Top coffee shops in San Jose

SJ Today has a great guide to San Jose coffee shops--everything from from traditional American cafes, Vietnamese, Mexican, and even a famous Hawaiian coffee shop in Japantown where you can also get Spam musubi. I think I've been to most of the list with my favorites being Nirvana Soul, Academic Coffee, and Voltaire (all Downtown).

There was one great place that I didn't find on the list and that is Pastaleria by Adega (photo below). It's a Portuguese bakery featuring the famous Pastel de Nata egg custard dessert and many others, but they also have some strong espressos with enough caffeine to make you feel like you're bending time and space. Paired with a pastry, it's a great café worth adding to the list!

To see the full list of San Jose's top coffee shops, head over here.

Petiscos and LeYou added to the Michelin Guide

Two San Jose restaurants were recently added to the Michelin Guide for the first time. Just being mentioned in the guide means the restaurants are worthy of a visit.

The first is none other than Petiscos in SoFA. This restaurant comes from a very special pedigree since the owners are the same as ADEGA, the first and only restaurant in San Jose to ever get a Michelin Star. Petiscos has a wide variety of Portuguese small plates designed for sharing with family and friends and some seriously delicious and unique cocktails you can't find anywhere else. The interior features a hand-painted mural of Five Wounds Portuguese National Church, a San Jose landmark off of Highway 101. It's well worth a visit and is reasonably priced given its background. At Petiscos I would highly recommend the flaming chouriço, shrimp turnovers, green bean tempura, duck rice (my favorite), octopus, peas & eggs, the pica pau, and the chocolate mouse. The Sangria and Gintuga won't disappoint if you're looking for a libation.

The second restaurant is LeYou Ethiopian off of First Street. While I haven't been there in person, it was one of the best Doordash meals I've had. With a newborn it's become a challenge to get out to new restaurants in person. I would recommend the platters and extra injera bread so you can try as many flavors as possible. I'm a total carnivore, but the vegetarian dishes blew me away. Definitely get the Four Vegetarian Sampler and the Beef Tibs. If you can handle some spice, the Katenga (toasted injera) was something I've never had before at an Ethiopian restaurant.

After a rough few years, it's great to see that the San Jose food scene is still alive and well! Bon Appétit.

Bay Area's first Portugal Restaurant Week! April 17th - April 24th

As a Portuguese-American it used to be a huge challenge to even find Portuguese food at restaurants in the Bay Area. Once Sousa's Restaurant (Azorean Portuguese) on Santa Clara Street closed down, there wasn't a single proper sit-down Portuguese restaurant in San Jose.

Fast forward to today and it's a different story. The first and only Michelin Star restaurant in San Jose and the only Portuguese restaurant with a star in the United States is ADEGA--coincidentally in the same East San Jose retail spot as Sousa's used to be. One of the hottest Downtown San Jose restaurants is Petiscos. Then you have Uma Case in SF, LaSalette in Sonoma, and Tasca Tasca also in Sonoma. There are also outstanding Portuguese-influenced restaurants popping up like Broma in Mountain View (with a Michelin Star chef from Chez TJ).

A celebration of these restaurants kicks off today with the Bay Area's first-ever Portugal Restaurant Week. Special discounted multi-course menus will be available at Adega, Petiscos, Uma Casa, La Salete, and Tasca Tasca. Now's the time if you have yet to experience Portuguese food, which is best served family-style with wide varieties of things to try. You can't go wrong with any of the five options, but please support our San Jose restaurants so they stick around for a long, long time. 

For more info and menus, head over to the Portugal Week site over here! The event only runs until April 24th.

Downtown getting another food hall! (Updated 4/18/23)

Downtown San Jose could one day become the mecca of food halls. It all started with the San Pedro Square Market which deserves much of the credit for revitalizing Downtown. To this day it is a top destination for locals and visitors alike. Wrapping a vibrant food, bar, and music scene around San Jose's oldest historic home was brilliant. Then came the SoFA market, which is smaller but also has a selection of excellent eateries (including my go-to spot for uni handrolls). Thirdly is the Littlest Little Italy... more on that in a separate post. Now, there is a fourth (!) food hall being proposed by an Uber co-founder.

