Does The Catamount in Los Gatos live up to its A-List pedigree?
Massive South Bay restaurant pays tribute to the local area
Last month, chef-owner Ray Tang of San Francisco’s popular Presidio Social Club opened his first South Bay restaurant, The Catamount, in Los Gatos’ Old Town Center. While Los Gatos Social Club would’ve been easier to say and remember, we respect that The Catamount pays tribute to the area: It’s a portmanteau that combines The Cats (the translation of Los Gatos) and the Santa Cruz Mountains, as well as the name of a large cougar.
Inside the 10,000-squarefoot (yes, massive) restaurant, which is located in the historic 1923 building that housed California Cafe, there are a few more local nods, including vintage Los Gatos High School yearbooks lining the shelves in the main dining room. There, live palm trees, teak furnishings and muted green accents give the space a fresh yet subdued vibe.
The menu is relatively subdued as well. With the exception of a dish or two, it is a safe, conservative take on California comfort food. There’s seared Brandt Ranch skirt steak on a bed of dandelion greens, steak frites and chimichurri sauce ($34); herb-roasted Mary’s half chicken with buttered zucchini and natural jus ($26); and grilled swordfish with salsa verde and summer wax beans ($29). Too bad the beans lost their vibrant color and snap in that sog-inducing salsa.
The dishes that stood out were unique and elevated (and, conveniently, lower in price): toothsome, medium-sized poached shrimp (Catamount Crudo of the Day, $17) in a zingy gazpacho laced with radish ribbons; Presidio Social Club’s grilled beef liver with slippery, caramelized onions, mashed potatoes and gremolata ($21); and grilled stone-fruit panzanella with arugula and balsamic ($12; add burrata, $7, or prosciutto, $8). Don’t even think about getting it without burrata. We made that mistake and were coughing from the vinegar’s acidity. This salad requires a fat source for balance.
I would’ve loved to see more of that PSC flair, like their clever East West Chicken Noodle Soup and fun weeknight specials (Wednesday’s crispy whole pork shank is served taco style). Executive pastry chef Rene Cruz brings some of that. He handles dessert for both restaurants and serves his popular Pineapple Upside Down Cake ($8, classic yellow cake, pineapple toffee sauce and toasted coconut ice cream, $9) at The Catamount along with something you can’t get at Presidio Social Club: creamy Madagascar Vanilla Soft Serve ($8) made in house and topped with your choice of decadence. Trust me when I say it goes best with brown butter caramel sauce and candied almonds.
The biggest draw for me (and the reason I’ll be back) is the in-house La Rinconada bar. It’s a sleek, bright and airy space with a Carrera marble-topped bar, chic bronze accents and a killer cocktail program. Bar manager Jason Seele (formerly of Jack Rose Libation House) offers up a comprehensive mix of signature, classic, barrel-aged and low-proof cocktails.
His house cocktails (all $13 each) are exceptionally tasty and balanced, especially Common Sense (Fords Gin, Plantation 3 Star Rum, Alessio China to, strawberry Campari, lemon and almond) and Bored of Education (Tito’s Vodka, cantaloupe, lemongrass, basil, citrus and pink peppercorn). Not only incredibly quaffable, but, once again, a nod to the building’s history. Before it was California Cafe, it housed the town’s University Avenue Elementary School.