Do you have a favorite restaurant that your whole family loves, a place where everyone always orders the same entrees because they've been doing it for years and see no reason to try something new?

Sundance Mining Company is that type of place.

Sundance has been a tradition in my family for almost 20 years now -- by far the longest time we've ever patronized a restaurant. I first brought my dad here when I was a freshman at Stanford and he was in town for a visit, and it's been his favorite non-Chinese restaurant ever since. (Oops, I think I just spilled the beans on how old I am.)

THE QUICK STORY
• The best prime rib on the peninsula.
• Dimly lit, mens club atmosphere.

CUISINE
Simply prepared beef and seafood of the highest quality. Slow-roasted certified Angus prime rib is Sundance's specialty.

- Appetizer
• The meal starts with ciabatta bread served with butter or olive oil/balsamic vinegar.
• After years of eating here, we know better than to order appetizers before the main attraction! However, we have had excellent Maryland crab cakes ($8.75) and Panko-crusted calamari ($8.50), both served with tasty aoilis.
• Other appetizers include prawns, oysters, and potato skins.

- Entree
• Prime rib and lobster tail (Market price): My dad never orders any other entree but this one! Tender, juicy, flavorful prime rib is served with little cups of au jus and horseradish sauce on the side for dipping. The succulent lobster tail is simply broiled and served with drawn butter. Throw in a fluffy baked potato slathered in sour cream and chives, and you've got yourself a meal fit for the manliest of men!
• Salmon with dill caper sauce ($17.95): This is what I always order. The salmon filet is perfectly cooked. And the rice pilaf, with bits of mushroom and green onion, is the perfect partner for the creamy, subtlely-flavored sauce. Again, simple preparation with scrumptious results.
• Chicken teriyaki ($16.95): My mom's favorite. A full breast of chicken is grilled and and glazed with a soy ginger pineapple sauce. A little sweet for my taste, but my mom loves it. If you order the boiled potatoes with it, this is about as healthy a meal as you're going to find here.
• Other entrees include filet mignon, Porterhouse steak, swordfish, and chicken scallopini. All consistently wonderful.
• Vegetarians aren't going to find much here, except for maybe the Penne Primavera ($14.75).
All entrees come with a vegetable and choice of baked potato, boiled potatoes, or rice pilaf.

- Dessert
• By the time my family finishes devouring the main course, we're usually in no shape to order dessert. We have, however, sampled the cheesecake and the mud pie, both of which were rich and satisfying.

- Wine
• Sundance's extensive wine list won an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine in 1995.
• Of course, the list tends toward the red side, with over 80 selections of cabernet, merlot, "big French reds," and "exotic reds" (Meritage and Petite Sirah). Most are in the range of $40-60.
• Their "rare cabernets" section includes a '93 Robert Mondavi Reserve ($110) and a '92 Stags Leap ($195).
• About a dozen wines are offered by the glass, in the $4-11 range.
• Sundance also offers around 10 half bottles in the $20-30 range.
• Corkage fee: $10.

HOW LONG THE MEAL LASTED
An hour and a half.

SERVICE
• Cheerful and well-paced service, even when accommodating big family units.

DECOR/ATMOSPHERE
• Sundance sports a posh, traditional mens club look and feel -- dark wood paneling, plush booth seating, antique sports equipment hanging from the ceiling and walls, and dim lighting. If it weren't for Palo Alto's non-smoking laws, Sundance would probably have a cigar room, too.
• The booths and tables are generously spaced, allowing for privacy.
• My favorite decoration? -- just inside the front door, vintage photographs and memorabilia from the early 1900s Big Games. (Go Stanford!)

CLIENTELE
• Attire is dressy casual. You can get away with jeans here, but you may be the only one wearing them.
• My little niece and nephew are always in tow, so children are fine here.
• This is not a good place for single diners, unless you eat at the bar.

COST OF DINNER FOR TWO
One appetizer, two entrees, a bottle of wine, and one dessert: $110.

RESERVATIONS
• Making reservations a few days in advance should be adequate for most times of the year.
• The exceptions to that guideline would be during: 1) Stanford graduation (mid-June), and 2) anytime the Big Game (the yearly football rivalry between Stanford and Cal-Berkeley, in November) is played at Stanford. I would make reservations two weeks in advance during those times, just to be safe. Oh yes, and of course Father's Day should be planned more in advance as well.

ALL IN ALL
Over the years, I think my family has enjoyed more than 70 dinners at Sundance. We've celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, and promotions here. It was the excellent beef and seafood that first hooked us, and now it's the deeply ingrained family tradition that keeps us coming back for more. :)

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Sundance Mine Company
1921 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, CA
650-321-6798
Free parking in their lot or on surrounding streets

And a final tip....
For a good deal, try Sundance's "Sunset Dinner" special (5-6pm everyday) for $14.95, including soup or salad, and your choice of entree (prime rib, salmon, chicken, and a few other choices).



Recommended: Yes