Patio at Menlo Grill Bistro & Bar is an inviting place for a summer meal

Editor’s note: This is the first of a series spotlighting the special features of local restaurants that may not be widely known. If you think one of your favorite Menlo Park restaurants qualifies, please email us at tips[a]inmenlo.com.

The Menlo Grill Bistro & Bar is tucked inside the Stanford Park Hotel on El Camino right at the border of Palo Alto. Hidden inside the hotel is its patio — a great place to enjoy a summer cocktail and meal.

Perks include: no corkage fee on up to two bottles of wine per table; live music Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 6:00 to 9:00 pm and Friday and Saturday from 5:00 to 9:00 pm; bar bites and specially- priced drinks from the patio’s Pop Up Park; delicious fried chicken on Tuesday nights and smoked prime rib on Sunday.

This summer also marks the return of Chef Saul Romero after leading the culinary teams at Google’s Hangout Café and cafes at Ebay and PayPal. His culinary career includes serving as Executive Sous Chef at the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, a member of the Woodside Hotels portfolio; Executive Chef at The Grill on Ocean Avenue and Sous Chef at Anton and Michel, both in Carmel.

Chef Romero proudly points to his culinary industry roots as a dishwasher. He trained at the Culinary Institute in Napa Valley and at the California Culinary Academy (now Le Cordon Bleu) and earned certification by the American Culinary Federation. He regularly volunteers for the American Heart Association to educate the local Hispanic community about heart disease and diabetes. When asked what he would have as his last meal on earth, he says: “A bowl of my mother’s squash and tomato soup.”

Photo of patio by Linda Hubbard (c) 2017; photo of Chef Romero courtesy of Woodside Hotels