The Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce braved a stormy night Thursday to raise a glass to the town’s food and drink scene at its annual celebration at Testarossa Winery, putting a well-deserved spotlight on David Kinch, the chef and restaurateur who helped put Los Gatos on the culinary map.
Rootstock Wine Bar’s Jim Foley, who is president of the chamber’s board, and Chamber Executive Director Catherine Somers led the crowd in counting off favorites — including a few no longer with us, like CB Hannegan’s — that displayed not only the varied flavors of Los Gatos dining but the camaraderie in the industry.
“You all in the restaurant business look out for each other and take care of each other,” Somers said.
Both Kinch and Testarossa’s Rob Jensen shared a story that exemplified that idea. You probably remember the terrible fire that destroyed Manresa back in July 2014. Jensen recalled being on his way to the winery on College Avenue when he heard about it and immediately headed to the famed Michelin-starred restaurant on Village Lane to find out what he could do to help.
Kinch accepted Jensen’s offer to transport the contents of Manresa’s wine cellar up to Testarossa, where the valuable vino was safely stored away until the restaurant reopened the following January.
While Manresa closed at the end of 2022, Kinch has been staying busy with his other restaurants — The Bywater in Los Gatos and Mentone in Aptos — as well as Manresa bread. And he’s got other projects in the works, too, though he says it’s too early to talk about them.
Kinch said Californians don’t always appreciate how good they have it when it comes to the quality of fruits, vegetables, meat and fish available here. “It’s the reason why we opened up a restaurant here,” he said, comparing Los Gatos to the kind of small city you might find in Europe, where you could stumble upon a memorable gem of a restaurant. “It’s off the beaten path, and I mean that in a good way,” he said.
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Source:: The Mercury News