Wednesday Wishlist: Michelin Star Restaurants (2018 Edition)

Welcome to the 9th annual Wednesday Wishlist post where the topic is getting restaurants in San Jose worthy of Michelin starts. The Michelin guide is the most renowned rubric in the world for measuring culinary success. San Jose's first and only Michelin Star restaurant, Adega in Little Portugal, retained the honor for a second year. I will also have some big news related to Adega later this year.

Michelin has three different star categories:

• One Star - A very good restaurant in its category with cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard. A good place to stop on your journey.
• Two Stars - Excellent cuisine, skillfully and carefully crafted dishes of outstanding quality. Worth a detour.
• Three Stars - Exceptional cuisine with distinctive dishes and superlative ingredients. Worth a special journey.

There are also restaurants in the Michelin guide that do not get a star, but are considered "Michelin Recommended." This is already a significant honor that a very small percentage of restaurants achieve. Within this category San Jose scored a total of 6 restaurants, which is significantly down from last year but it seems like the guide has trimmed the number of recipients throughout the Bay (the book was trimmed by 70 pages this year).

I created a Google doc listing all of the star recipients for 2018, along with tabs for all previous years and some general statistics. Below is an image capture from the doc. This year there were a total of 55 restaurants that were awarded Michelin stars, which is up 1 from last year and an all-time high for the Bay Area. 60% of the restaurants are locating in SF, 20% in Wine Country, 18% in Silicon Valley (split evenly between the South Bay and the Peninsula), and 2% in the East Bay. Silicon Valley is nearly tied with Wine Country when it comes to number of restaurants with stars. There are 5 new restaurants on the list for 2017 and 4 from last year that did not make the cut or were closed down: Aziza, Mosu, Nico, and Solbar.


San Jose Michelin Starred Restaurants:

• East San Jose
• Adega (* 1 STAR *)

San Jose Michelin Recommended Restaurants:

• Downtown
• Back A Yard
• Midtown
• Walia
• Din Tai Fung
• South San Jose
• Thien Long
• Lau Hai San
• Camden
• Zeni

The Michelin Recommended restaurants that we lost over the past year were Vung Tau, Swaad, Zona Rosa, Smoking Pig BBQ, Bun Bo Hue An Nam, and the Table. I'm a bit surprised about some of those but hopefully they will be back next year. I'm also optimistic that Adega will inspire other San Jose restaurants to go after stars!

Source: Michelin Guide

Mendocino Farms opens tomorrow at Santana Row

Last week I was fortunate enough to attend a media preview for the newest Mendocino Farms restaurant, which is conveniently located at the capstone end of Santana Row next to the CineArts Theater. This is only the second Northern Californian location of the extremely popular LA chain--the other being in the Pruneyard in Campbell.

Mendocino Farms is tucked in a 2,822 SQFT space formerly occupied by Thea. That may not sound very large but the soaring 30-foot ceiling and outdoor patio make the space feel expansive. The vertical height is so impressive that they somehow manged to fit a full-sized living tree inside of the restaurant.

Also notable are the craft beers and local wines on the menu. Not often would you find that in a sandwich shop. However, based on what I sampled here this is one of the few places I have been to serving up sandwiches worthy enough to be accompanied by a glass of Napa wine.

Their "Real Old-School Pastrami" is the flagship sandwich of the season. It comes with house hickory smoked pastrami, celery root slaw, butter pickles, and a delicious triple mustard spread. This was the single best Pastrami sandwich I have ever had in my life. Other popular items are the "Kurobuta Pork Belly Banh Mi," a premium take on the Vietnamese classic, and the "Not So Fried Mary's Chicken," which is a virtual fried chicken sandwich with roasted free range chicken breast topped with "krispies," herb aioli, mustard pickle slaw, and pickled red onions.

There is a healthy spin to many of the items on the menu. They even have an "Impossible Taco Salad" with a plant-based Impossible Burger meat for chorizo. Also on the menu are artisinal salads, soba noodles, cous-cous, and premium sodas.

