By Stuart Soffer
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About this blog: Growing up in Brooklyn, NY I lived in high-density housing and experienced transit-oriented services first hand. During high school and college summers I worked in Manhattan drafting tenant floor plans for high-rise office buildi...
(More)About this blog: Growing up in Brooklyn, NY I lived in high-density housing and experienced transit-oriented services first hand. During high school and college summers I worked in Manhattan drafting tenant floor plans for high-rise office buildings. This could have been a career option, but my interest in computers - unusual at the time - led me to the computer science program at the University of Wisconsin. A programming job on Page Mill Road brought me to Palo Alto after college. Since 1993 I consult on bridging law and technology, and serve as an expert witness in Intellectual Property litigation. We moved to Menlo Park's Linfield Oaks neighborhood in 1994. Neighborhood traffic issues motivated my initial volunteering as a Menlo Park Planning Commissioner, followed by a stint as a Chamber of Commerce board member and most recently a finance/audit committee member. I advocate community volunteering for meeting people, the neighborhoods, and understanding the myriad issues that somehow arise. As hobbies I collect contemporary art and vintage cameras. And? fly helicopters, which offer rare views of the nooks and crannies of the Bay Area.
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Today(Thursday) is opening day for the long-awaited Borrone's MarketBar ? located between the Menlo Park train station and the foundational Café Borrone Mother Ship. I went through tonight. Roy and Maria held court at outside tables with Roy flitting about making sure customers were happy. The Borrones have a great formula as shown by the original café and Vesta in Redwood City: home grown menus, astute hiring, and a 'family room' ambiance.
The format is bright lights, an open kitchen, bar area and display/checkout. Like the original, there are outdoor tables under the building portico. Obvious difference with the original: Café Borrone hosts frequent art exhibitions and Roy Borrone is a good curator. Unfortunately the MarketBar has little blank wall space for art.
There's been a long opportunity to provide for culinary support Caltrain riders to take home. MarketBar has little to fear about impending food trucks.
