Renee's Place

Since 1996, Renees Place has been a Bay Area favorite for light, fresh Szechuan and Hunan cuisine served in an inviting environment. A simple dining room makes serene surroundings that are a perfect atmosphere for a quiet dinner and some great Chinese food. Mutedwalls, soft carpet and a peaceful fountain in the entryway add to the effect. Try the salt-and-pepper spareribs, unless youre on a date — theyre hard to eat gracefully, but worth the struggle. Renees Place features the finest available ingredients: seasonal, organically-farmed produce from local suppliers such as Lundberg Family Farms ; humanely and sustainably raised chicken, pork, beef and lamb from local providers, including Prather Ranch and Marys Chickens ; and select condiments, such as raw, organic cane sugar and Himalayan pink salt. Aside from stylish decor, what sets Renees apart is the approach to food. No mystery meats here — [Marys Chicken] and [Prather Ranch] meats are used exclusively, and whenever available, organic local produce goes into the stir- fries and vegetable entrees, such as beautiful, still-purple pieces of eggplant stir-fried with garlic chile sauce Sauces have balanced flavor and are never thick and starchy. Chicken with black bean sauce is chock-full of green onions, crispy bamboo shoots and red and green peppers and tastes agreeably light. Even the fried Marco Polo prawns are light and near greaseless, their fruity sweetness highlighted by honey-glazed pecans. We hope youll visit us soon, and find out for yourself why Renees Place is a favorite of critics and diners ( visit our Yelp page ) alike.