On the corner of Sixth and Monterey streets in Gilroy, diagonal
from the old Gilroy City Hall, is an often-overlooked piece of
local history that houses a very good place to eat.
On the corner of Sixth and Monterey streets in Gilroy, diagonal from the old Gilroy City Hall, is an often-overlooked piece of local history that houses a very good place to eat.
Harvest Time Restaurant is located in the former Milias Hotel, which was built in 1929. At that time it was a focal point for visitors traveling from the Bay Area to Monterey, as well as a popular gathering place for locals. So, it seemed somehow appropriate that my husband I dined there during the weekend of Gilroy’s most popular event – the Garlic Festival.
We arrived about 6pm that Friday for dinner. The dining room had yet to fill up, but it did within the next half-hour. The large room was divided into two sections, with the front entrance right in the middle. On the right, as we entered, was a very hometown type of bar, the kind where “everybody knows your name.”
Mounted above the perimeter of the horseshoe-shaped bar was a hand-painted, sepia wallpaper panel dating back to the 1940s, depicting a ranch scene. On the left of the front door was the beautifully appointed dining room, complete with white linen tablecloths and plush tapestry chairs. We were greeted warmly and shown to our table right away.
When I go to a restaurant, it’s usually because I’m really hungry. So, a highlight for me at Harvest Time was the complementary small pot of cheese fondue and warm, soft french bread that was quickly brought to the table. That and a nice glass of cold wine (Clos du Bois chardonnay, $6.25 a glass, in this case) took the edge off both my hunger and my hectic work week. My husband chose a glass of Korbel Brut ($7.50 a glass) to accompany his fondue.
Our waitress was warm, friendly and knowledgeable. Even though we hadn’t made it to the Garlic Festival that day, we still wanted our fill of the pungent rose that evening. The soup of the day was a creamy roasted garlic, and we had the option of Harvest Time’s special garlic ranch dressing with a salad. We got right into the spirit of things and ordered the Roasted Garlic appetizer ($6.95). This came with three large heads of garlic, perfectly roasted and creamy, and a different and delicious feta cheese spread to accent. Our waitress suggested saving any leftover garlic to enhance our entrees.
The main dishes came with a choice of either soup or salad and, even though it was still very warm outside, I couldn’t resist the Roasted Garlic Soup, especially since it is not always on the restaurant’s menu. It was creamy and rich with little slivers of fresh, raw garlic that woke up my taste buds. (Unfortunately, that raw garlic taste stayed with me all night, so perhaps diners should have been warned.) The house salad – my husband’s choice – was fresh and crisp, and he chose the bleu cheese dressing over the garlic ranch.
In addition to the wonderfully varied regular dinner menu, we were given a listing of six specials for that day. It was from that list that I chose the Calamari Catalina ($17.50). This was a calamari steak, sauteed and topped with prawns, artichoke hearts and fresh tomatoes in a lemon caper sauce. The steak was nice and tender, but the dish lacked some zing. A heavier hand with the lemon or capers would have made it outstanding.
My husband’s London Broil ($15.95) was actually two nice steaks, but they were not thinly sliced as that cut usually is. They were topped with a delicious brown sauce (with just a hint of garlic!) and sauteed mushrooms. Both entrees came with homemade mashed potatoes (we put our leftover roasted garlic to work here) and sauteed fresh vegetables. Harvest Time is the only restaurant I know of that adds cooked red cabbage to its vegetable medley. The twist is quite good, but it does come as somewhat of a surprise.
We were pleased to see so many local wineries featured on Harvest Time’s wine list. Both Solis Winery of Gilroy and Leal Vineyards of Hollister are prominent, in addition to Guglielmo Winery of Morgan Hill and Bernardus Winery of Carmel – and all at reasonable prices. Harvest Time also feature many Napa wineries, including Opus One.
The dessert offerings were recited by our waitress, and at her suggestion, we ordered the three-layer chocolate cake ($5.50). It was moist, fudgy and fresh – a perfect ending to a wonderful evening in the garlic capital of the world.
Sara Leigh has lived in Morgan Hill for 26 years with her husband and two sons, who are now away at college. She loves food and wine, and keeps all the delicious calories in check by avid race-walking. Reach her at ca*******@*****il.com. All reviews for The Dish are anonymous, and all reviewers’ meals are paid for by South Valley Newspapers.
