8
Type of Business: Restaurant
Cuisine:
American, Italian, Other
Price: $$$
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Rating Criteria
1. From Scratch: Serves mostly (i.e., more than half of the menu) fresh food, prepared from scratch. Does NOT rely primarily on kits or prepared/partially prepared foods from commercial food services.
Yes
Comments: From the website: the ingredients "can be best described as highest quality, sustainable, and healthful." With the open kitchen, you can see that everything is prepared from scratch. There was a tray with a number of little dishes holding different peppers and herbs. These were finishing spices applied carefully just as the dish was leaving the kitchen, but also during the preparation of each meal.
2. Local/Organic: Offers at least some locally sourced and/or organically produced food and/or wild-caught seafood.
Yes
Comments: Owner Andrew Welch has "spent his entire career cultivating relationships with purveyors and suppliers that share his integrity and beliefs, ensuring that he continues to serve the best possibly sourced sustainable fish, never ever programmed meats, and local, organic, seasonal produce, all delivered daily." I stopped by with the 12 Spoons form a few days before my reservation. I didn't know him and had not eaten there yet. He wanted to do the form that day because he had a few spare moments. It was early, 5 PM, but some diners were already arriving. Andrew wanted to make sure I understood the distinction between the meats he uses and "programmed meats" which by law can be labeled "grass fed" even though during the first six months can be given antibiotics and hormone shots. He was passionate about this.
3. Pastured: Offers at least some pastured animal foods.
Yes
Comments: Yes, ALL his meats are pastured, grass fed and finished, and the sea food is sustainably caught. These are his values and why he has not only this restaurant, but another called The Basin, in Saratoga. Different menu but same suppliers. He did not pause a moment in giving me the names of his 5 main suppliers. I am in the process of contacting them.
4. Organs: Offers some dishes made with organ meats (liver/paté, sweetbreads, heart, kidney, brains, etc.).
No
Comments: I did not see any liver, hearts, sweet breads, etc. on the menu, but Andrew checked yes. Perhaps the menu changes and sometimes organ meats are offered. But in my experience, no.
5. Cooking Fats: Cooks (sautés) in natural fats such as butter, lard, tallow, duck fat, coconut oil, or olive oil; uses lard, duck fat, or tallow for frying.
Yes
Comments: Asa does not deep fry. No fryer. They only saute. The first item on the menu is Duck Fat Roasted Baby Potatoes with House Aioli. I saw butter being used for the clams. I also saw extra virgin olive oil.
6. Bone Broth: Makes own bone broths/stocks for use in soups, stews, gravies, and sauces (does NOT use canned broth or powdered soup bases).
Yes
Comments: Only from scratch. No canned broth or bases, per owner.
7. Seasonings: Makes most of its own seasoning mixes (does NOT use flavoring packets or MSG).
Yes
Comments: Yes, you can watch the chefs spice your meal if you want to get up and walk back to the open kitchen.
8. Salad oils: Makes most of its own salad dressings using olive oil or cold-pressed sesame oil.
Yes
Comments: I had the Winter salad, which definitely used a fruity olive oil and sherry vinegar, and a touch of honey. It wasn't sweet.
9. Breads: Offers genuine sourdough bread.
No
Comments: When we talked abut this, Andrew was aware of the value of the fermented wheat, but currently does not offer sourdough.
10. Beverages: Offers lacto-fermented beverages (such as kombucha or kvass).
No
Comments: Not at this time.
11. Condiments: Offers lacto-fermented condiments.
No
Comments: They do make their own aioli and creme fraiche,
12. Desserts: Offers desserts made with natural sweeteners (such as raw honey, maple syrup, maple sugar, molasses, date sugar, palm sugar, coconut sugar, sorghum syrup, or malt syrup).
Yes
Comments: My husband had their home made amaretto cherry iced cream. I will check to see what it was sweetened with, but it was not overly sweet like commercial products and immediately started to melt. Check back for a copy of the dessert menu.
Rating Created by:
Monica Corrado
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Location & Contact
Downtown Los Altos is small, two main streets, Main and State, and 4 cross streets, 1st through 4th. Safe, adequate parking. Night life: mostly restaurants.
242 State Street
Los Altos, CA
242 State Street
Los Altos, CA
Asa is a restaurant I will return to again and again. Owner Andrew Welch was there and eagerly went over the rating form with me, even giving me a mini-lecture about meat quality, providing the names of his farm and ranch suppliers. He describes the cuisine offered as American with Spanish and Italian influences. Every menu item we ordered was prepared to perfection and was the kind of dish I doubt I would make at home due to the complexity and uncommon ingredients -- the reason you go out to eat! There is an open kitchen. You can watch the chefs prepare the food with care and alacrity. Though higher in price than some dinner restaurants, it is fairly priced given the sourcing of the meats, originality of offerings, and quality of other ingredients. Though I don't drink alcohol, the wine list was impressive and chosen for pairing with their meals. Reservations are based on a 2-hour sitting. You are not rushed.