The plan is to turn a historic late 19th-century building at the corner of Santa Clara and 3rd and turn it into a food hall with 26 kitchens. You might know this as the old Hank Coco Downtown Furniture corner, which is a key space right in the center of Downtown San Jose.

The entire ground floor would be utilized for the project. This would make it larger than the SoFA Market but slightly smaller than the San Pedro Square Market. Also part of the plan is a 1,000 SQFT dine-in restaurant and a coffee bar.

Exciting times ahead for San Jose foodies!

Source: The Merc

4/18/23 Update:

Unfortunately it looks as if the kitchens will not be publicly accessible and they will be used as ghost kitchens for delivery services. The dine-in restaurant is where you can order food from any of the kitchens, but it is a very small space. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Hat tip to Kelly Snider for sending in these corrections.

28th Annual Assyrian Food Festival

One of the biggest benefits of living in San Jose is diversity. It's amazing that we have access to so many events each year celebrating different cultures. This weekend is the 28th Assyrian Food Festival. The two day event also features dancing, live entertainment, exotic teas, coffee, parties, arts, a raffle and of course a ton of authentic Assyrian cuisine.

The event runs from 11am to 11pm on Saturday and 11am to 9pm on Sunday at the Assyrian Church of the East (680 Minnesota Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125). Admission and parking are both free. For more info head over to assyrianfoodfestival.org.

We're back in the Red Tier, indoor dining is back!

This week we officially went from a Covid tier status of purple to red, which means indoor dining is open for business again! Hopefully restaurants will never close like this again (everyone please get your vaccine as soon as you can). As a reminder the scale goes from purple, to red, to orange, and finally to yellow which has the fewest restrictions.

Restaurants will be able to open their indoor dining rooms again effective immediately. However, they will be limited to 25% of their maximum capacity or 100 guests, whichever number is lower. 

What else can we look forward to in the red tier? Movie theaters can reopen at 25% as can museums, zoos, and aquariums. Stores can now operate at 50% capacity. Even indoor gyms can finally reopen, albeit at a meager 10% capacity.

California is also planning to ease the requirements to get into less restrictive tiers when we hit two different milestone. The first is when we distribute 2 million vaccines in the most disadvantaged zip codes, and then when we hit 4 million vaccines in those same areas.

The stats have been looking very promising in the Bay Area--let's hope this nightmare ends soon and the post-covid era will be another Roarin' 20s.

Kebabery by Meso now open at Santana Row (pickup & delivery only)

Meso has become one of my favorite restaurants at Santana Row. Not only are the food and drinks consistently great, but they have gone above and beyond with their COVID policies. Tables are spaced out 15 feet apart across the beautiful plaza at the end of the Row with plenty of heat lamps (photo below). The ambiance and Mediterranean dining are on point. It feels like a two hour escape from reality where I'm not missing indoor dining one bit.

The owners of Meso have opened a virtual eatery, which means they share the kitchen with Meso and don't have any sit-down options. The food is only available for pickup and delivery. Featured are some of the key signature kebabs from Meso, including Impossible meat and swordfish kebabs, and several delicious sides like sweet potato with spiced honey harissa, hummus with lemon and extra virgin olive oil, and baklava for dessert.

It's a great casual alternative option, especially considering Meso is one of the higher-end options on the Row and it can get pricey.

The virtual restaurant is open every day from 11:30am to 9pm and you can use either DoorDash or UberEats for delivery.

Outdoor dining will finally be allowed again in San Jose!

After two and a half months, finally there will be some relief for struggling restaurants and foodies alike. Starting this Friday, in Santa Clara County you will be able to dine at a restaurant--albeit outside. With summer weather on the way, there are many great spots in Santana Row, Downtown San Jose, and Willow Glen where you will be able to have a stellar dining experience even with the restrictions (social distancing measures still in place). I'm looking forward to seeing which restaurants will open up first.

