SoFA Market Getting Traction

Now that the SoFA Market has been open for just over a year, it finally seems like it is getting the traction it deserves. 8/10 of the retail pads are now leased. The SoFA Market is currently home to Vero's Coffee, The Fountainhead Bar, On the Flipside, Konjoe Tei, Pokebowl, and Vitamina. Two places are coming soon: Milk & Wood (Gelato on a Stick) and Toasted Craft Sandwiches. It also sounds like the ninth lease will be a pizza joint. Hit the source link below for a nice article on the market's journey. Five years ago, nobody would have thought a project like this would work Downtown. Now we have both the San Pedro Square Market and the SoFA Market helping to rejuvenate their respective areas.

Source: SVBJ

Several New Restaurants Coming Downtown!

There were definitely some high-profile restaurant closures over the past couple years. However, those empty spaces will soon be filled with the next generation of Downtown San Jose restaurants.

The most significant recent closure in my mine is that of Sonoma Chicken Coup, a Downtown staple for many years. Sonoma left a 8,000 SQFT void in San Pedro Square, a gigantic space to fill in the restaurant world. Sushi Confidential is slated to take over that giant space with their second restaurant. The first is a Campbell hotspot offering innovative twists on Japanese food. The Downtown San Jose location will likely have the largest outdoor space of any Sushi restaurant in the Bay Area and be a welcome addition to our restaurant scene. The goal is to open by Super Bowl 50 on February 7th.

Up next is Blackbird Taven, which was located in what must be the unluckiest corner in Downtown San Jose. ASQEW Grill, Zing, and Ruffled Feathers Eatery were all predecessors at 200 South First Street. The proprietor behind B2 Coffee is looking to turn that luck around with their 3rd coffee shop called Social Policy. Of course they will have amazing coffee, but the larger location will also allow more bakery items, lunch fare, and small plates. Oh, and they will also have beer and wine! The store is already under construction and may be open before the end of the year.

Last on the list for today, the Fahrenheit Lounge space is being filled with the popular Pieology chain. I'm sure it will be a huge hit with SJSU students and provide a solid casual option for that part of Downtown.

I have also updated the Downtown San Jose Restaurants Google Sheet with these latest changes.

Source: SVBJ, SVBJ Article #2

Downtown San Jose Restaurant List Updates! (2015 Q4 Edition)

Today we get to discuss the latest changes to Downtown San Jose Restaurants. First off, the good news. We are up to a grand total of 260 eateries! This is yet another record-breaking number for Downtown San Jose! Our little database had 206 eateries in 2011.

As always there were some significant closures as well. The ones that stood out to me were Sonoma Chicken Coup and South First Billiards (which was a cool place, but I'll be the first to say the food was not great). On the other hand, quite a few places opened up in the last few months. Here are some notable additions to the Downtown restaurant scene as well as a look into the future:

• Lou's Beachshack - The third incarnation of Lou's Village, located at the San Pedro Square Market. I love their fish sandwiches, popcorn shrimp, and abalone sliders. This is a solid addition to Downtown and a great nostalgic return of one of San Jose's most famous establishments.
• Oni Mexicantessan - Killer Mexican sandwiches, also at the San Pedro Square Market. This is a sister restaurant to Loteira Taco Bar down the hall.
• Deluxe Eatery & Drinkery - New American restaurant on San Fernando with a notable chef (Chad Ferry: The Plumed Horse, Paolo's, Spagos). Have not been here yet, but I can't wait to try their short rib tater tots.
• Voltaire Coffee House - New boutique coffee shop at the base of 360 Residences. Downtown San Jose has a lot of great coffee shops, and this already ranks among the best. 
• Aura Kitchen - New restaurant/nightclub replacing Motif in SoFA. They landed the chef from Nobu London. I've heard great things about this place even though it just opened.
• HOM Korean Kitchen - The Chipotle of Korean Food comes to Santa Clara St. and is open very late!
• Williams St. Restaurants: Added 6 restaurants that are technically within the boarder of Downtown San Jose: Sonia's Kitchen, SA-By Thai, Da Lat Cafe, Pho Cong Ly, Mi Chalateca, and Creasian. Highly recommend trying out Creasian.
• COMING SOON (Now you can find all "Coming Soon" restaurants at the top of the list)
• Hawaiian Poke Bowl (SoFA Market)
• Milk and Wood (SoFA Market)
• Vitamina Juices & Blends (SoFA Market)
• Origins Juicery (1st St., former Discovery Store)
• San Jose Pizza Co. (Santa Clara Street near San Pedro)
• Uproar Brewery (SoFA, former Zer01 Garage)

