60 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM ABOVE: Galen Fletcher at Sundance The Steakhouse in Palo Alto. It’s a weeknight at Sundance The Steakhouse and every seat is taken. Nothing new there. A true institution in its 50th year, the Palo Alto restaurant has served more than 6 million diners to date. “It was before Flemings. Before Alexander's. If you wanted steak, you came here,” notes Galen Fletcher, current owner and son of Sundance’s founder, Robert Fletcher. Prior to the sophisticated, low-lit, dark-wood dining room you see today, Sundance embraced a mining company theme. “Back in the early ‘70s, a lot of restaurants were very concept-oriented,” Galen relays. “There was mining stuff everywhere. In the bar, they had these rafters that came down—it was almost like coming into a mine shaft, like something you would see at Disneyland.” Servers delivered your aged USDA prime steaks with sides of creamed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes while clad in Gunne Sax dresses or leather vests with bank teller visors. This was where Galen grew up, the restaurant opening on his seventh birthday. “I was so proud of my dad and his amazing accomplishment—the best birthday gift ever,” Galen says. “My mom ended up taking my brother and me home after a feast of prime rib, steaks, virgin strawberry-banana daiquiris and mud pie. Let's just say the party continued well into the early morning hours!” What was it like living in a steakhouse family? “First of all, we ate great,” Galen says. “I was literally brought up on prime rib.” Of course, growing up in the restaurant industry wasn’t all perfectly plated meals and candlelight. “It's a lifestyle. The family needs to accept that dad's not going to be around that much,” Galen notes. “You work on weekends, you work nights, you work holidays… But we could {food coloring}
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