Eastridge Mall Gets Sold, Redevelopment Planned

Majority ownership of Eastridge Mall is moving from General Growth Properties to Pacific Retail Partners and Silverpeak Real Estate Partners. While those names likely don't mean much to you, the new owners are planning to revitalize the 1.4 million SQFT mall. They will be investing $15 million off the bat and have already announced that H&M is going to be one of the new tenants. The popular clothing store is going to take a 23,000 SQFT space in Eastridge, roughly the same size as the Santana Row location. You can also expect new paint, landscaping, signage and a revamped play area and food court.

In the SVBJ article, there is mention of bringing in an Asian grocer. I can see something like a 99 Ranch Market doing very well here.

The last Eastridge renovation was in 2007 and included a $140 million expansion. Currently the mall is 97.3% leased, which is a very strong number given that retail is slowly trending away from malls. The purchase also includes tons of developable land circling the mall. I'm sure that building on that extra property will only become more lucrative after the Bus Rapid Transit system running from Downtown San Jose to Eastridge is completed at the end of this year.

Source: SVBJ

Adega Restaurant Review

I was initially heartbroken when Sousa's, the only Portuguese sit-down restaurant in Silicon Valley, closed earlier this year after a 33-year run. Ordering Sousa's for special occasions was a family tradition of ours. However, it is time for a new generation of chefs to carry the torch and bring their own unique spin to Portuguese cuisine.

The restaurant was sold to husband-and-wife chef team David Costa and Jessica Carreira along with Carlos and Fernanda Carreira (Jessica's parents). Jessica was born and raised in San Jose. She studied cooking at the Cordon Bleu and then went to Portugal for three years to master Portuguese cuisine. By age 20 she became the head pastry chef at Restaurant Eleven, a Michelin-star restaurant in Lisbon. That is also where she met her husband David Costa. David had been cooking for over ten years and believes in transforming traditional dishes without destroying the original flavor. He has worked at several notable restaurants in addition to Restaurant Eleven and was the sous-chef at the Four Seasons Hotel in Lisbon.

With Adega (which means wine cellar), David and Jessica have realized their life-dream of opening their own Portuguese restaurant. There is character in every corner of the space. Much of the furniture is hand made, original tools used in wine-making are hanging on the walls, there is a traditional tile mosaic on the back wall, even the plates and dishware are imported from Portugal. True to the restaurant's name, Adega's massive collection of Portuguese wines is one of the first things you'll notice when walking in. It is immediately clear that this is not a cookie-cutter restaurant.

Before I get to the food, let me just say I am Portuguese-American and have been eating amazing home-cooked Portuguese meals for 35 years. I've visited Portugal over 20 times and have had countless amazing, authentic meals there. The dinner I had at Adega in San Jose, was easily one of the top five Portuguese meals I have ever had in my life. I think the food here is something that everyone can appreciate, even if you have never had a Portuguese dish before. This could very well be the best fine-dining restaurant in San Jose right now.

STARTERS

House-made hummus and Portuguese bread - These comes complimentary. The hummus is a unique blend and may change from one visit to the next. The marinated olives are perfect to nibble on while you browsing the menu and wine list.

Pork belly, pea puree, poached quail egg - A must-order dish! Pork belly has become very popular in the US over the last few years. This combines perfectly cooked slices of pork with an outstanding pea puree that could stand on its own. Add the quail egg and you have magic on a plate. The presentation is also gorgeous.

Sweet prawns in a buttery garlic sauce - This is a very simple dish that is exploding with flavor. I forgot to ask how long the prawns are marinaded for, but I imagine it is a very long time. These were so good that we were looking around the table to see other's reactions when they bit into the shrimp.

Rabbit terrine with pine nuts, pistachios and cous-cous salad - Rabbit is not something you see often on American tables, but it is a popular staple of Portuguese cooking. The taste is similar to chicken and is not gamey at all like other "exotic" meats. At Adega, it is prepared perfectly in a terrine mixed with nuts and each slice sits on a bed of cous-cous. The sweet sauce on the bottom is what really elevated the whole dish for me and made it all come together. If you are adventurous, you have to try this one.

Octopus salad with roasted red pepper sauce - As beautiful as this dish was, I could only try a small bite since I'm allergic to raw onion. Everyone else at the table had no problem cleaning this plate.

SOUPS

Fresh cut kale, chourico bits, cream of potato (Caldo Verde) - This is as traditional of a Portuguese soup as you can get. It tastes just as good as how my grandmother made it, but Adega dresses up the soup with a modern presentation I have never seen before. It tastes as good as it looks.

