By Khalida Sarwari
Burglars broke into the Plumed Horse last week and made off with several thousand dollars’ worth of wine, according to a Santa Clara County sheriff’s spokesman.
The owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant on Big Basin Way discovered the burglary when he arrived at the business on the morning of Jan. 21 and discovered a broken side window, said sheriff’s Sgt. Jose Cardoza.
“That’s possibly how the suspect or suspects made entry into the business,” he said.
It appears that several bottles of expensive wine were stolen from the restaurant the previous day or night, according to Cardoza. Detectives are looking into how many bottles were taken. Cardoza said the owner is doing an inventory to determine which bottles were stolen and their value. The cost of the most expensive bottle on the restaurant’s website is listed at nearly $43,000.
“The owner believed the value was several thousand dollars,” he said.
Nothing else appears to be missing from the restaurant, Cardoza said.
As of Jan. 25, no suspects had been identified. There were no witnesses at the time of the burglary.
Plumed Horse owner Joshua Weeks did not wish to comment. Leanne Farmer, a manager at Preston Wynne Day Spa next door, said she was working on the day the burglary occurred. The restaurant is usually closed on Sundays, but occasionally the workers will come in, she said.
“Everything seemed normal,” said Farmer. “We didn’t hear any broken glass, we didn’t hear any excess noise. It was just a normal day; that’s why I was so shocked when I heard on Monday that it happened.”
Debra Cummins, president of the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce board of directors called the incident “unfortunate.”
“Businesses have to take precautions to make sure that they have the proper security in place,” she said.
According to its Facebook page, the Plumed Horse is considered to be the largest restaurant remodel project in Silicon Valley. It was established in 1952 and was for years considered a high-end but old-school eatery, according to Brian Berg, a Saratoga-based computer consultant and listmaster of the Saratoga Village Development Council listserv.
In 2008, the restaurant underwent a major renovation that included the hiring of Chef Peter Armellino from San Francisco’s 2-Michelin-star-rated Aqua and the addition of a glass-encased wine cellar housing more than 18,000 bottles of wine from among 1,800 international selections. With the transformation, the restaurant began attracting a younger clientele, said Berg. That year, Esquire Magazine named the Plumed Horse “Best New Restaurant.”
The Plumed Horse serves a cross between modern Californian and elegant European cuisine. And of course, fine wine.
“Wine is a central aspect of the restaurant,” Berg said. “They’ve got a huge wine selection and lots of high-priced rare wines.”
The facility serves also as a banquet space for weddings and corporate functions.
Detectives are continuing to investigate the case and ask anyone with information to call the West Valley patrol division at 408.868.6600 or the anonymous tip line at 408.808.4431.
Burglars break into Plumed Horse, get away with expensive wine