The prices are on par with what you would expect for Santana Row (not cheap). I can say you will get what you pay for in quality and you won't leave hungry.

The official grand opening for Mendocino Farms is tomorrow and they are well worth checking out.

Visit San Jose Serves Up #SanJoseEats

Visit San Jose announces #SanJoseEats, a part of California Restaurant Month. More than 22 restaurants will celebrate #SanJoseEats, from January 15-28, 2018. Participating restaurants will offer a creative twist on their regular menu including: deep discounts, special menus and signature creations. As one of the nation’s most diverse cities, locals and visitors will experience flavors from Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Spain and India. To receive special offers, diners just need to mention #SanJoseEats.

Partake in the celebration by posting on your social media and tagging @visitsanjose_ca and using #VisitSanJose #SanJoseEats.

For more details, check out the press release below from Visit San Jose and this tasty video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=34&v=x-NL--ew0NU

#SANJOSEEATS ENCOURAGES LOCALS AND VISITORS TO CELEBRATE REGIONAL CULINARY INNOVATION

Visit San Jose Launches Dining Program from January 15-28, 2018 as Part of Statewide Restaurant Month

(SAN JOSE, Calif.)—More than 22 restaurants will celebrate #SanJoseEats, from January 15-28, 2018. Participating restaurants will offer a creative twist on their regular menu including: deep discounts, special menus and signature creations. As one of the nation’s most diverse cities, visitors will experience flavors from Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Spain and India. Diners just mention #SanJoseEats to receive special offers.

“#SanJoseEats is an opportunity to explore our area’s vast culinary landscape,” said Visit San Jose CEO, Karolyn Kirchgesler. “Our history is the ‘Valley of the Hearts Delight,’ and our future is innovation. We are thrilled to work with local growers and restaurants to explore where the two intersect.”

#SanJoseEats is part of California Restaurant Month, designated by Visit California. Now in its eighth year, California Restaurant Month drives business for local restaurants and entices out-of-state travelers to visit California.

“California Restaurant Month is a celebration of California’s unparalleled culinary bounty,” said Caroline Beteta, Visit California President & CEO. “Fueled by the state’s vast supply of fresh ingredients, talented chefs and diverse cultural influences, California cuisine is recognized around the globe for being both innovative and delicious.”

In 2016, travelers in California spent $33.9 billion on food and beverage (Source: Dean Runyan Associates), and 38 million domestic visitors participated in fine dining throughout the state. For more information about #SanJoseEats, visit www.sanjose.org/SanJoseEats. 

###

About Team San Jose

Team San Jose (TSJ) is an innovative partnership unifying the San Jose Convention and Visitors Bureau, hotels, arts, labor and venues to deliver an exceptional visitor experience. TSJ manages the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, California Theatre, Center for the Performing Arts, City National Civic, Montgomery Theater, Parkside Hall, and South Hall. For more information, visit www.sanjose.org.

About Visit California

Visit California is a nonprofit organization with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs – in partnership with the state’s travel industry – that keep California top-of-mind as a premier travel destination. According to Visit California, spending by travelers totaled $126.3 billion in 2016 in California, generating 1.1 million jobs in the state and $10.3 billion in state and local tax revenues. For more information about Visit California and for a free California Official State Visitor's Guide, go to www.visitcalifornia.com. For story ideas, media information, downloadable images, video and more, go to media.visitcalifornia.com.

New Downtown Food and Drink Options

Nate LeBlanc did a great blog post a few weeks ago about Downtown's rapidly expanding food and drink options. There has never been a better year than 2017 for Downtown coffee lovers with several new boutique options like Academic Coffee, Chromatic Cafe, The Proper Cup and Devout. As for food, Nate highlights Distric, Enoteca La Storia, and Elyse. That last one in particular is outstanding--easily one of the best date-night restaurants Downtown and a worthy successor to House of Siam.

