Quirky Crimson surprises
IMAGINATIVE DISHES, SEASONAL INGREDIENTS SET LITTLE EATERY APART
By Aleta Watson
Mercury News

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 swaths 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 available only 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 September terrorist attacks. 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.'' These 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.

Crimson

15466 Los Gatos Blvd.,

near Los Gatos Almaden Road,

Los Gatos. (408) 358-0175.

www.crimsonrestaurant.com

*** 1/2

The Dish: The menu is eclectic and sometimes quirky at this charming little restaurant on the less glamorous side of Los Gatos, where Chef Diane Rose serves the deeply flavored, satisfying food she loves to eat.

Price range: Lunch appetizers $4-$14, entrees $7-$19. Dinner appetizers $5-$17, entrees $16-$39. Corkage $18 except on Sundays, when it's free.

Details: Patio dining.

Pluses: Outstanding short ribs; half-price wine on Wednesdays

Minuses: Dry chicken with mole

Hours: Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesdays- Fridays. Dinner 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays

Restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously. The Mercury News pays for all meals.