That may give you all your answers!as to why they are doing well.

Joe wrote:
"but the combination of longevity, food quality, service, etc is a pricey undertaking requiring a good landlord or owning the building."

Did the landlord and rental agent help in this case?

I hope the owners of Mingalaba have a plan to cover them for when their rent goes up so much that they may not be able to afford to remain on the Avenue.
The goodwill they are creating for their building is priceless. Thier landlord is the one who gets the ultimate benefit of it.

Success in Burlingame leads to higher rent!

I wish them luck and I will certainly try them.

Scheherezade Sharabianlou
Owner of PIP Printing

[Scheherezade Sharabianlou]

Joe, Isn't it great that Mingabala's success has nothing to do with BID's money! Why don't you pick one restaurant and we don't need to know which one you have chosen. Follow it from now until all of the BID's money is spent for the first year and report on it. It is a valuable homework for you since you seem to support BID. To be fair I have picked 5 and every time I pass by I make a note of how many people are eating there. I'll report to you next year the same time! I want to see if my money given to BID has helped someone or not!

Scheherezade

[Carol]

Some things the BID is doing can't be measured that way. For example, I heard that many of the merchants have complained that the annual holiday open house hurts their businesses because the street is blocked off and the strollers don;t come into their businesses. So, the BID has decided that there won;t be a holiday open house parade this year.

They seem to be listening to what the merchants want. How do you measure the success of that?

[Joe]

BID, no BID...it's not my call since I don't have even one vote. But the votes are in and you have a BID, so that's that. I'm paying lots of taxes, fees, surcharges and assessments I didn't vote for, but that's the way it works. You seem to have put up a good fight, Scheherezade, and I do love a fighter, but once the loss is in the books, the checkbook has to come out. C'est la vie.

[Scheherezade Sharabianlou]

Carole, who are they?! BID proponents aren't the owner of the BID's fund. You are. We are. So don't give Then so much credit. Measure their success with what They will do not what They aren't doing! I hope our money is not wasted.

Scheherezade

[Scheherezade Sharabianlou]

Dear Joe, Those taxes you mentioned are taxes we all pay and I am VERY happy to pay. We get a lot back. I see it everyday as I walk to work. But BID was forced on 550 merchants which you admit you aren't one! We won. We were able to speak our minds and expose some hidden agendas. I will not stop talking about BID. I am not convinced it is a good thing. Until then I am watching! and yes you will read about it. Sorry!

Scheherezade Sharabianlou
PIP Printing