Los Gatos: Lexington House brings big city style to town

By Shannon Burkey, for Silicon Valley Community Newspapers

Stephen Shelton and Jimmy Marino had a very clear vision of what they liked and wanted in a restaurant, and they set out to create just that type of place at their new Los Gatos restaurant.

"In Los Gatos there are way high-end places and places that are more for families," Shelton said. "We wanted to find that middle ground. We wanted a place that was hip and cool with really great food. Relaxed, not stuffy. That niche was missing here."

In September, the two turned their vision into a reality with the opening of their restaurant, Lexington House, at 40 N. Santa Cruz Ave. (near Elm). With a food menu of all organic, sustainable food from local purveyors and farms and a cocktail menu that features only fresh ingredients and changes almost as often as the food menu does, they are hoping to help change the South Bay dining scene and raise the bar for what people expect when they dine out.

"There is that perception that I have to go to San Francisco or another big city to get this style of food, drink, service, knowledge and passion," Marino said. "When I go to the city or places like Portland, there are all these smaller places that have a lot of passion and love what they do, and the quality is really high. I finally see it trickling down here, though. The South Bay is catching up."

Shelton and Marino first met while...