S.F. chef opens Indian bistro Aurum in Los Altos
After crafting modern Indian dishes at San Francisco’s August 1 Five for four years, executive chef Manish Tyagi set his sights southward.
Now in Los Altos, he has teamed up with Anupam Bhatia, the restaurateur who founded Broadway Masala in Redwood City, to open a contemporary Indian bistro called Aurum.
Here, Tyagi focuses on “repopularizing” some traditional, yet forgotten, Indian recipes. There’s Junglee, his version of lamb champaran, a hunter’s stew of lamb marinated in an earthen pot in its own juice with spices and oils, and the rich mutter mushroom makhana, which the chef has dubbed the Three Musketeers. Another dish that Tyagi says is often overlooked because it can be difficult to master is chatori kachori — raj kachori with mung beans, yellow peas, tamarind and mint.
He approaches the rest of the menu with his signature creativity. A pork thepla taco is called The Spoiled Generation. Raga Kofta, with sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella, is billed as “neither Indian nor Italian.” Leading the dessert menu is Heaven Can Wait, a toffee pudding with dates.
After a soft opening, Aurum — the name, pronounced “ARE-UM,” comes from the Latin for “gold” — is now offering takeout and delivery six days a week, Tuesday to Sunday, from noon to 9 p.m.
Both Bhatia and Tyagi forged their culinary careers in India’s hotel restaurants. Bhatia, former general manager at the Bay Area’s Amber India, is also the cofounder of Spice Affair in Beverly Hills. He opened his Redwood City restaurant in 2013. Tyagi was head chef at Amber Dhara in San Francisco before August 1 Five’s 2016 opening.
DETAILS >> 132 State St., Los Altos; www. aurumca.com
Concord Comfort Food Week runs through Jan. 31
If you purchase and eat gooey, fried, baked or otherwise comforting food, you might as well get rewarded for it. That’s the idea behind Visit Concord’s Comfort Food Week, which runs through Jan. 31 and features 70 of the city’s restaurants.
In its fourth year, the event is part of California Restaurant Month, which drives business to local restaurants. This year, they need it more than ever.
“Our restaurants, cafes and taquerias are an important, beloved and integral part of the Concord business community,” says Elaine Schroth, Visit Concord CEO and president. “Comfort Food Week has become an annual celebration to recognize
them all. But with the business challenges of COVID-19, it’s even more important to support these amazing businesses.”
How it works: Download the free Concord Comfort Food Week Passport, which allows participants to check-in through their phones when placing a takeout or delivery order. Receive one point for each check-in. Upon earning four points, score a Visit Concord gift pack, including Tshirt, carabiner and $25 restaurant gift card (limit one per person).
One grand prize winner will win a Concord Stay & Play Package, including a two-night hotel stay, bottle of wine and restaurant gift cards. Daily winners will be announced on Visit Concord’s Facebook page. The grand prize winner will be drawn and announced on Feb. 1.
Amici’s pizza back in San Jose after a four-year absence
Four years after shutting its doors in San Jose, Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria has returned. Only this time the restaurant that had been popular with fans heading to and from Sharks hockey games at SAP Center is making pizza for takeout and delivery from the Cloudkitchens facility 2 miles away, near Highway 87 and West Hedding Street. The concept gives the chain the opportunity to return to this market without opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Amici’s customers in the South Bay can get their fix — maybe the garlicky New Haven white clam pizza, Manhattan red clam pizza, or the Boston or Philly pies — from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Pizzas are available fully baked or halfbaked so you can finish in your home oven at your convenience. There’s also a full menu of pastas, salads and glutenfree pizzas and chicken wings available, along with New York-style cheesecake.
Amici’s continues to operate restaurants in Danville, Dublin, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Redwood Shores, San Francisco, San Mateo, San Rafael and Vacaville.
In Oakland, the pizzas and pastas are sold through Cloudkitchens at 2353 E. 12th St.
DETAILS >> 949 Ruff Drive, San Jose; 408320-9641; www.amicis.com
Danville’s new Hazy Barbecue opens for online preorders
Texas-style barbecue — tender, smoked meats with dry rubs over oak wood fires — has come to Danville.
Hazy Barbecue, a new family-owned restaurant in downtown Danville, has opened for online preorders of its signature brisket, tri-tip, pulled pork, ribs and more. Owners and brothers Sean and Brendan Harrigan are only offering takeout at the moment, but when outdoor dining reopens you can look forward to visiting their 70-seat patio, which is decked out with fire pits, overhead heaters and two outdoor televisions.
The brothers — Sean handles business, Brendan is a self-taught pitmaster and both graduated from San Ramon Valley High School — also offer salads ($8.50-$10), sandwiches ($9-$11) and specialty sides ($3.75-$10), like cheesy rustic mashed potatoes, brisket beans and tangy slaw. Vegetarian options, like barbecue jackfruit and whole spiced and roasted cauliflower, start at $5.75.
In addition to sandwiches, you can get the meats a la carte by the half-pound ($9$11) or as takeout family meals. Barbecue meals for two including meats, sides and garlic bread are $26; $47 for four.
Did we mention the restaurant has 36 taps? That’s where the Hazy part comes from — but you’ll have to wait until onsite dining returns.
DETAILS >> 200 Hartz Ave., Danville; www.hazybarbecue.com Send restaurant news tips to lzavoral@bayareanewsgroup.com or jyadegaran@bayareanewsgroup.com.