Crimson

When Diane Rose set out on her own after heading the South Bay's Mio
Vicino restaurants, the chef deliberately kept the name of her new
venture ambiguous. Crimson, now in its fourth year, would not be
locked into a single cuisine.

Instead, the menu at the very personal little restaurant in a
distinctly un-hip Los Gatos shopping center would reflect what Rose
likes to eat, whether that means short ribs slow-cooked in a soy sauce
and ginger marinade or pasta with smoked chicken, caramelized onions
and radicchio.

Crimson's menu dips into the South Bay's culinary melting pot for
whatever combinations appeal to Rose's wide-ranging imagination. The
food may be quirky at times but the chef's California Culinary Academy
training shows. She works with top quality ingredients and focuses on
taste and texture. The flavors are complementary and the combinations
feel natural -- even when mashed potatoes are paired with chicken in a
rich mole sauce.

The surprise is part of the charm when everything tastes this good.

The restaurant is not easy to find, tucked in a corner behind a tower
near the Trader Joe's on Los Gatos Boulevard. The greeting is warm and
friendly, though, when you walk through the door, directly into the
offbeat dining room with its black ceiling and swathes of gauzy red
drapery. Each table is dressed in thick white linens and a single red
rose. Servers are enthusiastic and cheerful.

It's comfortable but not so casual that foie gras feels out of place
on the menu. You can share a few small plates with friends or
celebrate one of life's milestones with a four course feast.

Little touches assure you that the dinner ahead will be memorable.
Crisp-crusted ciabatta from Dolce Firenze in Seaside arrived at our
table on a recent weeknight with soft butter seasoned with garlic and
just a touch of red pepper. Glasses of ice water were garnished with
lemon and mint. The amuse bouche, a gift from the chef, was a shot
glass of herby green gazpacho.

Dishes change with the seasons to take advantage of what's best in the
market. My companions and I were wild about the warmed, perfectly ripe
black Mission figs stuffed with blue cheese and lightly candied
walnuts ($10). They were sweet and salty, crunchy and smooth, brought
together with a haunting dressing of balsamic syrup and white truffle
oil. And they're only available for the few weeks in late summer when
figs are at their best.

The caprese salad ($13) -- composed of sweet red and yellow Brandywine
tomatoes from Happy Boy Farms, tender little balls of fresh
mozzarella, and baby greens -- was perfumed with basil and lightly
dressed. This night there were capers, which added a pleasant salty
note.

But Rose was off, and you won't get capers when she's in the kitchen.
Her assistant is the one who likes them.

Small differences in taste aside, it's good to know that the food
doesn't really suffer when the chef/owner takes the night off. Our
only real complaint was that the grilled chicken was too dry beneath
its blanket of subtly spicy mole and handful of roasted pumpkin seeds
($18). The mashed potatoes, however, were thick and nicely seasoned,
the large chunks of carrots and chayote squash cooked just until
tender.

The star of the evening was the short ribs ($33), which have become
Crimson's signature. They're so popular, they're on the menu most
evenings, perhaps paired with a different rice and vegetable. A trio
of fat ribs, infused with the deep flavors of sesame, soy, orange
juice and maple syrup, had been roasted for 15 hours. The meat was
falling off the bone, ready to melt in your mouth. Matched with green
beans, crispy onions, and black rice, which soaked up the sauce, it
was unforgettable.

Times were hard when Rose opened the restaurant in December 2001:
Silicon Valley's economy was bottoming out and the world was still
reeling from the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The chef
and her husband Eric Tosh, executive chef of Eulipia in San Jose and
Valeriano's in Los Gatos, were on their own with no deep-pockets
investors.

She began offering daily specials -- $25 prix fixe dinners on
Tuesdays, half-price wine on Wednesdays, two-for-one short ribs on
Thursdays, and more. The incentives persist even as the economy has
picked up.

The wine special really makes a difference. We enjoyed a tart, citrusy
Bernardus sauvignon blanc with our meal for just $18, fairly close to
retail. The one-page list specializes in regional and Northern
California wines from small vintners at moderate prices. There are,
however, a small number of rare and high-priced wines, which Rose
calls ``The Stash,'' which are not included in the half-price deal.

Dessert is not an afterthought. Choices range from the expected creme
brulee ($8) and molten chocolate lava cake ($8) to chocolate port
fondue for two ($15). We were captivated by the exceptional house-made
sorbets ($8), not too sweet and bursting with fruit. Charantais melon
was our favorite with its intense flavor and tart edge.

Flavor is what Crimson is all about.