Below is the change log from the Downtown San Jose Restaurants Database:

7/31/2015	Chef Monalisa closed
7/31/2015	Added Uproar Brewery in SoFA
8/1/2015	Added Oni Mexicantessan and Lou's Beach Shack, both in the San Pedro Square Market
8/23/2015	Changed the formatting so that restaurants "COMING SOON" will always appear at the top of the list
9/8/2015	Sonoma Chicken Coop and South First Billiards closed
9/9/2015	Added Deluxe Eatery & Drinkery at 71 E. San Fernando
9/13/2015	Added 6 restaurants on Williams St. near SJSU: Sonia's Kitchen, SA-By Thai Cuisine, Creasian, Pho Cong Ly, Dalat Cafe, and Mi Chalateca
9/14/2015	Added Voltaire Coffee House in SoFA
9/21/2015	Motif has been replaced with Aura Kitchen and Bar on South First Street
10/4/2015	Replace Cheese Steak Shop on Santa Clara Street with HOM Korean Kitchen
10/4/2015	Added Origins Juicery, coming soon to 150 S. 1st Street

If you haven't bookmarked it yet, here's the link to the spreadsheet! There is also a permanent link over to the right entitled Downtown San Jose Restaurants.

Bacon Festival of America - Sep 5 & 6 @ Plaza de Cesar Chavez

Bacon, craft beer, wrestling, food trucks, bacon, fire pits for s'mores, live music, classic games, and bacon--what could be better this Labor Day Weekend? Oh, and did I mention there will be bacon? The 3rd annual Bacon Festival of America is coming to the heart of Downtown San Jose in one short week and you won't want to miss it!

This year there are a few new elements to the event. There will be a signature beer they are calling PBRB, which is Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer + bacon bits. Also new is a family camp where you can roast bacon chocolate s'mores over an open flame (awesome!). They even launched bacon into space earlier this week.

Estimated attendance is 15,000 people over the two day event. The Bacon Festival will run from noon to 7pm on September 5th and 6th at Plaza de Cesar Chavez.

You can order your tickets now over here! You can also buy tickets at the door, but they will be slightly more expensive.

Downtown San Jose Restaurant List Updates! (2015 Q3 Edition)

I have finally caught up again with updates for the Downtown San Jose Restaurants database! We are up to a grand total of 254 eateries! This is yet another record-breaking number for Downtown San Jose! We were at 206 eateries in 2011.

As always there were some significant closures as well. The ones that stood out to me were Little Chef, Falafel Bar, and Azucar. The good news is that the caliber of the new places opening up more than makes up for the ones that closed. Here are some of the newcomers:

• Noodle Dude - This modern but unpretentious noodle house had some of the best Ramen I've had (Yelpers agree, 4.5 star rating). You order Ramen like you would a burrito at Chipotle--the noodles, ingredients, and broth are all independently selected by the customer, so you get exactly what you're in the mood for. They also have great service.
• Konjoe-Tei - New Ramen and Izakaya joint in the SoFA Market brought to you by the owners of Konjoe. I've heard great things, also 4.5 stars on Yelp.
• On the Flipside - New Burger bar in the SoFA Market.
• Gotta Eatta Pita - Yet another 4.5 star restaurant on Yelp. Very inexpensive yet delicious Mediterranean food.
• The Joint Eatery - Specializes in diverse comfort food, including Burgers, Sandwiches, and a variety of Appetizers. Oh yeah, also 4.5 stars on Yelp.

