Don Diltz’s Weblog www.MidPenRE.com

Heads up from my friend Larry Chinn:  He and Nate Pruitt had a gig at Marqs In Menlo last night – a jazz and dinner club almost ready for a grand opening in Menlo Park (1143 Crane St).  So I gathered my entourage and we decided to scope out this place I’d never heard of. 

 Wow!

No surprise that Larry Chinn (http://www.myspace.com/larrychinn) and Nate Pruitt (http://www.primarycolorsmusic.com/nate.html) lit up the room with their virtuoso jazz stylings.  For me…everything else…big surprise:

1.        Marqs In Menlo – what a treat to have a local jazz treasure chest:

Marqs in Menlo
      1143 Crane St 
      Menlo Park, CA 94025 
      http://marqsinmenlo.com
      (650) 853-1143

2.          Pretty good crowd – probably 40 guests for dinner, dessert, drinks and entertainment (no cover, no minimum).

3.          Food:  The menu is not all that vegetarian friendly…but Executive Chef Gary Maffia is always ready to step in to create upon request… Linguine Prima Vera?  Gosh…the best I’ve ever had…  super ripe micro tomatoes, spinach, wild mushrooms, artichokes, roasted garlic, and multiple other fresh from market treats with perfect al dente linguine….ahhhh.  (Plus, we sampled French fries which were to die for and wild mushrooms on crostini…delicini!

4.          Tom…the manager…back from Ohio (you’ll remember him as the handsome debonair attentive manager from Oak City in days gone by)….attentive and friendly as always.  Owner Marq…always observant and friendly – ready to make the experience warm and enjoyable.  Bravo

Here are a few pics…but they underscore that my new iphone (which I love) is a bit challenged in low light settings.