Open for Italian food and beer 🤌

Meet the chef-owner behind Donato Enoteca in Redwood City

When Donato Scotti moved from his hometown of Bergamo, Italy, to New York, it “was too big of a shock,” he said. He then moved to Los Angeles, but he “wasn’t a big fan of traffic.” But when he found the Bay Area, he said, “We gotta stay here.”

In 2009, Scotti opened Donato Enoteca in Redwood City, a family-friendly yet upscale restaurant serving seasonally inspired modern Italian food. Fifteen years later, his passion for Italian cuisine and his restaurant is still infectious. I sat down with Scotti at his restaurant and picked his brain ahead of Donato Enoteca’s 15th anniversary celebration this week. 

I also set my sights on beer, chatting with the co-owner of Dasbierhauz in Mountain View and the co-manager of Fibbar Magees in Sunnyvale. Dasbierhauz has some exciting expansion plans, and Fibbar Magees (which has been around for 30 years!) got a revamp. 

Stay tasty,
Adrienne 

Donato Enoteca owner reflects on 15 years in Redwood City

Fifteen years after opening Donato Enoteca in Redwood City, Donato Scotti speaks with the same energetic passion as if he had opened the Italian restaurant yesterday. I sat down with Scotti to look back on the past 15 years – the evolution of the Bay Area Italian food scene, his proudest achievement with Donato Enoteca and more.

A fire at Mazra, a new German beer garden and a zucchini car race

• A fire broke out at Mazra in Redwood City last night. While no one was injured, the Mediterranean restaurant will be closed for at least four weeks, said co-owner Saif Makableh. 
• Mountain View’s Dasbierhauz is opening its second German beer garden in Redwood City next month.
• The latest craic: Sunnyvale Irish pub Fibbar Magees has reopened after a two-month renovation (and the bathrooms are stunning).
• First Born, the late-night concept of brunch restaurant Breaking Dawn, is soft opening Thursday in Los Gatos. 
• Vivace Restorante is turning 30 tomorrow! To celebrate, the Belmont restaurant is having live music and spirit and wine tasting from 5-7 p.m. followed by a special sit-down dinner.
• Pamilya, originally expected to open this month in Redwood City, is pushing back its opening date due to construction and permitting.
• Sushi Roku at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto is now open for lunch service.
• Start your engines…or rather zucchini, because the zucchini car races are back at the Los Gatos Farmers Market on Sunday. 
• Former executive producer of “Emeril Live” Karen Katz is hosting a book signing June 26 for her memoir “Getting Sauced” at the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto.

Hot pot at Shabuway

One of the very few restaurants I ever ate at as a kid was Shabuway in downtown Mountain View. Growing up with a brother allergic to practically everything (save for vegetables, meat and rice), hot pot was the obvious eating out solution. And I loved hot pot, so I had absolutely no complaints. Melt in your mouth meat, spicy from the chili peppers floating in the broth, dunked in sweet and tart ponzu – what’s not to love? 

But all good things must come to an end, and Shabuway in downtown Mountain View closed. It wouldn’t be dramatic to say that I was devastated. I tried Happy Lamb and Superhot, also along Castro Street, and I was immensely disappointed. Happy Lamb’s pots are strangely raised above the table, making it extremely difficult to cook your food, and they don’t even carry ponzu sauce (which to me defeats the purpose of hot pot). And while Superhot does have ponzu and the pots are set into the table (like they’re supposed to be), the meat is cut way too thick so it doesn’t melt in your mouth.

So when I was strolling through downtown San Mateo and saw Shabuway still existed, I knew I had to stop in and relive my childhood. And while the vegetable platter changed slightly (notably enoki mushrooms were replaced by king trumpet), the meat was just as incredibly tender as I remembered. Shabuway may have me visiting downtown San Mateo more often.

Shabuway, 145 E 3rd Ave., San Mateo; 650-548-2483. Open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.

Half Moon Bay’s Sweet55 coming to Palo Alto
A behind-the-scenes look at the chocolate shop

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