Steamer's menu now blends popular surf with new turf
By Suzanne Cristallo
Fish lovers for three years have ducked under scaffolding, dodged construction machinery and tuned out the noise of Old Town's reconstruction to enjoy their favorite dishes at Steamer's, a fenced island in the middle of chaos.
The restaurant's hardiness of spirit in the face of business-killing obstacles paid off last month with the quiet opening of the new Steamer's Grillhouse across the street from the old restaurant--now a memory under asphalt. A grand opening is planned for the end of November.
"What a relief it is to be in!" says Paul Matulich, one of the restaurant's owners. "I have to pinch myself."
The restaurant's interior, which Matulich describes as "California Medi-Mex," is warmly elegant. It features desert colors, swirling glass and ceiling detail, and polished Hawaiian koa wood, which was retrieved from the old restaurant for use in the bar, trim and panels throughout.
The new menu combines the most popular seafood dishes of the past with new entrées of chicken, steaks and chops as the Grillhouse part of its name implies. The menu also offers pizzas baked in a big oven near the shellfish bar.
The Matulichs--Paul and wife Karen, Paul's brother and sister-in-law Mark and Lisa, and sister Linda--all of Los Gatos, have shared ownership of their restaurant for 20 years, starting with the corner where Domus now is on N. Santa Cruz Ave. While Linda keeps the books, Paul and Mark share management of the front of the house and kitchen.
Their decision to expand the menu comes not only from a greater interest in meat dishes among diners, but also from the fact that their local day boat sources, who use the hook-and-line method to haul in their catches, are being out-fished by the huge, unregulated Japanese and Russian trawlers using nets in international waters.
"In another two years, we'll probably see the extinction of Chilean sea bass and Atlantic swordfish," notes Mark, who sees nature as unable to keep up with the demand.
He says the small and local day boats bring their fish home fresh every day, and their methods are better for the environment. "But we still offer lots of fish," Paul reassures.
Among the favorite dishes retained are the crispy Caribbean prawns, deep-fried and coated in flakes of coconut with a jalapeño jelly sauce; Steamer's famous clam chowder, served hot in a big bowl; and the house linguini, which features crab, shrimp and mushrooms.
A popular new item is the spicy smoked New York steak with sweet onion relish, roast vegetables and black-olive polenta. Also new are the rotisserie chicken and pork chop, both reminiscent of the Matulich family's childhood when their Croatian father used to cook meat on a spit.
All of the red sauces the restaurant uses have been influenced by "Nonna"--their grandmother Ermalinda Chiesa from Piccolo, Italy. The pizzas include one with baby clams and another with spicy rock shrimp. Pastas, meal-sized salads, a choice of at least eight different grilled fish dishes and special desserts round out the selections. Dinner entrees run from $8.95 for pizza to $23.95 for steak.
Steamer's Grillhouse, 31 University Ave., Los Gatos. Open daily for lunch, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dinner served Mon.-Thu., 5-10 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. 5-11 p.m.; and Sun., 5-10 p.m. 408.395.CRAB.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
