Check Please on PBS -KQED

THE MOUNTAIN HOUSE RESTAURANT

After watching an episode of KQED's Check Please and reading the comments on the Check Please web site, in which the Mountain House Restaurant, in the Kings Mountain Community of Woodside, California, was reviewed (praised by one and roasted by two), I decided to share some thoughts. It seems there are obvious flaws in the way KQED presents this program. At times it comes across like a Fox network reality survivor program. An enjoyable restaurant experience should not be defined by the drive or distance to reach it, the weather or the parking lot configuration. The experience is all about the food and service! While the gentleman, Lou, recommended and loves the Mountain House, the two women, Marcia and Helen, did not share his opinion

Lou had a pleasant drive from Belmont to the Mountain House whereas the women complained of their trek from Oakland and San Francisco respectively. Maybe all participants should be from the same geographic locale or KQED needs to eliminate travel as a factor in the restaurant reviews. Both women began their reviews with complaints about the "seemingly haphazard" and "helter-skelter" parking and continued by expressing their annoyance as a result of walking in mud or soggy earth, and in Helen's case trying to avoid the "big drops of fog and strong wind". Were these two ladies made aware of the fact that the Mountain House is at an elevation of approximately 2000 feet, surrounded by towering redwood trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains and occasionally kissed by fog? They were most definitely not in the urban environs of Berkeley and San Francisco.

Once inside the restaurant the complaining continued. Marcia, from Oakland, enjoyed her salad, buffalo steak and her companions' fish dishes; but described the soup as "bland", the vegetables "too al dente" and the garlic mashed potatoes lacking in garlic. Marcia is a contradiction in that she admits to ordering "simple dishes"; but then states she would have felt differently had the "food had more panache". It would seem that if you want more panache then don't order simple food – order the special items with dash and flair.

Helen, from San Francisco, was warmed both literally and figuratively by the fireplace and pleasant ambience of the Mountain House; but her mood changed upon hearing ten people loudly sing "Happy Birthday" at a nearby table. She stated that the singing was "louder than I've heard at Chuck E. Cheese." I find this ironic, that a woman criticizing the food at the Mountain House admits to even being in a Chuck E. Cheese !!!

As for Helen's dinner: the Cajun popcorn shrimp were not Cajun enough, the seasonal greens salad were not seasonal enough nor was her table "intimate" as promised. She did state that their cocktails were well made. The menu's wording of some item descriptions was, in her opinion, "too grandiose". Having seen buffalo steaks and elk chops she ordered shrimp scampi with pasta. Apparently her disappointment over the Cajun popcorn shrimp could not be overcome. As a parting shot Helen admits she would, if ever in the neighborhood again, stop in the Mountain House for drinks; but would "take them a recipe for Cajun popcorn shrimp".

When trying to figure out the disappointment and at times hostility directed at the Mountain House by urbanites Helen and Marcia, one only has to examine the restaurants these two ladies recommended. Marcia offered a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco called Da Lian which she loves as it reminds her of her time spent in China. Helen was predisposed to enjoy Da Lian as she admits to eating "Chinese food about four times a week". For her part Helen recommended an Italian restaurant called Buca di Beppa which has been described by another reviewer as the "Chuck-E-Cheese of Italian restaurants." That says it all.

Somehow the restaurant playing field needs to be leveled. It is no surprise that the women were not impressed with the Mountain House and that Lou was not pleased with the women's choices. Clearly alleged urban sophisticates may feel out of place in the casual elegance and charm of the Mountain House with its eclectic and carefully worded menu. Finally, this mountain resident has never been in, nor ever will be in a Chuck E Cheese like Italian restaurant. Life is too short for bad food and bad wine. As for the Mountain House Cajun popcorn shrimp, they have always been a family favorite – Cajun or not. We feel fortunate to have a restaurant that offers wonderful food, excellent service and a relaxed dining experience so close to home.