Below is the change log from the Downtown San Jose Restaurants Database:

1/10/2015	Grub Shack closed
1/24/2015	Icebee Replaced with My Milkshake at 151 S. 2nd Street
1/24/2015	Falafel Bar closed
1/24/2015	Azucar closed
1/25/2015	Pete's Coffee on Santa Clara Street closed
1/25/2015	La Pinata on San Pedro closed
5/2/2015	Added On The Flipside, Konjoe-Tei, Hawaiian Poke Bowl, Milk and Wood, and Vitamina Juices & Blends which are all part of the SoFA Market
5/2/2015	First to Market is now called The Craftsman
7/4/2015	Konjoe-Tei in the SoFA Market is now officially open
7/4/2015	Sama Zama in the SPSM was replaced with Pasta Fresca (same owners)
7/4/2015	Little Chef at the SPSM closed
7/4/2015	Gotta Eatta Pita has replaced Amir Restaurant at 86 N Market Street
7/4/2015	The Joint Eatery is now open at 93 E Santa Clara Street (used to be Grub Shack)

If you haven't bookmarked it yet, here's the link to the spreadsheet! There is also a permanent link over to the right entitled Downtown San Jose Restaurants.

Dine Downtown San Jose Restaurant Week - Kickoff is Tomorrow!

If you want great food at a great price, Dine Downtown San Jose starts tomorrow. 23 Restaurants will be offering 3 course prix-fixe dinners for $20, $30, or $40. Oh, and for the first time a few restaurants will be offering lunch specials (including Curry Pundits, The Fountain, Take One Pizza, and Tengu Sushi). You can find those here.

Of the participating restaurants, there are a few I need to call out specifically:

• The Craftsman - this used to be "First to Market." They still have a lot of their classic items (the pimento mac & cheese is a must) and a mixology-grade cocktail bar, but freshened up the design a bit.
• The Capital Club - private club on the top floor of the "Knight Ridder" building. This is your best chance to dine up there without having to pay the membership fees. The view from their massive outdoor balconies is incredible--no other place like this in the Bay Area.
• Arcadia - Michael Mina's signature San Jose restaurant. Try the tuna tar tar and the foie gras sliders.
• Nemea - The best Greek restaurant in San Jose.
• Scott's Seafood - I know this is a chain, but there isn't another Scott's like this one. They just redid their outdoor patio, which is on the roof of a 7-story parking structure. Awesome view, great ambiance, and delicious food.

To see the full restaurant list, head over here!

Scott's Seafood Launching Rooftop Lounge

Perched above a seven story parking structure, Scott's Seafood has the best view for any public restaurant in Downtown San Jose. To make full use of the location, they built an amazing outdoor patio with a giant fireplace and slick lighting. It has become one of my favorite hidden gems Downtown.

Starting this week, Scott's is turning the outdoor patio into a lounge complete with music, bottle service, and a late night food menu. The fun starts at 9pm and continues until at least midnight on weekends. This will provide yet another late night entertainment option in Downtown San Jose, and it will be on the classier side of the scale.

Scott's Seafood is located at 185 Park Avenue (park anywhere in the structure and take the elevator to the very top). For more info, follow their Facebook Page.

Food Trucks Coming to Plaza de Cesar Chavez Downtown!

Moveable Feast is planning to expand to its birthplace, Downtown San Jose. The goal is to have a weekly food truck event at Plaza de Cesar Chavez every Friday. It would be a mid-sized gathering of 5-6 trucks along with live music. Moveable Feast still needs to final approval from the city, but they are confident their plan will be approved.

Ryan Sebastian, the founder of Moveable Feast, believes that these events are key to bringing more people to Downtown San Jose and making it a destination. He believes there are still many San Joseans that are afraid of Downtown, and events like this will help change that brand perception.

The best case scenario would place Moveable Feast in the park beginning this February.

Personally, I would love to see this taken a step further and have a permanent area dedicated to food trucks (and retail trucks) with daily events. There would have to be enough demand, but that could really become an anchor for one of the best urban parks in San Jose.

Source: SVBJ

Downtown San Jose Restaurant List Updates! (2014 Edition)

I have finally caught up with updating the Downtown San Jose Restaurants database (it has been a while, sorry about that). We are up to a grand total of 250 eateries! This is yet another record-breaking number for Downtown San Jose! To put it in perspective we were at 206 eateries in 2011.

