Dinner at Google? I’m Feeling Lucky

Living in the proximity of one of the nation’s food capitals means there are plenty of exclusive, coveted, no-reservations-unless-you’re-a-celebrity establishments to try and get into. Sadly, I can’t boast of having graced many of them with my presence. But although I haven’t had the honor of sniffing the elderflower-scented foam at French Laundry, there is one place where I’m a bit of a regular – a favorite for nights when I don’t feel like cooking, and so exclusive, you need to know someone on the inside to step in. Oh, and the best part? Your meal is free!

If you haven’t yet guessed, I’m talking about one of the cornerstones of Silicon Valley and the IT industry: the great Google – and its 25 cafes that feed hundreds of hungry employees, and occasionally their lucky family members, where I’m fortunate enough to have an “in” in the form of my hubby. Providing free meals is not unusual for the big players in the area but no one does it quite like Google, the pioneers of fusing corporate and foodie cultures all in one healthy, eco-friendly, mouthwatering package.

The company believes the key to unlocking the potential of Googlers’ brilliant minds is in keeping their bodies healthy and happy, which translates to bouncing ideas at the communal tables over ebi hand rolls or plates of dal. Each cafe is led by its own chef, most from a fine dining background, creating globally inspired menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And the food? It’s good enough that I can now expect a bored shrug from hubs whenever I bring up a new restaurant menu to try out. Swordfish? Passion fruit mousse? Lobster mac and cheese? The standard answer is, “Yea, we’ve had that at work”.

On a given day, Googlers can start off with a breakfast of freshly griddled pancakes, egg-white omelettes, hot cereal, or Nutella French toast. Lunch selections can include things like homemade steamed buns with miso salmon belly, Kobe beef steaks, grilled eggplant with walnuts and citrus ricotta, or chilled spring pea panna cotta with coconut foam. Then there are the salad bars, noodle bars, and burrito bars; desserts ranging from cakes and cookies to cute mini cups of mousses, parfaits, and custards; infused spa waters and frozen yogurt machines; and micro-kitchens strewn throughout the campus, packed with healthy snacks, espresso machines, drink coolers, seasonal fruit, and a dozen varieties of breakfast cereal. There is a juice bar to quench your thirst with a fresh made-to-order smoothie, and delis to grab a custom-made sandwich. There’s Atom, a sleek bamboo-lined Japanese cafe at the Android building with a daily selection of sushi, a ramen bar, and even tatami rooms; the very popular Long Life, serving up Chinese specialties and daily dim sum; and Baadal, an actual sit-down Indian restaurant, complete with waiter service and reservations. An Italian cafe specializing in wood-fired pizzas, a Spanish cafe, a Mexican cafe…you get the point. There’s food. Lots of it. And it’s darn good.

And though the taste is certainly up there with the better of dining establishments, the guilt factor, typical with rich restaurant meals, is not. The big wigs at the Google kitchens care about keeping workers in good physical and mental form, so menus routinely include plenty of healthy stuff – greens, legumes, fresh fruit, and vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free choices. And with some type of sorcery, they manage to make it all taste incredible: the testament is that my steak-and-mashed-potatoes husband, who wouldn’t let broccoli come into his line of sight, now voluntarily eats spinach and kale and theorizes on the benefits of quinoa over barley.

The company’s motto, “Don’t be evil,” extends to its food philosophy too – sustainable, organic, and local means not being evil to your body, the environment, or the community. In fact, Google has been at the forefront of the slow food movement years before it’s taken over the blogosphere. With 70 percent of the produce sourced locally and 30 percent from within 150 miles, the corporation is a major supporter of community-sponsored agriculture organizations and fisheries – so major that some of the smaller farms rely on the kitchens’ massive orders for their very survival. What this means for the diners is roasted free-range Petaluma chicken, Bellwether Farms ricotta, local grilled asparagus, and grass fed brisket.

Weekday dinners are very welcoming for freeloading families such as ourselves, even offering high chairs for the next generation of Googlers. I loved that we could drop by when I hadn’t had time to cook, but what I loved even more is the friendly, laid-back vibe of this impromptu community, more college campus than corporation. The one downside? Suddenly my previous freedom in my own kitchen is being curtailed with sighs over excessive cheese use, and requests to make kale and brown rice delicious without butter, oil, or salt – just like they do at the cafes. Maybe I can get in on a Google cooking class…

Kate Missine is a domestic diva, shopping addict, and worshiper of all things delicious. When she’s not chasing after her toddler son, Kate can be found stirring things up in the kitchen, scouring grocery aisles for strange ingredients, or indulging in much-needed retail therapy. She holds a B.A. in Communications and Publishing and accepts pastries and shoes as currency. 

By Kate Missine