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Celebrating the first anniversary of Cosmos Bar and Grill coming up on Aug.29, co-owner Karla Lobos said that she and her husband, Chef Elpidio Diego, have been surprised by both the challenges and rewards in running the popular restaurant.
“In my mind,” she said, “it’s like a Netflix series. Every day is something new and different. It’s not just a business. It’s not just a job. It’s all about our customers and our workers. It’s like this is our home.”
Not that the couple lacked experience in the business. Lobos has worked at several places in Gilroy, including Garlic City Cafe, where she learned to bake, and La Hacienda, where she mastered the art of making cocktails. Diego cut his teeth in Morgan Hill at the now-closed Golden Oak Restaurant, and moved on to Ladera Grill and Mama Mia’s.
Lobos said that everything has gone better than they expected, due to the tremendous reception they got from the community.
“I was kind of scared to have a business of our own,” she said, “it’s not easy; it’s not easy at all. And this is a very small town. But we have been really surprised by how people have responded, and we know this is just the start.”
Cosmos opened with a full lunch and dinner menu, but with only a small eight-item breakfast menu on weekends, highlighting just a few items, like pancakes, French toast, omelets and eggs or crab Benedict. Unexpected construction work on the exterior of their building in March changed that.
Customers had to work their way into the restaurant through scaffolding and protective netting that obscured the sides of the building and partly blocked the front entrance, which initially had a significant impact on sales.
“They didn’t explain to me that the work would be that big,” Lobos said. “I got kind of scared, thinking, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen now. A lot of our customers thought we were closed or called to ask if we were open.’”
In a bid to reinvigorate the business, they started to publicize their breakfast service, which had been almost an insider’s secret menu up to that point, and close to tripled the size of the menu. They added some diner classics, like chicken and waffles, and corned beef hash, stick-to-your-ribs items like a New York steak fajita skillet, six more omelets, including chorizo and veggie versions, and customer Maria Rodriguez’s breakfast favorite, the chilaquiles.
“It has a wonderful homemade sauce,” Rodriguez said, “and you can tell it is very fresh. The tortillas are very crispy, and I like that you can get them as crispy as you want. Any special request, they’ll do it for you.”
For the lunch menu, Rodriguez opts for the Cosmo Burger, served on a brioche bun with a house-made Fresno pepper aioli spread, or the garlic scampi, with mushrooms and a white wine butter sauce.
And she tries to save room for the only pistachio-infused Dubai cheesecake in town.
“It’s very creamy,” she said, “and it has the perfect balance of being sweet but not overwhelming. You know, it’s very good for the palette.”
Coming out of the construction, the business got a substantial boost from the Independence Day Rally. In anticipation of having to cook for a bigger crowd, Diego cut the menu down to speed service, holding it to two burgers, two sandwiches and two salads.
“We were filled up,” Lobos said, “inside and out. People were a little nervous on Friday, like kids visiting a different house, but by Saturday, they were partying and dancing. At the end, everyone was happy.”
Besides the expanded breakfast menu, Cosmos is now offering special services for parties up to 30 in their banquet room or 45 in their parklet. For a $300 fee, guests can bring decorations and music and have privacy as well as personal service. There is a buffet as well as a platter service menu.
And just last week, Cosmos began offering delivery through DoorDash, though Lobos is still getting used to the system.
“You have to customize everything,” she said, “and everything keeps getting updated on the tablet. But people’s orders are already coming in, and the other day we were busier from DoorDash than from the customers here.”
Overall, Diego said, the business is growing at a decent pace, and he is appreciative of his steady stream of regular customers.
“People feel comfortable here,” he said. “Sometimes they are so mellow that they might stay for hours. My goal is to make people feel like they’re home, so that makes me feel we are doing something good.”
Breakfast at Cosmos Bar and Grill
Berry French Toast – Currently made with raspberries, blueberries and strawberries and topped with whipped cream, breakfast does not get more breakfasty than this dish. These delightfully eggy slices of thick bread fried to a rich, deep brown come with maple syrup and butter, but it is moist and flavorful enough to need neither. Lots of childhood comfort food memories here, presented with plenty of attention and love.
Chilaquiles – Featuring fresh-made house-fried tortilla chips, along with Diego’s red sauce, red onions, and queso fresco and served with two eggs and sliced avocado. As mentioned above, Diego will fry them to order so that they can be made crisper or more sauce-infused and mushier. The version I had was the default, with the chips fried to a nice, firm texture that maintained through the entire dish, down to the bottom layer. I tend to avoid this dish because it’s often made so soft that it has no bite or character, so this was a revelation. The red sauce has a modest heat and a rich flavor, but it can also be ordered with the house green sauce, which I plan to explore. This is a must-try, and the reheated leftovers still had substance the day after.
Chile Verde Omelet – Fluffy eggs folded over simmered pork and melted mozzarella cheese, covered with a homemade green salsa and served with country potatoes. This dish is hearty and substantial with a sauce that offers a bit of heat and a bit of bite. The pork was nicely seasoned and fork-tender, and the mozzarella was as gooey and chewy as one could hope for. This is one of the most popular of the breakfast items, and it is easy to see why. As with all of the dishes, this one glows with freshness and care—it was my favorite of the three and certainly worth keeping in mind for any upcoming visits.
Cosmos Bar and Grill
500 San Benito Street, Hollister
Phone: (831) 313-1177
Hours: Monday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m
Email: CosmosBarEnGrill@gmail.com
Cosmos online: Website and Facebook
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