Friday, April 23, 2010

Michael's at Shoreline--Mountain View, CA

With the cloudless skies and temperatures in the mid-70s, my wife and I ate lunch at Michael's at Shoreline, which offers a beautiful view of Shoreline Lake. I deferred to the cashier's recommendation and ordered the beef ravioli. It was a fine selection. The ravioli came in a meat sauce were filled with beef and cheese. The shell was delightfully chewy and the filling flavorful. Each entree came with a large dinner roll, which was perfect for mopping up the sauce.

My wife got the seafood spaghetti, which was simply shrimp and salmon with pasta. The dish was underwhelming and had a fishy taste to it. Looking at her bowl, I was disappointed that the sauce was so soupy. They could have gotten by with much less.

The food, however, wasn't the main draw for us today. It was the restaurant's proximity to the lake. The location enabled us to walk on a path bordering the lake and it was the perfect mid-day getaway. Also, whenever we go to Michael's we tend to arrive after noon (it's a relatively long drive for me from Santa Clara). In that way, Michael's is very forgiving--seating is almost always available, even at the peak hour. Finally, the restaurant pickings are very slim for non-Google employees in this part of Mountain View, where my wife works. So, if the weather is beautiful, it's closing in on noon and I want to meet my wife for lunch, the choice is clear.

Michael's at Shoreline
2960 North Shoreline Boulevard
Mountain View, CA 94043-1357
(650) 962-1014
www.michaelsatshoreline.com