SFReview

photo credit: Brit Finnegan

milk bread dipping into hummus surrounding by pasta plates and a glass of wine
8.4

Ethel's Fancy

AmericanJapanese

Palo Alto

$$$$Perfect For:Eating At The BarDate Night
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The “two to three small plates” mania was bound to trickle down to Palo Alto at some point—and Ethel’s Fancy is nailing it. That’s thanks to their airy space decked out with a full bar and the menu, which has a good amount of Japanese influence but mostly just looks like a local farmers market exploded on the page. It’s packed with hits like the miso caramel pork belly and the katsu-style swordfish, which gets a kick from a swath of hot mustard. Sitting at the terrazzo bar with a date and one of their “fancy cocktails” is the Friday night move.  

breaded cutlet with greens served in mustard sauce

photo credit: Brit Finnegan

The rigatoni mentaiko at Ethel's Fancy

photo credit: Brit Finnegan

fancy cocktail on terrazzo bartop

photo credit: Brit Finnegan

glazed pork belly on ceramic dish

photo credit: Brit Finnegan

The milk bread and sweet potato purée at Ethel's Fancy

photo credit: Brit Finnegan

breaded cutlet with greens served in mustard sauce
The rigatoni mentaiko at Ethel's Fancy
fancy cocktail on terrazzo bartop
glazed pork belly on ceramic dish
The milk bread and sweet potato purée at Ethel's Fancy

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