It’s been more than two years in the making, from concept to construction.
The long-awaited restaurant from renowned chef Jose Andrés will open in early December at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto.
Called Zaytinya, the contemporary Mediterranean venture from Andrés and concept chef Michael Costa will focus on the flavors of Turkey, Greece and Lebanon.
Specifics on the opening date have not yet been released.
This will be the first Northern California restaurant for the chef who has made his mark internationally as a humanitarian. The World Central Kitchen Andrés founded feeds residents in disaster areas and war-torn zones around the globe.
However, Andrés is no stranger to Silicon Valley. Starting in 2010, he made occasional visits to lecture and cook at the prestigious International Culinary Center’s Bay Area campus in his role as dean of the Spanish studies program. The Campbell academy closed in 2018.
And in 2020, the man who has made a mission of feeding the world’s hungry and displaced received the John Steinbeck Award from San Jose State University — an honor that goes to artists and activists who, through their work, embody the spirit of the author’s social engagement. Because of the pandemic, the ceremony was a virtual one, with Andres appearing from D.C.
Over the last several years, both the pandemic and wildfires have brought Andrés and his World Central Kitchen team to the Bay Area to serve meals. Notably, in March 2020, when the Grand Princess, the cruise ship stricken by the coronavirus, arrived at the Port of Oakland, they were waiting dockside with meals for the passengers. In late summer of that year, they mobilized to feed victims of the Northern California blazes and firefighters, as they had during previous fire seasons.
Details: 660 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto; https://joseandres.com/ and www.simon.com/