On March 24, acclaimed chef Traci Des Jardins’ upscale Cal-Mex restaurant, El Alto, made its long-awaited debut in Los Altos as the anchor of the new State Street Market food hall. It was her first culinary venture outside San Francisco, her first in Silicon Valley.
On Saturday, just five months later, El Alto’s Facebook page announced the restaurant’s abrupt closure:“As of September 23, 2022, el Alto has ceased operations,” the note posted midafternoon said. “Thank you to all that have supported the restaurant through this time, especially our wonderfully supportive guests and our staff.”Des Jardins described El Alto as a celebration of “the rich history of the early California-Mexican ranchos and the agrarian roots of the Bay Area.
El Alto, which served dinner four nights a week, has an overall ranking of 4 stars on Yelp, though the most recent reviews faulted the restaurant for lack of staff and slow service.