You can read the post over here.

Spencer's Steak & Chops

I was lucky enough to get an invite to sample the Winter menu at Spencer's. I had been there a few years before when it was primarily a steakhouse, but it is obvious that the restaurant has dramatically changed since then. Chef William Hughins has transformed the menu to into something far more eclectic and contemporary. The steaks are still there (and they were delicious), but my favorite dishes were actually the courses that came before them. Below is a tour of my meal:

Freshly baked sourdough bread with black salt (not pepper). It was extremely difficult not to fill up on this before the meal started. 

Butternut squash soup with a roasted marshmallow, topped with chives. This one blew my mind. On the official menu the soup comes with creme fraiche instead of the marshmallow, which is too bad since this variant seems far more tasty and creative.

Braised bacon with local figs (middle part), and caramelized organic honey (top). I love bacon as well as combining savory and sweet flavors. The blend of the extremely thick cut bacon with the sweetness of the figs and honey made this my favorite dish. If you try this (and you should), slice from the very top to the bottom to make sure you get all three flavors in every bite.

Ahi poke. Sushi grade ahi, avocado, sesame, nori, and wonton. Here the secret is slightly burning the nori, which gives it a different flavor. This was very tasty and something I definitely was not expecting at a place known for their steaks.

Pan-seared Hokkaido sea scallops, filberts (no need to google that, they are hazelnuts), on top of orzo. The scallop was perfectly cooked and this would be a perfect light dinner for a pescatarian.

Kobe Ribeye, Spencer cut, and Tomahawk cut with potatoes and mushrooms. This was the most insane meat plate I have ever had. There was also a side of Ostrich steak (tastes like red meat but is very low in calories/fat). Even I couldn't finish the plate, but it made for a very luxurious lunch the next day.

Chocolate five different ways. If you haven't guessed it by now, Spencer's has gone a bit more upscale and they are raising the level of creativity in the menu. It really felt like dining at many of the Michelin star restaurants that I have been to. The dessert was a perfect cap to an outstanding meal.

I should also mention that they have a very nice setup for private events such as corporate parties and a cool bar area serving craft cocktails.

Spencer's is located at 2050 Gateway Pl, San Jose (inside of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Jose). For the full menu or reservations, visit the website over here.

Nox Cookie Bar

First off, quick apology for the recent lack of posts. It has been a crazy week, but everything should be back to normal starting Monday.

I have been meaning to plug a cookie delivery service called Nox for quite some time. They deliver freshly baked cookies from 11:30am to 2:30am, letting you fulfill a cookie craving without leaving the comforts of your own home (including those late-night cravings). They also participate in quite a few Downtown San Jose events.

Cookie flavors include Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Snickerdoodle, and Oatmeal Raisin. Pumpkin Spice is a temporary flavor for November.

If you live near Downtown San Jose, you're in luck. Cookies will be delivered in 30-40 minutes and the delivery fee is only $3. In the greater San Jose area (including Santa Clara and Cupertino), delivery will take a bit longer and the fee rises to $6.

For more info, head over to the Nox Cookie Bar website.

Camera 3 undergoing renovation, changing name to "3 Below"

San Jose's first indie movie theater and currently the only movie theater in Downtown San Jose is going to temporarily shut down for major renovations. Camera 3 will be closed for the remainder of 2017 and hopefully reopen in January with a new name: "3 Below."

The lobby, restrooms, and theaters themselves will be gutted and extensively renovated. The largest theater will be used for live performances like concerts, opera, and musical theater. Independent films will still be played in the other two screens along with some new additions like singalong movies, repertory films, documentaries, and retro movies. The 2018 Cinequest Film and VR Festival will also completely take over all 3 auditoriums from Feb. 27th to March 11th.

One bit of sad news is that Psycho Donuts will be permanently shut down and replaced with a mainstream cafe that can sell beer and wine. They are looking for another San Jose location (hopefully Downtown).