Seafood bisque, aspic of lobster & oysters - Absolutely delicious. This is as good as any soup I have ever ordered at a Michelin-star restaurant. The soup is poured over the seafood table-side.

ENTREES

Ribeye steak, crispy Iberico ham, fried egg, fried potatoes (Bife a Portuguesa) - Wow, what an amazing and fun interpretation of a Portuguese classic. Usually this is a marinated flat-iron steak topped with an egg and french fries, but Adega has put a tuxedo on this traditional dish. They use a premium Ribeye which comes medium-rare and sizzling on a hot stone (similar to Rok Bistro). You can leave it on the stone to cook to your favorite temperature and then combine it the accompaniments on the neighboring plate.

Braised beef, roasted taro root puree, sauteed spinach (Alcatra e Inhame) - Another outstanding beef plate. This one is less interactive than the Bife a Portuguesa, but combines melt-in-your-mouth beef with taro mashed potatoes and surprisingly flavorful spinach. This was one of my wife's favorites.

Sea bass cooked with potatoes, bacon, green beans - The fish was flaky, crispy, and moist all at the same time. The texture was excellent and it had the right amount of spices.

DESSERTS

Fried coconut rice pudding, passion fruit sauce, mojito sorbet (Arroz Doce Adega) - This might be the best Portuguese dessert I have ever had. It was not a traditional rice pudding like what I was expecting. You have three fried pastries filled with coconut rice and combine those with the passion fruit sauce and mojito sorbet in the middle. I could have eaten a half-dozen of these. This is another must-order item.

Flan pudding, caramel tile, caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream - This is definitely not your traditional flan. I like this version much more and my table devoured the flan in about 20 seconds.

Orange roulade cake, cream cheese, in cardamom sauce - I don't think I have ever had this before in Portuguese cooking so I have nothing to compare this to. It was sweet, decadent, and the cake was the perfect sponge for the sauces and cream cheese.

BEVERAGES

Adega has what is likely the largest collection of Portuguese wines of any restaurant outside of Portugal. Chef Jessica's parents are both in the wine industry and have used their connections to get over 200 different types of wine across multiple regions of Portugal. You will probably need some help picking a wine similar to what you are used to, but I would recommend being adventurous and trying something that you will never find anywhere else. My pick would be a "Green Wine" (Vinho Verde), which comes from one of two varietals exclusive to Portugal. The cost for these is very inexpensive and Adega has some of the best ever made.

For dessert, you can add a shot of Port, Madeira, or Moscatel to help close out a wonderful meal. They have suggested pairings for each dessert and the cost is only $5.

Adega also has a selection of Portuguese beers and sodas. If you are going non-alcoholic then I recommend the passion fruit soda.

In conclusion, you should book a reservation ASAP before the word gets out. Adega is San Jose's best shot at getting its first Michelin Star Restaurant in 2017 and is a shining example of what the next generation of San Jose restaurants could be.

Adega is open for both lunch and dinner at 1614 Alum Rock Avenue. Hours are 11:30am to 2:30pm and 6pm to 10pm Wednesday through Sunday. Parking is available behind the restaurant, across the street, and valet parking is available on weekends. You can book a table from the Adega Website.

New Mixed-Use Residential Project Slated for East San Jose

We are going to kick off the first workweek of 2016 with two big stories for East San Jose. Today, we'll talk about the first major development proposal in decades for East San Jose. Tomorrow, we'll have an in depth restaurant review for what might just be the best new restaurant in all of San Jose--and it happens to be in East San Jose.

The Empire Lumber site at 1260 E. Santa Clara Street is clearly a prime spot for redevelopment given that it is across the street from a future BART station. Despite the fact that we won't see any trains stopping at that station until the year 2025 or so, developers have already started taking serious interest in the neighborhood.

Steinberg has proposed a seven-story mixed-use building with 418 apartments and 30,000 SQFT of commercial space on the ground floor. As you can see from the drawings below, this is not your typical building in East San Jose. You have large sidewalks with outdoor dining along Santa Clara Street facing Five Wounds Portuguese National Church--one of our most iconic buildings. There are plenty of large balconies for residents, including some nice ones on the penthouse floors. There is a swimming pool and green space on the podium level above the retail and parking, and Steinberg even designed it to have a view. A publicly accessible urban plaza would sit between two large retail pads: 18,000 SQFT on East Santa Clara Street and 12,000 SQFT at the corner of Santa Clara and 28th Street.

