Palo Alto: Humanitarian chef José Andrés to open his first Northern California restaurant

José Andrés, acclaimed chef and founder of the humanitarian World Central Kitchen, will open a restaurant in Palo Alto — his culinary group’s first such venture in Northern California.

The eatery will open later this year or in early 2024 at Stanford Shopping Center, according to a joint announcement by the José Andrés Group and the Simon Property Group, the center’s owner, as first reported by the San Francisco Business Times. Two new restaurants are also planned for Las Vegas.

No details were released regarding the type of restaurant or the location at the center. JAG’s 19 restaurant concepts include upscale restaurants, casual spots and bars. At New York’s Hudson Yards, several eateries and kiosks are clustered at Andrés’ Mercado Little Spain. Six restaurants operate in Washington, D.C., where JAG is headquartered. And the group has five concepts in the Los Angeles area, including Agua Viva, a rooftop restaurant.

However, Andrés is no stranger to Silicon Valley.

Starting in 2010, he made occasional visits to lecture and cook at the prestigious International Culinary Center’s Bay Area campus in his role as dean of the Spanish studies program. The Campbell academy closed in 2018.

And in 2020, the man who has made a mission of feeding the world’s hungry and displaced received the John Steinbeck Award from San Jose State University — an honor that goes to artists and activists who, through their work, embody the spirit of the author’s social engagement. Because of the pandemic, the ceremony was a virtual one, with Andres appearing from D.C.

Over the last several years, both the pandemic and wildfires have brought Andrés and his World Central Kitchen team to the Bay Area to serve meals. Notably, in March 2020, when the Grand Princess, the cruise ship stricken by the coronavirus, arrived at the Port of Oakland, they were waiting dockside with meals for the passengers. In late summer of that year, they mobilized to feed victims of the Northern California blazes and firefighters, as they had during previous fire seasons.

Details: 660 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto; https://joseandres.com/ and www.simon.com/