The Allure of the “Secret Menu”

 Secret menu items are not really “secret,” right? Wouldn’t that defeat their purpose?  Actually, what is their purpose?  It depends on the restaurant in question!
At the Heart N Soul, a unique foodies’ haven on San Francisquito Canyon, fine dining chef Mike has a unique reason for offering his “secret menu.”
It is no secret that some fast-food restaurant chains have items readily available to customers who know to ask, but that are not advertised, and that don’t appear on the menu. Some chains use the secret menu as a novelty, a marketing tool. Other chains explain that it allows them to test an item without the cost investment required to re-do menus and boards and marketing materials, and advertise the item.
Heart N Soul Coffee House and Home-cookin’ Café’s “secret menu” exists for a very different reason. It provides chef Mike with an opportunity to exercise his art, vary his fare, and please his customers with creations of the day, week, or month. Focusing on flavor and freshness, Heart N Soul’s secret menu features contemporaneous dishes based on what ingredients are the ripest and most flavorful at the time.
For example, using home-grown peaches, this month saw fresh peach cobbler a la mode, a salad featuring grilled peaches, refreshing whole peach smoothies, thick cinnamon peach ice cream shakes, and hot peach butter reduction to pile on top of breakfast hot cakes and bistro style French toast. The coming month adds a home-grown tomato celebration. The marinara is to die for, try a fresh tomato basil onion balsamic salad, or a mind-blowing creamy soup. The best mushrooms make the best Canadian Poutine, a smooth cream gravy poured over crispy hot fries. The ripest cucumber and freshest shrimp makes the best Friday ceviche. Get the idea?
By using the freshest, ripest fruits and vegetables, Heart N Soul “changes things up” by creating fabulous savory mouth-watering delights as nature may allow.
So the secret is out! Heart-N Soul customers “in-the-know” scan the daily chalkboard (the not-so-secret menu) for the inspiration of the day. Of course, Mike puts his heart and soul always into every dish; no secret there. Check us out on Yelp!
Savory comfort food, now open all day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Tuesday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.  The address is 39804 San Francisquito Canyon Road and you can reach them at 661-270-1627.