We are up to an all time high despite some notable closures such as Blackbird Tavern, Bella Mia, and Los Gatos Brewing Company. I'm sad to see those go, but there are so many great places that opened in 2014 that I think more than makes up for the losses. Here are some of the newcomers:

• C.R.E.A.M - The famous ice cream sandwich chain opens a new shop Downtown on 1st street. Open until 2am on weekends, you will almost always see a line out the door... but don't worry it moves deceptively fast.
• Paper Plane - Not only do they serve up amazing craft cocktails here, but they have a menu that is up to par with their drinks. Try the deviled eggs and pork belly chicharron.
• First to Market - Great traditional American cuisine in SoFA, brought to you by one of the same founders as Singlebarrel.
• Taurinus Brazilian Steakhouse - Downtown gets a Brazilian steakhouse again! Great selection of meats and a sidebar with salads and Brazilian delicacies for when you need to take a protein break.
• Power Bowl - New healthy offering with Acai-based fruit bowls and smoothies.
• Garlic Bread - Finally open and providing tasty BBQ in Fountain Alley.
• Ozu Sushi - Sushi place taking the baton from Smile Sushi.
• Da Kine Island Grill - Traditional Hawaiian food, often accompanied by music, entertainment, and drinks.
• Nomikai - Asian tapas and fusion pizzas along with craft drinks.
• Louisiana Bistro - Cajun delicacies with a nice kick to them.
• Nick the Greek - Best casual Greek spot in Silicon Valley. Killer food at reasonable prices.
• Boba Bar Teahouse & Eatery - New Boba spot right next to SJSU.
• San Pedro Square Market
• Arepa Swing - Unique Venezuelan arepa eatery.
• Spuds - Awesome potato bar where you can get everything from BBQ pork potatoes to Italian Pesto potatoes. Great food and great service, one of my new favorites at the SPSM.
• SoFA Market (NEW!)
• Falafel Bar - Today's flagship offering at the new SoFA Market. The falafels here are out of this world and you can customize your sandwich or bowl any way you'd like.
• Vero's Coffee - Yet another outstanding coffee shop Downtown. I recommend the Mexican Mocha.
• Other Places Coming Soon
• Ramen Bar and Pizza Place in the SoFA Market
• M Lounge Bar and Restaurant (in the P.F. Chang Spot)
• The Continental in SoFA

Below is the changelog from the Downtown San Jose Restaurants Database:

1/4/2014	8 Treasure Restaurant replaced Asian Gourmet at 150 S. First
1/4/2014	Power Bowl is open at 132 E. San Fernando (was once Blendz)
1/4/2014	Ninja Star Sushi closed
1/4/2014	Added Sweet Express to the list
1/5/2014	Ozu Sushi & Grill replaces Smile Sushi
1/5/2014	Tico's Tacos Closed, the oldest Downtown restaurant I had a confirmed opening date for (1957)
2/9/2014	Added First to Market, at 399 S. 1st
2/9/2014	Added hours and Yelp info to CREAM, one of the few dessert shops open late
2/9/2014	Added Louisiana Bistro at 19 N. Market
3/22/2014	Zenon's Peruvian closed on 167 San Fernando but has been replaced with Taurinus Brazilian Steakhouse
4/28/2014	La Victoria is taking over the old Tico's Tacos site at 291 N. Fourth and Julian
5/11/2014	Added M Lounge Bar and Restaurant, which is taking over the P.F. Chang's location at 98 S. 2nd Street
6/15/2014	Added Arepa Swing and Spuds (coming soon), both in the San Pedro Square Market
6/15/2014	Added Nick the Greet at 143 W. Santa Clara St.
6/15/2014	Added Mid GoGo at 185 Park Ave, #189
6/15/2014	Added Cafe Eden at 2 N. 1st St.
6/15/2014	Added Seven Seas Sushi at 130 E. Santa Clara (replaces Ninja Star Sushi)
6/29/2014	House of Siam closed (owners reopening Tee Nee Thai on The Alameda)
9/29/2014	Los Gatos Brewing Company Closed (to be replaced with gaming lounge and bar)
10/7/2014	Blackbird Tavern Closed
11/22/2014	Bella Mia Closed due to escalating rents
11/22/2014	City Restaurant at 301 E. Santa Clara Street replaced with Bobo Drinks
11/22/2014	Hydration replaced with Boba Bar Teahouse & Eatery
11/22/2014	Added Garlic Bread in Fountain Alley

If you haven't bookmarked it yet, here's the link to the spreadsheet! There is also a permanent link over to the right entitled Downtown San Jose Restaurants.

The Dinner Detective - San Jose

I thought I knew about every entertainment option Downtown, but this one is completely new to me. Apparently there is a murder mystery dinner show at The Hilton called The Dinner Detective. It is a fully interactive show along with a four course meal that sounds very intriguing. The cost is $81 per person, which sounds completely worth it for this kind of unique and intimate experience. For more information, head over to The Dinner Detective website.

