By STEVE MARINUCCI
Mercury News Staff Writer
Published Aug. 2, 1985 in San Jose (CA) Mercury News
FOR DIETERS, eating out has to be one of life's tougher tortures.
Few restaurants cater to those who watch their weight, what with all the calorie-laden sauces and cooking methods they employ; and some can make you feel awfully embarrassed if you request even the simplest substitutions to help you stay on your weight-loss program.
There's one place, however, where dieters can really say "Bon appetit!" and not feel guilty. It's called, appropriately enough, Skinny Gourmet, and it's located in San Mateo.
You say you're set for lasagna, enchiladas, quiche or fettucini? They have all those, in low-calorie versions, of course.
In fact, the entire menu is designed with dieters in mind. Even the salad bar has low-calorie dressings made in-house.
345 calories
For example, there's Ratatouille au Gratin with protein, a baked vegetable stew with tofu that's served with rice -- 345 calories. The lasagne, made with ricotta cheese and spinach, comes to 338 calories.
Or there's falafel, a Mediterranean staple which Skinny Gourmet makes with garbanzos, parsley and onions and serves in pita break with tomato, pickles, lettuce and tahini sauce. It's only 270 calories.
And as for the taste, you'll probably find yourself asking, "This is diet?" Because the food is nowhere near as bland or dull as diet food has traditionally been.
Ready for dessert? They have that, too, ranging from soft ice cream to apple pie. The cookies are as delicious as the high-calorie kind.
For those who just can't exist without ice cream, Skinny Gourmet's version, with its cold, creamy texture, is welcome relief for those who can remember the days when ice cream and diets just didn't mix. Long a staple of the restaurant's menu, the ice cream may not be sweet enough for those used to the modern miracle of NutraSweet, but it's an extremely acceptable substitute for the real thing. Prices range from $3.75 for the all-you-can-eat salad bar to $8.25 for Veal Francaise on the dinner menu. Skinny Gourmet also caters to patrons who want just dessert, which is very reasonably priced, from $1.10 for 4 ounces of ice milk to $1.75 for fresh-baked items and $2.50 for a banana split.
Diet clubs
All foods have caloric listings, and all, except specials, have dietary equivalents for Weight Watchers and other diet clubs listed on the menu. Weight Watchers members also get a 10 percent discount on their dinner checks by showing their membership cards to the server.
Skinny Gourmet is a great reward for having stayed on your diet or a nice booster if you need a little incentive. Eating out usually takes weight only off your wallet -- but in this case, it can also help take weight from other places more deserving of the loss.
Skinny Gourmet
Where: 1622 Palm Ave.,
(one block off El Camino Real),
San Mateo
Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; closed Sundays
Price range: $3.75-$8.25 (dinner)
$1.10-$2.50 (dessert)
Information: (415) 345-9060
DRAWING: Wheat.