Also allowed this Friday will be in-store shopping with face masks, childcare for all kids in stable groups of up to 12, all manufacturing as long as social distancing measures are in place, low contact services, and all pet grooming. Small outdoor ceremonies and religious services will be allowed for groups up to 25. Finally, all outdoor recreational activities that do not involve physical contact will reopen including swimming pools, hiking, tennis, golf, camping, etc.

We are slowly heading back towards some normalcy. I personally can't wait to have a meal and a cocktail again at a nice restaurant!

Source: SVBJ, Santa Clara Public Health

Downtown San Jose's Farmer's Market opens this Friday, June 5th

One of the benefits of working from home and having more flexibility with your schedule is the opportunity to get out to places and events that normally would be constrained by your day job. There is an excellent Farmer's Market in San Pedro Square that kicks off this Friday from 10am to 2pm and continues every following week until at least November 6th December 18th [yay!].

Of course, social distancing measures will be in place. You can see the list of COVID19 restrictions over here. The Downtown San Jose Farmer's Market includes California fruits and vegetable, flowers, gourmet foods, crafts, and clothing. For more information, the full press release is below.

SAN JOSE - After a month’s delay, the Downtown San Jose Farmers’ Market presented by Kaiser Permanente will return to San Pedro Street for its 28th season starting June 5.

“We made the decision to open the market in June because Farmers’ Markets are considered an essential service,” said Bree Von Faith, San Jose Downtown Association managing director.  “We will have social distancing and other tactics in place to ensure that everyone stays safe and healthy.”

In San Jose’s central area, only the market in the Rose Garden district has remained open during the COVID-19 outbreak.  Many people in the central part of San Jose rely on farmers’ markets for fresh-picked California fruits and vegetables.

Through Dec. 18, the Downtown Farmer’s Market, supported by Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association, will be open Fridays 10 a.m.-2 p.m. along San Pedro Street between Santa Clara and St. John streets.

Under the best conditions, the market includes fresh produce from California growers, fresh cut flowers, special gourmet foods and artisan booths full of clothing and crafts. 

Some modifications will occur due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.  During the shelter-in-place order, the market will be limited to agricultural products only, operate with social distancing measures; booths will be separated and hand-washing stations will be pervasive.  Customers must wear masks and keep their distance.

“The great thing about farmers’ markets at this time is that we’ve simplified the food chain,” Von Faith added.  “These are California growers selling directly to consumers.”

Artisan booths will not be added to the market until further notice.

The Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA) recruits up to 20 farmers and the San Jose Downtown Association oversees the street closures. The partnership dates back to spring 1993, when the market was originally located at First and San Fernando streets.

Admission is free. And while shelter in place in order, parking in the Market-San Pedro Garage is also free.

For more information, and a complete list of market changes to keep everyone healthy and comfortable, check PCFMA.org,  pcfma.org/pcfma-coronavirus/, the @PCFMA Facebook page and sjdowntown.com

The market will continue each week into November and could be extended into December this season.

This is the tenth year that Kaiser Permanente has teamed with the Downtown Association and PCFMA to serve as presenting sponsor of the market, educating attendees on healthful and “green” living that allow each individual to thrive.

  

Follow the Downtown Farmers’ Market on Twitter (@SJ_Downtown) and Facebook (/sjdowntown and /DowntownFarmers’Market).  The market website is sjdowntown.com/farmers-market-presented-by-kaiser-permanente/

Call (408) 279-1775 for 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.

2020 FACT SHEET

Downtown San Jose Farmers’ Market, presented by Kaiser Permanente

Find the season's freshest fruits and vegetables, cut flowers, and gourmet treats from local certified growers and purveyors of fine food, plus unique gifts from local artisans, at the Downtown Farmers' Market, now in its 28th season.

