Happy Labor Day from Rosati Family Winery

Bistro Elan

Nestled on the south side of Palo Alto in the heart of Silicon Valley you will find bustling Bistro Elan. Reputed by loyal customers to be the best bistro in the Bay area.

“Attention to detail marks this welcoming bistro…Bistro Elan should be the standard bearer for the Palo Alto area.”
Zagat Guide

Andrea Hyde and Ambjorn Lindskog, the husband and wife team, established this neighborhood restaurant on California Avenue fifteen years ago. Before Bistro Elan, they lived distinctly different lives than they do today.

Ambjorn was born in a village in northern Sweden; he and his family followed his father as he moved from school to school as a principal. In his 20s he hitchhiked throughout Europe when this was a typical and safe way to see and experience the continent; one of his favorite stops was in France.

Ambjorn was educated at the Royal Institute of Technology. His first career, after leaving this esteemed university, was as the Expert on Nuclear Safety for Sweden. Perched above the magnificent and formal city of Stockholm, one could then find Ambjorn for about ten years ensuring proper energy management.

During this period, he spent his free time restoring cars, doing carpentry or catering. His grandmother had been an excellent cook; she instilled in him a love of cooking and an appreciation for the finest ingredients.

When not in Sweden advising on nuclear energy, he continued to travel. His affinity for France kept tugging at him. When time permitted, he made his way to the 7th arrondissement where he dined at some of the finest French restaurants.

The Swedish government moved him to the U.S. and it was then that he recognized his new direction. His passion for French cooking led him to make the easy decision to leave the ministry to train in the culinary arts.

He opened his first restaurant near California Avenue, Café Pro Bono-where Mario and I, coincidentally, had our first date! Running a restaurant turned out to be more involved than Ambjorn had originally contemplated. He sold this enterprise several years later and moved to Burgundy to train under the Executive Chef at L’Esperance.

From Burgundy, he moved to New York City. He worked as a Sous Chef at the Pierre Hotel, but longed to return to California. 231 Ellsworth in San Mateo hired him as their Executive Chef.

And, then he met Andrea.

Andrea is a local. She is one of three children born and raised in Palo Alto. She attended Gunn High School and then graduated with a BA in Economics from Chico State College. While in high school, her mother worked; so, she often found herself in the kitchen at home.

Her early experiences both at home and at Palo Alto restaurants where she worked, gave her a respect and admiration for food service. As luck would have it, when she did graduate with her degree in economics, the economy was at a low point. The hard earned degree was not a key calling card; she did find gainful employment in the restaurant industry-and, happily, never left.

While still in college and afterward, Andrea traveled extensively throughout Europe. Some of her favorite stops were in France, Portugal and Greece. Her love of fine wines and food pairing was hatched while still in her 20s.

Back in California, Andrea worked at Il Forniao when this restaurant was first created. When Ambjorn and she met, they found that each had a fascination with the southwest. Their shared dream was to move to Santa Fe and open their own restaurant there. Together they were recruited to La Casa Sena. It was a thrilling time for them, but the anticipated blossoming of the population and tourism did not take place.

Napa Valley, though, was booming. Two restaurants, Bistro Don Giovanni and The French Laundry, discovered them and back to California they came.

In 1995, after several months of searching, the current site of 448 California Avenue was vacant. Once again, their shared zeal for running their own restaurant resurged, and, Bistro Elan came into being.

Fortunately for their patrons, the combined skills of French inspired cooking and interesting wine selections, has led to an incredibly successful locale. Ambjorn buys only fresh produce, meats and other products-most from the local Farmer’s Markets. Andrea does not yield to purchasing commercially styled wines, regardless of the steep price cuts and gimmicks which she is offered. Rather, she finds fantastic, uncommon wines that pair extraordinarily well with Ambjorn’s treasures from the kitchen. This duo constantly strives to satisfy the customer with exquisite experiences.

“The food was very, very good French…Lovely presentations and scrumptious bites. The wine list is very extensive...The service impeccable and friendly…”
Yelp.com

Andrea has been a customer of Rosati Family Winery for many years; often, our wines are featured by the glass. She commented that our Cabernet is a superb complement to the California cuisine her husband and his team prepare; the wine matches the food-it does not overpower it.

Enjoy the Labor Day holiday and enjoy a glass of our 2004 or 2005 wherever you might be.

Warm regards,
Danelle and Mario

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Bistro Elan Duck Confit

A restaurant favorite!

Serves Four

Four Duck Legs
One Sliced Carrot
One Sliced Celery Stick
Six Sliced Garlic Cloves
Twenty Black Peppercorns
One and a half Tablespoons of Kosher Salt

Rub the duck legs with the salt. Put the legs, skin side up into an oven proof dish. The dish should be just large enough to hold the duck legs. Sprinkle the vegetables over the duck. Marinate for fourty eight hours.

Add either duck fat or canola oil to cover the duck legs. Cover the dish with either a tight lid or tin foil. Cook in a preheated oven for four hours at 275 degrees.

After marinating and baking the duck, place the legs into a frying pan with just enough fat to cover the bottom. Cook on medium high heat with the skin side down until the skin is crisp. Afterwards, turn the duck legs over and heat at approximately the same temperature until the legs are warmed throughout.

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