New Mediterranean Restaurant Opens In Silicon Valley

MENLO PARK, CA – Inside the newly opened Hotel Nia in Menlo Park is the latest eatery to hit Silicon Valley: Porta Blu.

Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, Porta Blu features a Californian-influenced Mediterranean menu, hand-crafted cocktails and mocktails, California beers and an extensive selection of wines from California, France, Italy and Spain.

Offerings include a cross-cultural selection of bar bites, small plates, shareable items and entrées incorporating ingredients commonly found throughout Northern California and the Mediterranean.

“I enjoy incorporating exotic spices like harissa or za'atar into dishes made with familiar California ingredients for an unexpected twist,” said Chef de Cuisine Michael Riddell, who joined Porta Blu from the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay and who works with farmers and ranchers in the Silicon Valley area. “I want to give them the recognition they deserve for making California one of the world’s greatest places to cook and dine.”

Also on staff is Executive Chef Eric Cousin, a fourth-generation French chef with 35 years of experience, who has worked at such restaurants and resorts as The Essex House and Plaza Hotel in New York City and Disneyland Paris.

The contemporary restaurant has an indoor-outdoor vibe, designed by Colum McCartan of McCartan Inc., with bold tiles, towering greenery, a floor-to-ceiling, hand-painted mural, artful light fixtures and suspended doors - hence the name "Porta Blu.”

Porta Blu is open Monday to Saturday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. It is located at 200 Independence Drive in Menlo Park, inside the Hotel Nia, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection.

To see Porta Blu's menu and read more, follow this link.

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--Images Chefs Michael Riddell and Eric Cousin; Tangine; Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and Cocos Got Fizzy Mocktail courtesy of Hotel Nia.