When:  Every Friday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

         June 5 – Dec. 18, (no Market July 3)

Where:  The Downtown Farmers’ Market is located on San Pedro

          Street in San Jose, between St. John and Santa Clara streets

Admission:  The Market is free and open to the public

Attendance:  Weekly attendance in past seasons averages approximately 1,500

Audience:  While in shelter in place:  essential services workers and local residents. SIP Lifted:  Downtown office workers, out-of-town visitors, residents and possibly San Jose State University students and faculty

Event Producers:  The San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA), a local nonprofit business association, in partnership with Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association (PCFMA)

                                                                                              

Seasonal produce:  Starting in June, find blackberries, boysenberries, melons, apricots, blueberries, cantaloupes, cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums, prunes and raspberries.  Year-round produce also available.

Sponsors/partners:  Kaiser Permanente is in its 10th year as presenting sponsor.

Websites:  www.sjdowntown.com and www.pcfma.com

Phone:  (408) 279-1775

The San Pedro Square Market Re-Opens Today!

Bit-by-bit, more of the San Jose economy is opening up. Several vendors at the SoFA Market have continued to stay open for pickup and delivery, such as Habana Cuba, Pizzetta 408, and Umi Hand Roll. Now the San Pedro Square Market is finally opening up again.

Participating eateries include:

• Anchors
• Bread Brothers
• Gameday
• JORA Ceviche Bar
• Pizza Bocca Lupo
• Pasta Fresca
• Phonomenal
• Taco Bar
• Urban Momo
• Voyager Craft Coffee

Initially these will be open only for pickup and delivery. Given the abundance of outdoor seating at the San Pedro Square Market, I think this will be one of the first places in San Jose where you will be able to have a somewhat "normal" dining experience in the coming months since they will be able to easily conform to California guidelines.

It might be a good idea to shut down all of San Pedro Street between Santa Clara and St. John and use this area for socially distanced outdoor dining for all the San Pedro Street restaurants. It is not unprecedented as we did something similar during Super Bowl 50.

I will definitely be visiting sometime this week!

San Jose wants to allow more business outdoors

In order to maintain social distancing while slowly reopening the economy, San Jose officials would like to allow more businesses to utilize sidewalks, parking lots, and streets. This will help businesses that will have to drastically limit the number of patrons inside, especially restaurants.

Currently, over 46,000 restaurant workers have lost their jobs in Silicon Valley. The industry has been devastated and many restaurants will be closing their doors for good. It's expected that restaurants will reopen with no more than 25-50% of their previous interior capacity, so any change we can make to cushion further blows to the industry I'm sure will be greatly appreciated.

City officials are also trying to offset application costs and provide quick-build infrastructure. These include barriers and potted plants.

Hopefully some of the changes will become permanent so that we can have more al fresco dining and retail in the community when all of this is over.

Source: SVBJ, San Jose Inside

Eataly coming to San Jose

With two very successful food halls in Downtown San Jose and Santana Row across the street, Valley Fair might be feeling a bit left out when it comes to the South Bay food scene. Fortunately, their big expansion that starts rolling out in March has a major focus on cuisine. Several flagship restaurants have been announced, but the biggest addition will be an Italian Marketplace called Eataly.

The market clocks in at an impressive 51,000 SQFT. Eataly is large enough to house multiple restaurants, cafes, food stalls, bars, and take-out counters. If you're a foodie that likes Italian food, this may be your new favorite location in the mall. It will also be the only Eataly location in Northern California.

Eataly San Jose will open sometime in 2021.

Source: SVBJ

Garden at the Flea

It has been quite a while since I have been to the San Jose Flea Market. I had no idea that they built out a full-blown craft beer garden featuring local beers and a food truck park. There is also a stage for live music in the beer garden. These are here to stay even with the major new developments being built around the new Berryessa BART station.

There is an impressive list of events at "Garden at the Flea" which include concerts, pro wrestling, and the 8th Annual Taco Festival of Innovation (Aug 31st). To see all of the programming, head over here.

Dine Downtown San Jose 2019

The latest "Dine Downtown" restaurant week runs until July 28th and features prix fixe tasting menus, chef's specials, and food & drink pairings at Downtown San Jose's hottest restaurants. Some of my favorite new restaurants like Elyse, Enoteca Las Storia, SuperGood Kitchen and District are on the list as well as classics like 71 Saint Peter, Cafe Stritch, Scott's Seafood, The Grill on the Alley, Mezcal, and Nemea.

