Lafayette Native Opens San Ramon Eatery

LAMORINDA, CA — Lafayette native Ellen Chen, along with husband Mario Del Pero, has become a restaurant mogul. They've just opened a restaurant called Mendocino Farms at City Center Bishop Ranch in San Ramon. The upscale fast-casual sandwich and salad eatery threw open its doors earlier this month.

Chen and Del Pero started Mendocino Farms in SoCal in 2005 and have quickly turned their baby into a thriving restaurant group with 19 outlets in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego. Now intent on NorCal domination, eateries have opened in Sacramento, San Francisco, on the Peninsula, and the South Bay. San Ramon is their first location in the East Bay.

Several Texas locations will open later this year.

Mendocino Farms offers sandwiches and salads emphasizing premium, locally-sourced ingredients served with, what they call, "white tablecloth hospitality." Every restaurant location serves the needs and interests of the community. We're told that loyal fans call the restaurants Mendo.

The San Ramon eatery is adjacent to Athleta and Equinox, and includes a wrap around patio. It includes a kids corner complete with a chalkboard wall, and foosball out on the patio. The expanded beer and wine list has 10 beers on tap and 12 wines by the glass.

The Mendocino Farms menu changes regularly to highlight the season’s harvest. San Ramon is currently offering Spring Menu items such as:

• The Impossible Burger Queen — Inspired by the enormous success of the Impossible Taco Salad on our permanent menu, Impossible Foods selected us to be a part of their exclusive trial run as they revealed their 2.0 recipe which makes the burger even better than before. You’ll want to #cheatonbeef with our housemade southwestern spiced Impossible burger patty topped with tomato cayenne Chao cheese, chipotle thousand island, tomatoes, red onions, and butter lettuce on a toasted plant-based brioche bun.
• Green Goddess Turkey Tartine — We are the only chain concept of our size to serve all free range poultry. We work with Pitman Farms, respected as the best in the industry for the Pitman family’s approach championing quality, nutrition, and animal welfare. This avocado toast boasts their shaved, roasted turkey breast with smashed avocado, pickled red onions, onion sprouts, lemon yogurt green goddess dressing served open-faced on toasted organic seeded whole grain bread with a butter lettuce lid.

Hours are 11 a.m.–9 p.m. daily. The address is City Center Bishop Ranch, 6000 Bollinger Canyon Road, Suite 1103, San Ramon, 94583.

Let us know how you like Mendo!

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