The Empire Lumber lot currently houses a used-car dealership, definitely not the best use for this land. There is some push-back from the community on the proposed height of 85 feet. The current site plan has a cap of 55 feet on part of the proposal, so Steinberg would require a variance to get approval. Given this location near a future BART station and a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) station that will hopefully go live by the end of this year, we should be going as dense and tall as possible. This would be a terrific addition to the neighborhood!

Source: SVBJ

Development Plan Around San Jose's First BART Station in Berryessa Might be Changing

The plans for one of the most important redevelopment in San Jose was developed over 10 years ago, which might as well be a century in terms of the development mindset in Silicon Valley. The San Jose Flea Market Area--which is in the immediate vicinity of the first and likely only BART station in San Jose for many years to come--is supposed to be redeveloped into 2,818 residential units and a paltry 365,622 SQFT of commercial space across 120 or so acres (4-6 story buildings). That might have been fine in 2004, but by 2017 our needs for housing, commercial, and supporting retail around mass transit are going to be quite different unless there is a major economic shift.

Going small near BART will only add to future traffic problems and reduce the effectiveness and potential of our multi-billion dollar BART extension. Currently the developers are looking to add 37,000 SQFT of ground-floor retail and an extra 95 units to the northern section of the Flea Market site. It is a tiny step in the right direction, but is far from enough. We have a golden opportunity here to go dense and add tax-generating commercial space accessible to 80% of the Bay Area's population.

As an example, please watch the video below of what is being built in Milpitas a quarter mile away from the Milpitas BART station. The Flea Market project is transit ground zero, the BART station is right there in easy walking distance. What you see in the video below is the absolute minimum we should be doing with the San Jose BART station.

Source: SVBJ


The District in Milpitas from The Registry on Vimeo.

Photo of Downtown San Jose From Groesbeck Hill Park

Check out this rare view of Downtown San Jose from the east that Cardinal2007 posted on the San Jose Development Forum. The photo was taken from Groesbeck Hill Park and shows Raging Waters and Lake Cunningham in the foreground. Rancho San Antonio and the Lehigh Permanente Quarry are in the background. I thought this was a drone photo until I read the description on the Flickr page.

Downtown San Jose CA by mcrider, on Flickr

"A different view of downtown from almost perfectly east near Lake Cunningham shows downtown and behind it the mountains around Rancho San Antonio and the Lehigh Permanente Quarry."

Veggielution: Bounty of Heart's Delight

Each year, Veggielution throws the premier gourmet dining event for vegetarians and veggie lovers--Bounty of Heart's Delight. This year, Matthias Froeschl from Nashmarkt is preparing a five course feast. If you haven't been to Nashmarkt before, it is easily the best restaurant in Campbell and I'm sure Matthias will do an amazing job.

This event includes a tour of the farm, appetizers, the feast (featuring San Jose grown veggies), local beers and wines, hay rides, a silent auction, and even a barn dance. Tickets are not cheap, but you will get what you pay for and the proceeds go towards supporting San Jose's urban farm and their numerous community programs.

Bounty of Heart's Delight takes place on Saturday, August 22nd at Emma Prusch Park. Click here to buy your tickets!

Inaugural Viva CalleSJ San Jose!

The City of San Jose and the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition have come together to bring us an unprecedented event this October. Six miles of streets will temporarily be closed to offer the public a contiguous urban space to bike, skate, run, or walk. The event stretches from St. James Park all the way to Emma Prusch Farm Park in East San Jose. This is not a race and there is no beginning or end--you can start and end anywhere.

This is a "first-of-its-kind" event and it sounds awesome. There will be three activity hubs: Emma Prush Farm Park, Parque de los Pobladores (SoFA), and St. James Park. These locations will have entertainment, activities, hydration stations, and vendor booths.

The event will run from 10am to 3pm and more information is available at the Viva CalleSJ website over here!

St. John Vianney Fiesta

The St. John Vianney Fiesta is a long-standing tradition for the East Foothills community. There will be carnival rides, games, live entertainment and a large assortment of delicious ethnic and American foods. The event starts tonight and runs throughout the weekend at 4600 Hyland Avenue. For more information head over to the event's Facebook page over here.

Burnt Almond Cake, a San Jose Specialty

Burnt Almond Cake was actually invented in San Jose in 1936. I'm sure most of us have had some slices at a birthday party or other event. Check out this KQED article to learn about Peter's Bakery in East San Jose, perhaps the most famous local spot that sells this delicacy.

Sources: KQED, I Heart SJ

The New Eastridge 24 Hour Fitness Opens Today

The eagerly anticipated 24 Hour Fitness at Eastridge Mall is finally open. The huge 38,000 SQFT gym includes stat-of-the-art equipment, a U-shaped indoor pool, a sauna, and a steam room.

