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There are several reasons why The Duchess is unique. The most obvious is that 95% of the seating for breakfast, lunch and dinner is al fresco. The patio encircles half of the white, one-time house which now comprises the kitchen and tiny inside dining space.
Duchess opened on Oct. 11 at a corner location in downtown Pleasanton. Within a few weeks, the former owner’s textured blinds on the side patio were replaced with new, glass window-walls on the Peters Avenue side and at the back. Heaters are imbedded in the roof structure. The seating area on the front patio area abutting St. Mary Street has standing heaters.
The word on the semi-weather proofing has spread, attracting a full side patio crowd on a recent Friday night.
Andy Knosp of Pleasanton recently lunched at Duchess. “It is always exciting to have a new restaurant downtown in an underutilized space. We liked Salt Craft located here as a restaurant and then a bakery before it closed earlier this year.”
On a chilly November day, Andy and his wife Brenda tucked into a portobello melt and burrata steak sandwich on the side patio. “I love being outdoors,” said Brenda. “My impression is that the owners have made this a beautiful space that is protected from wind, sun and the weather.”
Brenda is intrigued by the 120-year-old olive tree on the front patio with custom seating around it. “I saw workers bringing the tree in. The bottom was enclosed in a huge crate. The patio now looks like a special gathering place.”
Several planters and stylish green, outdoor seating complement the outdoorsy feel. So does the sound of the traffic at the four-way stop and the occasional emergency vehicle’s siren blaring along Main Street a block away.
The chandeliers in the semi-enclosed patio look Mediterranean and reflect the Turkish heritage of the owners, Fatih Ulas and Mehmet Duygu. Ulas’ father Sultan launched the East Bay chain of Sultan’s Kebab. The current duo now owns three Elia upscale, Greek themed restaurants in Pleasanton, Walnut Creek, and San Carlos, which opened shortly after Duchess.
Why did the owners choose a British name for this venture? At first the owners considered using St. Mary in the name. But according to co-owner Duygu’s nephew, Ihsan Duygu, both owners have enjoyed visiting the U.K.
Inside the “house” is a new, tight-quarters seating area that holds four to six guests opposite the pass through from the open kitchen. A mirror in the indoor nook displays the greeting, “hello duchess” [sic] imprinted in white lettering. With some courtly ladies portrayed on the walls, cozy booths, and small round coffee tables, the warm inside area is ideal for Happy Hour or intimate gatherings.
When Jennie and Ryan Garcia drove to downtown Pleasanton from Hayward recently, they found Duchess via a Google maps search. “We often look for new restaurants in Pleasanton when we have a play date while the kids are at school. We didn’t know it had a British theme.” Jennie enjoyed her Big Ben-edict, and Ryan finished off his Royal Burger with a Wagyu patty and fries.
The British theme manifests more in the naming of the dish rather than execution of the food. Yet the British motif appears quickly if you order tea or coffee. Ellen Schaefer of Livermore expressed surprise when her mocha arrived in a Royal-Dalton look-alike cup. She was delighted with her well-made French omelet, her birthday dessert and the friendly service.
The Barista Bar menu highlights a London Fog tea latte which is black tea and milk. On the separate alcoholic beverages menu, Shandy, a very British drink of beer and lemonade, is listed. During my five-year stay in London, I had my share of shandies.
The official description of the food provided by the managers is European fusion. European touches pepper the British-named items. Elements of the Duchess English Breakfast include eggs, mushrooms, toast, “Toulouse sausage” and pinto beans. In Britain, small pork sausages are normally served along with baked beans, mushrooms and toast.
The popular beetroot carpaccio salad made me smile. I worked in a greengrocery (produce store) during my London college days and quickly learned to ask customers how much beetroot they wanted rather than how many beets. The Duchess salad includes fried goat cheese, candied walnuts and aged balsamic reduction.
Both breakfast and lunch are served daily from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Order fish and chips for lunch; they are not served at dinner which runs from 3:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday and until 9:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday and Sunday,
There are several other British named items like The Crown for loaded Belgian waffles with an innovative topping of chicken cracklings rather than crispy bacon pieces. “English peas” are highlighted on a few entrée descriptions although they are another name for green peas and garden peas.
Other cuisine on the menu shines without a British moniker. The avocado toast with mashed avocado and fried egg and a side of fruit is a recommended pick. For the dinner appetizer of mussels, Duchess serves them European style in a traditional, black pot with a handle. Tall pieces of sourdough crostini are used for dipping into the fennel, leek, and tomato saffron broth.
The oysters are already a star appetizer. The kusshi oysters are sourced from Deep Bay, British Columbia and the kumomoto, from Humboldt Bay, Calif.
The Garcias ordered them as a starter for their lunch. Andy Knosp raved about them. “On the Duchess opening weekend, I joined three friends for dinner. Everyone at the table enjoyed many oysters before their entrées.”
The burrata steak sandwich was generously sized with flavorful and juicy skirt steak. The steak frites with the same cut of meat and Bearnaise sauce sounds delicious. The addition of the outer layer of Italian burrata, a style of mozzarella with creamy bits of the cheese stuffed inside, brought another textural element to the san
The filet mignon carpaccio looks appealing. But Andy Knosp recommended the brown butter shrimp and lobster ravioli. On another visit, I wisely followed his advice. Inside the large house made pasta, the mix of chopped shrimp and lobster with Parmigiano, fresh asparagus cuts, peas and tomatoes in a tarragon sauce manifested the chef’s cooking experience.
The highlight of the desserts is bread pudding, caramel sauce, raisins and vanilla bean gelato, which I characterized as jolly good.
The bar is in a small outside booth on the patio. Guests can belly up for a drink, but there is no seating. The liquor license is in the works. There are a few beers, and the well-curated wines list features Livermore Valley, the West Coast and Europe options.
According to Ihsan Duygu, another restaurant is planned for Dublin. Though no location or timing is set, the name is Bodrum after Ulas’ favorite coastal Turkish city. This eatery will feature seafood and mezze.
In the future, the owners also plan to expand the Duchess inside seating to 12. For now, Duchess is designed to be a one-off, boutique restaurant and not the start of a new brand.
“What I like about Duchess,” said Andy Knosp, “are the reasonable prices for food and beverages. Other restaurants open here with pricing that is a bit shocking.” The most expensive dinner entrées are wild king salmon in a lemon-saffron beurre blanc sauce and steak frites at $27.
Meanwhile, his wife Brenda, wants to return for the shrimp-lobster ravioli. “Why make homemade ravioli when someone else makes it better?”
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Thanks for the article, Deborah! I have been looking at this place and everyone I know, and now you, seems happy it has opened!