Peninsula Creamery: burgers & milkshakes & Pez (oh my)
Written: Jun 29 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Comfort food in a fun atmosphere
Cons: A little pricey, and you'll probably need Tums when the meal's over
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| tanster's Full Review: Peninsula Fountain & Grill |
My earlier review on California Pizza Kitchen was titled "...when you can't decide where to eat." The same could be said for the Peninsula Fountain & Grill, which has been serving up tasty diner food since 1923. It hasn’t been called the Creamery (named after its previous owner) for some time now, but that’s what I’ll always call it.
The quick story
• Yuppie diner food and awesome shakes.
• Get breakfast any time of day.
• Casual, fun, and put some money in the jukebox, baby.
Breakfast rules
Breakfast seems to be the one meal I crave the most, and at the Creamery, I can satisfy the urge any time of day. I usually go for the ubiquitous bacon and eggs ($7.50), served with toast and potatoes. Tip: They tend to undercook the bacon, so if you like it crispy, say so! This is a diner, and so they serve hash browns with breakfast. None of those trendy cottage potatoes (although that is also an option) for me!
If I'm feeling a little more decadent, I order the omelette with spinach, mushroom, and cream cheese ($7.95, with your choice of three ingredients), which fills me up until late afternoon. I've also had the waffle topped with fruit ($6.95, $5.25 without fruit) which includes a generous topping of fruit such as strawberries, bananas, and kiwi.
The Creamery's specialty breakfast item is the hash brown pie ($7.50), a hefty serving of hash browns weighed down in cheese, bacon, and green onions, served with two eggs. Hey, diet food this definitely ain't!
Other breakfast items include buttermilk pancakes, oatmeal, corned beef hash, and French toast.
Sandwiches from childhood
The Creamery's not going to ever win awards for creative cuisine, but that's because its emphasis is on comfort food. Sandwich prices range from $4.95 for a grilled cheese to $9.95 for a New York steak sandwich. Other choices include meatloaf, grilled cheese, BLT, Reuben, French dip, and even a fried egg and bacon, all served with your choice of potato salad or cole slaw (the potato salad is wonderful). Tip: If neither calorie-laden salad appeals to you, you can also ask for a small fruit cup (not listed on the menu).
One of my favorite sandwiches is the chicken salad melt, which is essentially a gooey grilled cheese sandwich filled with moist chicken salad. If you want a little bit of everything, you can order any half sandwich, with a cup of soup and side of fries, for $6.50. The soup changes every day; tonight's choice was a roast tomato and white bean.
Entrees Mom would make
Moving onto the burgers and dinner-type courses, the Creamery makes a great patty melt with grilled onions ($6.25) – rye bread, melted American cheese, fragrant grilled onions, juicy beef patty – burger heaven. I like the melt better than the regular cheeseburger ($5.95). A side of fries costs an extra $1.25; I usually skip them because they are steak fries, and not the shoestring variety I love so much.
For more substantial fare, Beau is partial to the roast turkey dinner, ($9.50), complete with mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and steamed vegetables. Other entrees include pot roast, meatloaf, fish and chips, and macaroni and cheese.
Besides a regular green salad (their Italian dressing is awesome) and veggie burger, there's not much for vegetarians here.
Shakes and ice cream to die for
The Creamery milkshake ($4) is the best shake I’ve ever tasted. Blended in an old-fashioned metal shaker, each shake is thick, creamy, and easily enough for two people to share. Our favorite shake flavors are the cookies and cream, and the vanilla (with a whole banana mixed in, for 75¢ extra). You can choose from more than 20 flavors of ice cream, including exotic types like mango and coconut.
Other sweets
There is an old-fashioned glass case towards the back of the restaurant that entices with homemade goodies such as a mile-high apple pie (that's not what they call it, but the height of the pie is around 6"), lemon squares, brownies, giant oatmeal raisin cookies, coconut cream cake, and key lime pie, all served in ridiculously large portions. The Creamery also offers the Whoopie pie ($2.45), two enormous chocolate cookies with what looks like nearly a cup of whipped filling in the middle. An Oreo cookie gone terribly (and wonderfully) awry.
Other fountain favorites from yesteryear include cherry Coke ($1.90), egg cream ($2.95), and Yoo-Hoo ($2.25).
Come one, come all!
This is definitely a family restaurant. On weekend mornings (when the Creamery seems to be the most popular), the Creamery is overflowing with kids and babies. No dress code here -- shorts and tshirts are perfectly fine.
The Creamery is great for single diners -- just slide up to the counter. You can sit there and read the local paper while watching the staff concoct those famous shakes! I would say the majority of visits I make here are solo.
Where’s Fonzie?
Keeping with the nostalgic theme, the Creamery is decked out in red Naugahyde booths, a tiled floor, old-fashioned straw dispensers, and of course, a jukebox (that plays both golden oldies and contemporary hits). Walls are adorned with charming signs such as “Homemade Pies – Take One Home…Mom Won’t Mind.”
No beehive hairdos here
The serving staff is young, efficient, and good-natured about special requests, such as Beau’s desire for a brownie ice cream sundae, which is not on the menu.
The only restaurant I know that sells Pez!
When you go up to the cashier to pay your bill, you won’t be able to miss the array of old-fashioned penny candy displayed on the counter -- bubblegum, Red Vines, Smartees, Tootsie Pops, and even Pez dispensers! You can also buy a charming pouch of wooden nickel milkshake tokens ($22), a perfect gift for your favorite foodie.
All in all
While a bit pricey for diner food, the Creamery satisfies my primal cravings for the four basic food groups: 1) cheese, 2) potatoes, 3) beef, and 4) ice cream. But I also have sentimental reasons for liking the Creamery -- it was one of my earliest dates with my dear Beau. Excuse this bit of mawkish sentiment, but there’s nothing more romantic than sharing a banana shake at the counter with your honey. :)
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Peninsula Fountain & Grill
Corner of Hamilton & Emerson Streets
Downtown Palo Alto, CA
650-323-3131
Reservations: no reservations are taken. For weekend breakfast, I would advise getting there before 10am. If you're alone, counter seating is available pretty much any time of day.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
tanster
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 - Top 500 |
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Location: Palo Alto, CA
Reviews written: 111
Trusted by: 331 members
About Me:
Happily reviewing cool gadgets and SF Bay Area restaurants since 1999. Pass the gravy, please.
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