The story
Ethel was a Nisei Japanese American, a gracious host, a fabulous cook, and the kind of person who could throw a heck of a dinner party. She is also the mother and maternal grandmother of Chef Scott Nishiyama. When he opened Ethel’s Fancy in September 2022, he named it after her – and the restaurant’s spirit of warm, convivial hospitality is a direct inheritance.
Chef Nishiyama brings a remarkable pedigree to his Palo Alto dining room. Raised on Maui, he earned a chemistry degree from MIT before rediscovering his love for cooking. After training at the Culinary Institute of America, he worked for Laurent Tourondel, Daniel Boulud, and Thomas Keller, then became executive chef of Chez TJ in Mountain View, earning a Michelin star in 2010. Ethel’s Fancy is his own place, and it has already earned a Michelin Recommended distinction.
The menu is Californian in the best sense – ingredient-driven, precise, and unfussy. The restaurant’s own words say it best: “Ethel knew how to throw a heck of a dinner party.” That sense of generous, personal hosting runs through every detail, from the private dining room available for groups to the wheelchair-accessible space that welcomes all.
Open Tuesday through Saturday evenings, Ethel’s Fancy occupies a warm, inviting space at 550 Waverley Street. It’s a place where the cooking feels personal, the service feels like a gathering, and the memory of Ethel – the gracious host and fabulous cook – lives on in every plate.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
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