To see the full list of 22 participating restaurants and their featured menus, head over here. OpenTable also set up a handy page to easily book Dine Downtown San Jose Restaurants here.

Taylor Street Night Market

Every Thursday night during the summer, the Taylor Street Night Market will take place at the Gordon Biersch Brewery in Japantown from 5-9pm. The event includes food trucks, a beer garden, music, and shopping. For more info, head over to the event Facebook page over here.

Downtown San Jose Farmers’ Market season begins May 3

The Downtown San Jose farmer's market is back tomorrow from 10am-2pm on San Pedro Street! Check out the full press release below.

Fresh produce, hot food, unique gifts available each Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at San Pedro Square

SAN JOSE - The Downtown San Jose Farmers’ Market, presented by Kaiser Permanente, will take place Fridays 10 a.m.-2 p.m. starting May 3 along San Pedro Street between Santa Clara and St. John streets.

The market includes fresh produce from California growers, fresh cut flowers, special gourmet foods and artisan booths full of clothing and crafts.  The energy of the market is lifted by live music, special food booths, San Pedro Square restaurants lining the street and thousands of downtown employees and residents who make the market part of their weekly routine.

The Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA) recruits 25-40 farmers and the San Jose Downtown Association oversees the street closures and other vendors. The partnership dates back to spring 1993, when the market was originally located at First and San Fernando streets. This is the 27th season.

Admission is free.

For more, check PCFMA.org, the @PCFMA Facebook page and sjdowntown.com

The market continues each week into November. On average, 2,500 residents, office workers and visitors head to the Farmers’ Market.  Customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable and washed bags.

Market partner Kaiser Permanente has teamed with the Downtown Association and PCFMA for nine years, educating attendees on healthful and “green” living that allow each individual to thrive.

In the spirit of thriving, many market shoppers walk to the market.  Those who drive can get parking validation for the Market-San Pedro Garage at the SJDA information table.  Visit www.parksj.org. Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) recommends riding light rail to the Santa Clara Street or St. James Street stations.  More at VTA.org.

Follow the Downtown Farmers’ Market on Twitter (@SJ_Downtown) and Facebook (/sjdowntown and /DowntownFarmers’Market).  The market website is https://sjdowntown.com/farmers-market-presented-by-kaiser-permanente/

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.

Bay Area Michelin Star Restaurants - 2019 Edition

The Michelin guide is the most renowned rubric in the world for measuring culinary success. Unfortunately, we have some bad news this year. San Jose's first and only Michelin Star restaurant, Adega in Little Portugal, lost its star after holding the honor for two years. It's unclear why, although it is still featured in the guide as a recommended restaurant.

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 8 restaurants, which is up two from last year (one is Adega). Luna Mexican Kitchen on the Alameda is the newcomer. Fortunately we we did not lose any Michelin recommended restaurants this year.


San Jose Michelin Recommended Restaurants:

• Downtown
• Back A Yard
• East San Jose
• Adega
• Midtown
• Luna Mexican Kitchen
• Din Tai Fung
• Walia
• South San Jose
• Thien Long
• Lau Hai San
• Camden
• Zeni

I also created a Google doc listing all of the star recipients for 2019, 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 57 restaurants that were awarded Michelin stars, which is up 2 from last year and an all-time high for the Bay Area. 63% of the restaurants are locating in SF, 18% in Silicon Valley (split evenly between the South Bay and the Peninsula), 16% in Wine Country, 2% in the East Bay, and 2% in Marin. This is the first time ever where Silicon Valley has more Michelin Star restaurants than Wine Country. There are 5 new restaurants on the list for 2019 and 3 that did not make the cut or were closed down. The only new starred restaurant on the list from Silicon Valley is Protege in Palo Alto.