San Jose Ramen Yokocho is on!

If you love Ramen, head over to Downtown San Jose either this weekend or next! The San Jose Ramen Yokocho in the Convention Center will feature 9-10 exotic Ramen selections (including a deconstructed Ramen burger). Below is the full Ramen lineup for the event. In addition to the great soups, there is an all-day Doraemon film screening, art exhibits, and vendors. The event is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-9pm and next Friday from 4pm-9pm. I'm going tomorrow, can't wait!

San Pedro Square Market Planning Expansion!

Since launching in October 2011, the San Pedro Square Market has become a pivotal success that is changing perceptions of Downtown San Jose and serving as a catalyst for development. It is one of the biggest wins Downtown has ever had. Now, the SPSM is planning their first major expansion and has already acquired a 13,045 SQFT parcel across the street for this purpose.

Today, this lot consists of a small house being used as an office for History San Jose and a surface parking lot. Eventually this will likely become a two-story building with retail on the ground floor residential or office on the top floor. The retail piece could easily be 40% of the square footage the Market has today and either support multiple vendors or larger, more traditional restaurants and shops. The icing on the cake is that they will incorporate some sort of public space next to the Fallen House, much like they did with the Peralta Adobe in the middle of the Market.

My personal wishlist item for the expansion would be an underground Speakeasy bar similar to Singlebarrel. How cool would that be?

Other retail will be coming as well. Centerra will have 8,000 SQFT on the ground floor of its tower right across the street from the Market and KT Properties is going to build two high-rise towers with the same amount of retail as exists today at the Market. This means within 4-5 years we may have triple the amount of restaurants and shops we have today in the San Pedro Square Market area. I can't wait to see how this shapes up!

Source: SVBJ

Electronic Sriracha Festival on Aug. 30th @ St. James Park!

This has to be one of the best ideas for a new event that I've come across in a long time. A couple years ago Moveable Feast launched The Taco Festival of Innovation, then last year they started the Bacon Festival of America, and now they are going for their hottest event yet... the Electronic Sriracha Festival!

The festival will encompass two city blocks at St. James Park and features three stages, 24 DJs representing the best of Bay Area-bred electronic music (list below), four bars, and 120 sriracha-infused dishes. There will be over 40 food trucks and food tents and all dishes and drinks will be priced at $6 or less. Oh, and SJ MADE will be there as well.

It is all going down Labor Day Weekend--August 30th--from noon to 8pm. Admission will run $20 in advance or $30 at the door (kids under 12 are free).

These are the types of events that will return St. James Park to its former glory, so lets help make this one a success! You can get more info at their Facebook page over here.

OLMSTEAD STAGE
Thee-O
Sam F
John Beaver Live with Krishna Lee on Drums & Greg Manacho on Guitar
Ross FM
Taj
Carlos Alfonzo
Tomas Phan
Ian Rey

KENNEDY STAGE
Aaron Axelsen
Dead Funk
Andy P
Mr. Tyler Jackson
California Casual
DJ Hil
Bare Knuckles
James Ashley

HART STAGE
GoldenChyld
Los Disco Duro
Bobby Acosta
DRU
Double A and Jay Reese
DJ Basura
Haptic Synapses
Mike Zhao

2nd Annual Bacon Festival - July 4th and 5th!

This weekend the San Jose Bacon Festival of America returns for its sophomore event. This time around, the festival will take place in the heart of Downtown San Jose at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. You can expect food trucks, entertainment, and of course... lots and lots of bacon.

Admission is $10-15 depending on whether you want to gorge yourself of bacon for one day or two days. For more info, just head over to the Bacon Festival website over here.

St. James Park Food Trucks!

I think we can all agree that there is a lot of work to be done to restore St. James Park, perhaps the park with the most history in all of San Jose. With several new development projects happening on the periphery of the park, we need to do everything we can to change this from an encampment for the homeless to one of Downtown's key attractions.

Ryan Sebastian, the proprietor behind Treatbot, Moveable Feast, and the San Jose Taco Festival of Innovation, is planning to bring lunch-time food trucks to St. James Park as soon as June. Instead of a regular weekly food truck event, he is envisioning something a bit different. He is trying to get a Food Truck "pod" in the park that would feature lunch trucks daily. I think this would go a long way to reducing the non-homeless to homeless ration in the park and improving the quality of the community there, especially in combination with other improvements being discussed like a music pavilion. I wish him the best of luck!

