Things are peachy at Cool Café in Menlo Business Park
The Cool Café located on O’Brien Street in the Menlo Business Park is undoubtedly the most hidden of restauranteur and cookbook author Jesse Cool’s food “empire,” which includes the Flea Street Cafe in Menlo Park and an additional Cool Café at the Cantor Arts Center on the Stanford campus. But it’s the place she’s chosen to turn all peachy this week (and next, pending local peach sources).
Jesse is a particular fan of the Alberta peaches grown by Masumoto family on their farm near Fresno. “For the last four or five years, we’ve participated in their adopt-a-tree program,” she explained. “Anyone can do it. You pay a certain amount up front and then drive to the farm to pick the peaches when they’re ready.This year we got 46 flats of peaches off of one tree!
“The family is renowned for their peaches, and they just released a book devoted entirely to peaches that has stories and recipes.”
Featured dishes at the Menlo Business Park café location include heirloom tomato peach salad with mozzarella, grilled Alaskan salmon with peach chutney, chicken sausage and peach sandwich, peach crostadas, and peach-infused lemonade.
When they’ve run out of their supply of peaches from Masumoto, Jesse will turn to Webb Ranch and Fully Belly Farm for more of the summer fruit.
“Being able to pick the peaches off the tree is special,” said Jesse. “We’ve lost the connection to where food comes from. Everybody who participates feels so nurtured — and the kids have a great time, too.”