Source: Michelin Guide

Scott's Seafood launches a hip new lunch menu

Scott's Seafood has been a consistent staple in San Jose's fine dining scene for years. Now, they are working on a revitalization to take the restaurant to the next level. A few years ago they built the most impressive publicly accessible outdoor patio Downtown, which is perched 6 stories high with a view of Plaza de Cesar Chavez. A few months ago they brought in a rockstar chef, Khaled Ghazal, who is bringing a modern take on classic dishes.

John Huân Vũ, Andrew Rivlin, Noe Sacoco, and I were invited to try the new lunch menu at Scott's Seafood. Collectively, we were blown away. I have been to Scott's many times, and this was by far my best experience.

Before we got into lunch, we were lucky to sample two items from the catering menu. An ahi poke in a soy sauce infused waffle cone and bruschetta in a basil infused waffle. Both were delicious with outstanding presentation. These are several of the many options available for private events.

The first lunch dishes we sampled were three salads: the seared scallop salad with organic mix greens, rainbow quinoa salad, and red & golden beets salad with grilled peaches. Each of us had a favorite. I have always loved the way Scott's Seafood does scallops, so that one was my personal fave. The pomegranate molasses vinaigrette on the red & golden beets salad impressed everyone at the table.

Round two featured a Burrata with arugula and cherry tomatoes that was the best I have ever had in the South Bay. John said he only had better in Italy. If you like cheese even a little bit, this is a must-order dish.

We also tried a tuna poke with seaweed, cucumber, and wontons that was a more elaborate version of tuna cone we had earlier. However, the real star of this round was the squid ink croquette with calamari. The squid ink added a complex and briny flavor that went flawlessly with the croquette and added a dramatic color to the dish. It sounds a bit exotic but this is an appetizer that is likely to please anyone who likes calamari or crunchy fried foods (nearly everyone). The croquette was one of the more creative plates and was John's favorite dish.

Last but definitely not least, we got to try four signature lunch entrees. The Scott's Kobe Burger has to be a contender for the best burger Downtown. It features Snake River Ranch kobe beef, onion jam, duck bacon (!), arugula, pepper jack, and a truffle aioli. It's about as decadent as a burger can get, especially with the duck bacon and truffle aioli.

The lobster rigatoni was a combination of fresh rigatoni pasta, cherry tomatoes, Gruyere cheese, tarragon, bisque sauce and generous pieces of lobster. The halibut bouillabaisse lemon risotto was a more modern take on a Scott's classic with beautiful presentation.

Finally, our favorite was the lobster roll. It's pretty hard to find a great lobster roll in San Jose, this is it. The crispy and buttery bread with well-seasoned chunks of lobster smothered in shellfish bisque sauce--flawless. Beats Sam's Chowder House any day of the week.

If you have never been to Scott's or haven't been there in a while, we highly recommend trying the new items on the menu. Don't forget to check out the amazing patio while you're there.

Big thanks to John Huân Vũ for taking all of the photos.

For more info, menus, and reservations, head to the Scott's Seafood website over here.

Scott's Seafood

185 Park Ave

San Jose, CA 95113

www.scottsseafoodsj.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottsSeafoodSJ 

Dunkin' Donuts comes to San Jose

The famous east-coast doughnut chain has finally made its way to San Jose. A former Arby's at 5519 Snell Ave has become the first Dunkin' Donuts in Silicon Valley. I'm sure transplants will appreciate the location, and they might nab a few new converts as well (sorry, my personal favorite is still Psycho Donuts).

This is the first of several new locations. Next up will be a second San Jose shop on Winchester Boulevard towards the end of the year or early 2019. Franchise owners are also scouting Milpitas, Sunnyvale, and other Silicon Valley cities for further expansion.

The San Jose Dunkin' Donuts is now open everyday from 5am to 10pm.

Source: SVBJ

Greater Rose Garden Certified Farmers Market

A new farmer's market near the Rose Garden will take place every Saturday from 10am to 2pm starting this weekend. There is no official end date, it will continue as long as the community is willing to support it.

The exact location is 577 Dana Avenue (a Lincoln High School parking lot). The official Grand Opening Celebration of the new market is on May 12th at 11am.

Thanks to Alex Shoor for sending this in!