Oh and while we are on the topic of parks, check out this great article in Think Bigger San Jose about improving Plaza de Cesar Chavez.

Source: SVBJ

Asian Fusion Restaurant Replacing P.F. Chang's Location Downtown

There is so much restaurant news Downtown that I'm having a hard time keeping up! Perhaps the biggest news in the past month is that the flagship 7,100 SQFT space at the corner of San Fernando and Second Street that was occupied by PF Chang's has already been leased. The turnaround time here was dramatically faster than replacing E&O Trading Company... another key restaurant that disappeared years ago whose space is now filled by Nemea (a big improvement in my opinion).

M Lounge Bar and Restaurant is the name of the upscale Asian fusion restaurant going into 98 S. Second Street and filling a key corner in Downtown San Jose. Ashwini Kumar is the restaurateur and is already known for Madhuban Indian, which is located in San Jose (50 Skyport Drive) and Sunnyvale (544 Lawrence Expressway). M Lounge will be a mix of Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai, and Indian cuisine. Clocking in a 260 seats, it will also be one of the largest restaurants Downtown.

M Lounge has signed a 5-year lease, so expect them to be around for quite a while. The target opening date is August, but that might be a little optimistic. I can't wait to try this place out!

Source: SVBJ

Downtown San Jose Farmers’ Market Kicks Off 22nd Season Tomorrow!

SAN JOSE, CA – The 22nd year of the Downtown San Jose Farmers’ Market, presented by Kaiser Permanente, begins May 2, just as fruits including apricots, blueberries, cantaloupes, cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums, prunes and raspberries start to ripen in California.

From May 2 to Nov. 21, the Downtown San Jose Farmers’ Market opens each Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., on a vibrant block of San Pedro Square, at Santa Clara and San Pedro streets.  The location and combination of fun, sunshine, fresh goods, artist booths, lunchtime eateries and festival atmosphere attract residents, students, downtown employees and visitors.  With more than 2,000 people attending each week, the market features some of the best people-watching in the South Bay.

The Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA) has worked with the San Jose Downtown Association on the downtown market since the beginning in 1992.  PCFMA selects up to 35 vendors arrive each week with fresh-picked seasonal produce, artisan breads and baked goods, fresh fish, cheeses, honey products, olive oils and vinegars, wine, jams, sauces and ethnic treats, all locally grown and made.  They are joined by several local artists displaying crafts, jewelry, soaps, lotions, candles, scarves and clothing.

Throughout the season, the market includes:

• Live music
• Kids’ activities and arts and crafts
• Appearances by Mr. Carrot, the PCFMA mascot
• Cooking demonstrations and tastings with the Cookin’ the Market chefs
• “Green” days of eco-minded vendors and programs and reusable bag giveaways
• Fun promotional giveaways of recycled bags, pens, and mugs
• Enter-to-win contests, including bags of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Get ready for cherry-pit-spitting, melon-eating and pie-eating contests
• Validated parking in the adjacent Market-San Pedro Garage

Kaiser Permanente has teamed with the Downtown Association and PCFMA for the fifth consecutive year to present the market and focus on healthful and “green” living.  For opening day, Kaiser Permanente will have its Blender Bike for Smoothies available for attendees to hop on the stationary bike and whip up a smoothie made from fresh Farmers’ Market fruit.

Customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable and washed bags.  Call (408) 279-1775 or visit www.sjdowntown.com for more information.

About the San Jose Downtown Association:  The San Jose Downtown Association is a non-profit group of business and property owners working to improve the vitality and livability of downtown San Jose.  Established in 1986, SJDA programs more than 100 days of events each year.

La Vic's Opening a Third Restaurant Downtown!

If you can't get enough orange sauce, you'll have one more La Victoria restaurant Downtown to help you get your fix. La Vic's is taking over the former Tico's Tacos site at 291 N. Fourth and Julian (this was the oldest Mexican restaurant in San Jose, established in 1957). As far as I know, La Vics will be the only homegrown San Jose restaurant to expand to three locations in Downtown San Jose. They have a total of five restaurants in the greater San Jose area.

