Our Concept History - Past & Present
Rossotti’s Alpine Inn
2019: Founded in 1852, Casa De Tableta is the second oldest continually operating tavern in California. While the name may have changed numerous times during its rich history, 167 years later the Alpine Inn continues to attract customers to the beer garden on the banks of Los Trancos Creek. In 2018, Fred & Stephanie Harman, Deke & Lori Hunter, & Jim Kohlberg bought the iconic, Alpine Inn to update & restore it. They worked alongside Greg St. Claire of Avenir Restaurant Group & were able to reopen in August 2019 after months of construction & refurbishments.
Rancho Alena
2011: Greg St.Claire and James Guaspari purchased a ranch in Loma Rica and started Rancho Alena Cattle Co. We are focused on raising Purebred grass-fed Black Angus Cattle. Rancho Alena beef is raised for the Avenir Restaurant Group and Good Eggs. James Guaspari's family has a long history of raising Cattle and he has carried on the tradition. At his core, James believes in raising the livestock in the most humane way with the highest regard for the cattle on the ranch. The Ranch is situated in the lower Sierra foothills along the Honcut Creek creating perfect grazing for the cattle.
Town
2006: Conceptualized and designed by Greg St. Claire, Town opened in early 2006 in the former space of A Tavola. The restaurant features Regional American Cuisine with wood-fired rotisserie chicken, steaks, chops, and fresh seafood. The oval bar is the centerpiece featuring hand-crafted, refreshing cocktails. A Wine cellar, private dining, and a wood-burning fireplace round this concept out. Due to Covid, Town has completely redesigned their outdoor dining set up to include three full parklets, numerous pop-up food events & an occasional pop-up bar.
D’asaro
2002: D'asaro opened in 2002 to rave reviews and a 3-star review from Michael Bauer. This authentic Italian Trattoria was sold to famed Italian Chef, Donato Scotti and is now known as Donato's. Chef Donato serves up arguably the finest Italian food in the Bay Area.
Milagros
2001: Located in Redwood City, Milagros is led by Chef Adriana Villareal who is originally from the State of Jalisco. Adriana cooks many of her old family recipes and her food represents the many diverse regions of Mexico and Latin America. The restaurant features a large outdoor patio and parklet, an outdoor Hacienda tequila bar, and a private dining room.
Kingfish
2001: Designed, conceptualized and operated by Avenir Restaurant Group in early 2001, Kingfish was a collaboration of Greg St. Claire and Tony Flier. It was sold to Kathy Petrin, a former Avenir employee, in July, 2004.
Avenir Restaurant Group
2001: In January 2001 Avenir Restaurant Group was formed to oversee all restaurant operations. In addition to operating the Avenir Restaurants, we specialize in Design, Consultation, and Conceptualization for other restaurants. The corporate offices are located in Avenir's Tivoli building located above Town restaurant in Downtown San Carlos.
The Little Store
1999: The Historic Little Store, which dates back to the early 1900’s, was slated to be converted to a design studio. In 1999 Avenir stepped in and saved it from conversion to offices. The space was refurbished and restored as an historic dining spot for generations to come. Avenir sold it in late 2000 to a local operator.
Nola
1996: Located right off of University Avenue in Palo Alto in the Historic Ramona corridor, the restaurant occupies the Historic Pedro de Lemos building which dates back to 1908. The restaurant features one the largest collections of Southern folk in the country. The two-story restaurant features 8 different dining rooms, an open-air courtyard, oyster bar and streetside parklet. Our cuisine and craft cocktails leans to the South with a fusion of the many diverse cultures that have inhabited the great City of New Orleans. After a couple of Hurricanes, you will swear you are in New Orleans.
A Tavola
1995: Conceptualized and opened in 1995, the restaurant featured Regional American Cuisine with a focus on Italian American dishes. It was located in downtown San Carlos until a kitchen fire in early 2006. The concept was relocated to Redwood City while the restaurant was rebuilt. In typical Avenir fashion we took this opportunity to introduce a new concept which is now TOWN restaurant. A Tavola was closed and the staff relocated to San Carlos in late 2006.
Mistral
1993: Conceptualized, designed, and built by Greg St. Claire and Tim Fabatz in early 1993, it was the first of our restaurants and launched the company. Located on the water in Redwood Shores, the restaurant features California Cuisine, a large outdoor waterfront patio with wood burning fireplace, two private dining rooms, and a wood-fired pizza oven. It was sold in late 2006 to Chef Tim Fabatz.
Established in 1993…
Avenir Restaurant Group originated in 1993 with the opening of Mistral Restaurant in Redwood Shores. As the company has grown so has our operating team.