Source: SVBJ (subscription required)

First Earl of Sandwich in Northern California coming to Downtown San Jose

One of the hottest sandwich shops in Southern California and Florida has made its way to San Jose. The Earl of Sandwich sign is already hanging at the ground floor of One South Market (the shiny blue tower). The new restaurant will be located next to Proper Cup, a great coffee shop well worth checking out as well.

The sandwich was apparently invented in 1762 by John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich (now you know how the sandwich got its name). It turns out that this chain was founded in 2004 by two direct descendants of that inventor: Lord John Montagu, the 11th Earl of Sandwich, and his son. Now that heritage is coming to San Jose.

We could use more of these unique sandwich shops Downtown like Freshly Baked Eatery, Ike's, and now Earl of Sandwich instead of more Subways. Personally, I'm eyeing that Holiday Turkey sandwich down below.

There is no official ETA on the grand opening yet, but the sign is a good indicator that it won't be long.

Source: The Merc (hat tip to the anonymous commentor)

San Jose's ADEGA and Michelin announce first Michelin All-Star Event

ADEGA is an amazing Portuguese restaurant that became the first and only Michelin-star restaurant in San Jose last year. It is also one of only two Michelin starred Portuguese restaurants in the United States. This September, ADEGA is hosting a special event involving two special meals prepared by four different Portuguese chefs, all of which have Michelin stars.

• San Jose’s ADEGA Chefs, David Costa and Jessica Carreira
• Chef George Mendes of Michelin one-starred Aldea in New York, NY
• Chef Alexandre Silva of Michelin one-starred Loco in Lisbon, Portugal
• Chef Pedro Lemos of Michelin one-starred Pedro Lemos in Porto, Portugal

This special event will take place on September 12th and 14th. Each meal will consist of seven courses, each with a carefully selected wine pairing. After the meal, there is also a networking opportunity with the all-star cast of Portuguese chefs. Part part of the proceeds will be donated to No Kid Hungry - California.

Tickets for this exclusive experience are $375 per person, which includes food, wine pairing, tax, and service. It is pricey, but is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a meal prepared by so many decorated chefs. You can learn more or make reservations over here.

Update: The September 13th event has been moved to September 14th

The Big Easy Rolls into Great America

This past weekend, Great America brought back their Taste of Orleans festival. Who Dat? In its second season, Taste of Orleans features Cajun cuisines, live entertainment such as mask decorating for kids, Mardi Gras murals, chalk artists, live music and more!

If you missed it, don’t fret as Great America plays host to the Nola event again this upcoming weekend: July 29-July 30.

Great America did a great job at bringing a taste of the Big Easy to Silicon Valley! Classic Cajun dishes such as gumbo, etouffée and beignets were on site and definitely were delicious. To our delight, the hushpuppy shrimp skewers was a hit and the crisp frog legs with Creole aoli was savory and on point!

Great America’s nightcap was a firework display that featured a kaleidoscope of colors in the sky!

Hushpuppy Shrimp Skewers:                             Crawfish Etouffée:

   Crisp Frog Legs w/Creole Aoili:               Blackened Catfish Slider w/Tangy Slaw:

                        

Beignet (Left) & Praline Bread Pudding (Right):                              Brews!                                                     

        Live chalk artist and games for the family!

Great America's Taste of Orleans starts at Noon - 9pm on 7/29 - 7/30. The fireworks display starts at 9:45pm each day. Cajun cuisine is available with a $25 tasting card.

For more details on Taste of Orleans, visit: https://www.cagreatamerica.com/play/events/taste-of-orleans

2017 Season Passes are currently on sale for just $69 and features a season of fun in both Great America and Boomerang Bay Water Park. A $105 Gold Pass includes Halloween Haunt, WinterFest, free Great America parking, Gilroy Gardens and more.

By Andrew Rivlin and Noe Sacoco Jr