Reminder: Art & Food mixer at First to Market tomorrow night! 2/21

Don't forget!

Tomorrow, Friday, February 21st I'm hosting a special mixer at the new restaurant First to Market in the SoFA District.

First to Market is an American comfort food restaurant featuring a seasonal menu. Run by local owners, Joe Gradillas and Jennifer Lin, the restaurant will provide downtown San Jose with signature dishes from Chef Domingo Wolbert such as Bison Tartare, Shrimp and Grits, and Housemade Tots to name just a few.

I have had the honor of being their first local artist to showcase my photography on their artist wall! You'll see several San Jose/South Bay people and places. 

(If you'd like to read more about the restaurant and event, here's the original blog post!)

Please stop by, anytime between 5pm and 9pm, to check out the newly decorated restaurant, check out my photography, and of course, get a chance to taste some of their yummy dishes!

For this event, they will have a special menu of passed appetizers. Here is a sneak peek to get your tummy growling:

I've been informed there might be one or two additional items not mentioned on this list. I can't wait to taste them all. I've been saving my taste buds for Friday's event.

We hope to see you there!

Where: First to Market

Date: Friday, February 21st 

Time: 5pm to 9pm
Address: 399 S 1st Street, San Jose

You're Invited! First to Market - New restaurant opening in the SoFA District

Opening this month in the SoFA District - First to Market, an American comfort food restaurant. 

Full disclosure before I get into the nitty gritty - I am friends with one of the owners. However, he didn't ask me to blog about it - but I am, because I know you would all want to know about what this new restaurant is about. 

Also because I'm inviting you, The San Jose Blog readers, to a special soft opening! But first, a little more about the restaurant...

First to Market, located on the street level of the Agenda building in the SoFA District will bring downtown signature dishes from Chef Domingo Wolbert such as Bison Tartare, Shrimp and Grits, and Housemade Tots to name just a few. They will also be the first restaurant in San Jose to carry an authentic Southern Country Ham. Their menu will be seasonal, allowing even regulars to continue to experience new tastes as the year goes on.

Owners Joe Gradillas and Jennifer Lin were both raised and educated in San Jose. Between them, they have extensive entrepreneur and restaurant experience; Gradillas has had success with several businesses downtown and Lin has a degree in Hospitality Management from SJSU along with a Culinary Arts degree from PCI.

When asked about the origin of the name, First to Market, this is what they had to say:

"It describes a time in US history when all food was made from scratch, and processed, shelf stable or frozen foods didn't dominate the shelves of pantries and refrigerators. This was a time when "supermarkets" didn't exist, and to plan a celebration, family members would have to plan early trips to the local market, to ensure they would have everything they need and get started on preparing the meal with ample time to finish. We want the food to be reminiscent of that time, when rich flavors came from the love of preparing a meal from scratch for the entire day. However, we have a running joke that we chose the name because we are literally located on First street, between First and Market Street."

Because starting any new business can be adventurous, the owners have started a small fundraising campaign to help cushion the first months of opening. If you'd like to help them out - check out their indiegogo.com campaign here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-bring-american-regional-cuisine-to-downtown-san-jose

They haven't forgotten about where they are, the SoFA District. Art and community is a big part of that area of Downtown (First Fridays, SubZero, The ZERO1 Garage, etc) and to bring an element of that into the restaurant they will have one of their large walls dedicated to a local artist each month. Now, tooting my own horn for just a moment -- I was honored to be the first artist to showcase on their wall! As you walk in, you will see a handful of my photography pieces; I've themed my collection to include people and scenes from the South Bay/San Jose area. Be sure to check them out and see what you recognize.

Now here's the fun part - for me, and for you, of course.

You are invited to a soft-opening as my guest!

Join me, Josh, and others as we welcome First to Market to the SoFA District.

Special Event

Date: Friday, February 21st 

Time: 5pm to 9pm
Address: 399 S 1st Street, San Jose

Bring your friends and mix and mingle as you check out the newly decorated building, meet the owners, and best of all - get a chance to taste a select menu! Items will be available as appetizers to sample, FREE to guests. 

We really hope you can make it out, as we'd love to get a chance to meet with our loyal readers! Please let us know you'll be joining us via the comments, Twitter or Facebook!

If you miss the soft-opening, stop by after February 25th when they will officially be open!