Come join the Grand Opening Celebration is today from 9am to 2pm and you can take a tour, participate in exercise class demonstrations, or get a personal health and fitness consultation. Additional details are in the press release below.

New 24 Hour Fitness® Eastridge Super-Sport Club Opens In
“The Silicon Valley Capital”

SAN JOSE, CA – March 19, 2015 – In the shadow of its San Ramon corporate headquarters, Eastridge Center will become home to a new 24 Hour Fitness club which opens to the public later this month, in the heart of the newly remodeled section of the lifestyle shopping mall. The community is invited to the official Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, March 28, 2015, from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., 2200 Eastridge Loop, Suite 1428, San Jose.

The new club’s knowledgeable staff springs into action on opening day sharing the benefits of functional fitness for prospective members—taking special note of the “Live, Work & Play,” message that defines the city of San Jose. Early birds will arrive first, eager to break in the new club’s state-of-the-art equipment and experience its amenities before the Grand Opening festivities officially begin.  During the Grand Opening itself, kids and families can explore the club and activities that enhance the ability to “live, work and play.”  Club tours, group exercise class demonstrations, including Zumba®, are scheduled throughout the day.  Guests are also encouraged to make an appointment for a personal health and fitness consultation—an enlightening and valuable ingredient to charting a successful fitness journey.

“Our Super-Sport will become a hub of fitness, health and wellness resources for San Jose residents where they live, shop and play,” said Tony Cigliutti, Club Manager.  “We’re thrilled with the opportunity to introduce our talented health and fitness team to the community and share how easy it is to incorporate fitness into everyday life.”

The new, modern club design features nearly 38,000 square feet of state-of-the-art equipment and amenities to help members stay active and healthy all year-round. Features include:

• A U-shaped indoor pool, sauna and steam room
• Cardio, strength and functional training equipment
• Full schedule of Cycle and Group X® classes
• Personal training services*
• Kids’ Club
• Towel service

To experience the new gym, download a free guest pass from 24hourfitness.com.

*Additional fees apply

About 24 Hour Fitness
Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., 24 Hour Fitness is a leading health club industry pioneer, serving nearly 4 million members in more than 400 clubs across the U.S. For more than 30 years, the company has been dedicated to helping members change their lives and reach their individual fitness goals. With convenient club locations, personal training services, popular group exercise classes and a variety of strength, cardio and functional training equipment, 24 Hour Fitness offers fitness solutions for everyone.

Fatburger Opens First Bay Area Restaurant in San Jose

Fatburger is fast casual chain with made-to-order burgers, several different options for fries, and milkshakes. They are known for giant portions with a distinctive sweet relish and great optional toppings like eggs, guacamole, chili, and bacon. They just opened up their very first Bay Area restaurant in Berryessa (788 N. King Road). Unfortunately, I did not make it out there yet, but a few of my friends did and happened to take a few photos. The lines wrapped around the building, but I heard it was worth the wait.

Thanks to Diana and Kevin Zing for sending these in!

East San Jose Soccer Team Ranks 3rd in the Country

A soccer team backed by the Portuguese Athletic Club called "Los Tigres" has brought back a bronze medal in the US Youth Soccer National Championship Finals. Out of over 10,000 teams around the country, they came in third. Check out the full article over here.

Source: I Heart San Jose, The Merc

San Jose's Environmental Innovation Center is Online

San Jose's long-delayed Environmental Innovation Center is now open at 1608 Las Plumas Avenue. This is a $31.4 million project that is owned by the city and leased out to several different organizations.

The nonprofit Prospect Silicon Valley has about 22,000 SQFT, which they are using to showcase innovations that lead to smart, clean, and connected cities. The technology comes from various incubators and they serve as a resource to connect companies, investors, and start-ups interested in green-tech.

Another 15,000 SQFT is taken up by Habitat for Humanity ReStore, which lets both builders and consumers buy donated construction materials. The proceeds go to supporting the mission and work of Habitat for Humanity.

It also houses a Household Hazardous Waste Facility, with will be the only permanent facility of its kind in San Jose. The only other two facilities for Household Hazardous Waste in the county are in Sunnyvale and San Martin.

Lastly, the building itself is a monument to sustainability. If you have a look at the last image below, you can get an idea of the green-tech features that are utilized throughout the project.

Source: SVBJ

New DMV Coming to East San Jose

Tired of long lines at South Bay DMVs? Hopefully this will help. A new 30,000 SQFT DMV is coming to East San Jose. This will be located at 2222 Senter Road, right across the street from Costco.

Barry Swenson is building out the project and expects it to be completed in late 2014.

Source: SVBJ