A menu is a restaurant’s calling card. Not only does it do its job in making every dish sound like the perfect, mouthwateringly delicious dinner, the menu shows—at a glance—the creativity, personality, and philosophy of the restaurant. But menus go even deeper than that. As several favorite local restaurants show, there are interesting (and often amusing) stories behind just about every appetizer, entrée, dessert, and special on that piece of paper. Pull up a seat—the owners and chefs of Garduño’s, Chow’s Asian Bistro, Paul’s Monterey Inn, and Trombino’s Italian Bistro have the real dish on their menus for you.
