Tapestry Review by The Finicky Bears, The Valley Scene, November 1998

Overall grade: 4 paws (A+)

When you open the menu at the new Tapestry Restaurant in Los Gatos, you read this dedication, "Global cuisine combines the threads of different cultures. We invite you to join us and make our tapestry complete." Not a bad analogy, because that's exactly what's happening in this small fresh place, lots of different aspects blending together to create a great scene. Sounds easy? It's not.

Joe and Carol Hargett of Dolce Spazio fame and Gary and Vickie Messick (he is the chef from the old Los Gatos California Cafe) took the original Puccinelli home on the site of the historic soda works on College Avenue off Main Street and created a charmingly bright and beautifully designed restaurant. With the aid of the Los Gatos Company, they pulled off delights to behold. The artwork is cheery and colorful. Notice the paintings by artist Nancie Crowlie and the sculpture by Lideja Tkalcevic. The lighting is modern and efficient and there's carpet on the floor so you can actually hear people talking to you. (Finally somebody thought about acoustics.)

PaPa had the Filet Mignon, done perfectly, Mongolian style, $19.00.

Our other guest had the grilled lamb loin served with a slightly curried spinach and garlic mashed potatoes at $17.50. Delicious.

I tried the warm tart of sweet onions with cured salmon and creme fraiche $8.00, as an appetizer and the seared ahi with sticky rice and a soy vinaigrette at $18.00. Both were sublime.

For dessert we shared the Banana Chocolate Bread Pudding with white chocolate cream at $5.00 and the Sour Cream Apple Pie with vanilla gelato, $5.00. Fabulous.

To top it off, they gave us chocolate chip cookies with the check.

There are many things that are terrific about this little restaurant. What's really special is that the site is historic.

It would have been a sad state of affairs if a mediocre establishment had blemished it. Not the case. History can smile. This restaurant is first class and a credit to Los Gatos. The Tapestry is complete.

The staff, many of them also from the old California Cafe at Old Town, are friendly and very knowledgeable. The Chef Gary Messick seems to have soared to new levels in this venue. This is a first class dining experience worthy of any city anywhere, very modern and innovative.

The menu is sometimes whimsical: "Yesterday's soup," which changes daily, "Really expensive mushrooms" and my favorite, "Honeymoon salad" (Lettuce Alone). Also on the menu, since there is no full bar, are a group of cocktails made with high grade sake, Japanese white rice wine. Sakatini is a hybrid martini made with Vermouth and Sake and a Sakatazi is a play on Kamikaze. My favorite is the Cosmopolitan, made with cranberry juice, lime and sake. All are $3.50 and are served in large martini glasses. They also serve a champagne cocktail at $6.50. The wine list is an adequate representation of different quality varietals competitively priced.

They start you off with a complimentary appetizer of a mild garlic mushroom crouton, a nice touch.

Our guest tried the goat cheese panasatti, a type of ravioli, with calamata olives, Roma tomatoes, and lemon oil at $13.00. It was an interesting and delicious presentation.

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