Santana Row's Tanglewood whips up a delicious, sustainable feast for my party

It's risky to try out new restaurants when you're having a party, but I did. And the result was more than I had hoped for.

I chose Tanglewood for my father's birthday party because I remembered walking by it at Santana Row. It looked quite hip with its indoor and outdoor seating that blended together when its large windows were open.

Then I checked out Tanglewood's menu online. Fabulous! Their cuisine celebrates the rich diversity of nature. The dishes are created using the day's best seasonal ingredients, all naturally grown and raised on local sustainable farms, ranches and fisheries. The prices were even moderate to boot.

Everyone at my father's birthday party was impressed with the food. Tanglewood delivered what it promised.

As for the ambience, they put us in their private party room with a roaring fireplace. It was perfect on that cold winter night.

If you go to Tanglewood, I recommend starting with the skillet melted cheese. It's grilled rustic bread, melted cheese, roasted Gilroy garlic with extra virgin olive oil.

Tanglewood is located at 334 Santana Row, Suite 1000, in San Jose, Calif. The telephone number is (408) 244-0464 or go to http://www.tanglewood.com/