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

"A Night in Napoli" at Trianon Theatre on June 16th

On June 16th, Italian-born President of the Jury, Antonio Pompa-Baldi will host an unforgettable opening concert, "A Night in Napoli" at the sublime Trianon Theatre in downtown San Jose. This will kick off the ONLY international piano competition in Northern California: The San Jose International Piano Competition. Thirty contestants, ages 18 to 32 will fly in from 13 countries to compete. Anyone, regardless of music interest, be it jazz, hip hop, rock, or blues to become inspired. 

The opening night will include Italian appetizers and entrees (from ten local Italian eateries!) and wine. Pompa-Baldi is SJIPC's Jury President and a Van Cliburn medalist. 

This is the 19th annual competition. SJIPC is a nonprofit that works all year guiding, educating, and providing one-on-one mentorship to young people and children of all ages to learn, appreciate, and strive in piano. Music-lovers can dive into 8 days of events, mixers, masterclasses, and competition rounds starting on June 16th and ending on June 23rd. 

Events, both paid and free, will be held in San Jose, CA at the historic Trianon Theater (its last year as a public space) and San Jose State University.The contestants and attendees will immerse themselves into a week of music, education, and community. Contestants practice 5 to 8 hours every day!  The mission of SJIPC for almost 20 years has been to provide excellence in education and performance while nurturing the love of classical music. Many go on to win awards all around the world or to prestigious piano careers. 

Our community will have access to a week of free and paid performances of the highest caliber, fun mixers, and an inspiring master class. This will be a rare a unique and unforgettable experience. Pompa-Baldi, who does not reside in California, will lead a not-to-be-missed Master Class on June 21st. 

Please support our local music arts by visiting www.sjipc.com for the schedule, tickets, and to learn of the the various ways you can become involved.

5 reasons to buy your ticket, attend free competition rounds or donate to SJIPC 

1. It is motivating and inspiring to go for your own dreams and challenge yourself when you see making a challenging dream their #1 priority. Seeing students in San Jose and from around the world dedicated, mind, body, and soul, to polishing a skill that takes a lifetime of patience, practice, and perseverance...encourages us to root for others AND ourselves.  

2. We believe our core job is to encourage children and young adults to be their best at every moment of performance or practice as they pursue excellence.  We are mentors to our students, guiding them one-on-one through frustration, setbacks, and mistakes, and cheering for them when they improve, gain confidence, and triumph. Whatever the chosen field, SJIPC contestants learn lifetime values that will nurture them in all areas of life. 

3. We provide opportunities for the community to experience the highest caliber of piano performance in public spaces, like libraries, where we have Competition winners perform for the public. We feel classical piano is for all. We don't forget the reactions on peoples' faces when they hear the sounds of the keys of a SJIPC winner. It is awe and joy. We believe in accessibility to the learning, appreciation, and joy of classical piano.

4. This success story. Six years ago, a young 14  year old teenager flew over from Vietnam to compete. We worked with the community to provide lodging for her and her mother that they could not afford. As she competed, it was made known she was self-taught, she had NO access to teachers.  SJIPC provided her with sponsored masterclasses from every jury member, and then we had her taken to one of the  best piano teachers in the world. This tutor was one of Rachmaninoff's only students. She returned to SJIPC and received an Honorable Mention. We smiled through tears as she received a coveted SJIPC competition prize of a scholarship to a summer piano festival in Europe. It was a life-changing transformation. She dared to dream and we helped make the dream a reality. 

5. We pride ourselves in a transparent, honest competition and we are committed to making sure our Jury and contestants adhere to fair competition values and practices. This is why we have one of the most respected piano competitions in the world. Need more reason? We help mold world-renowned pianists. The 2012 winner of SJIPC, won the Gold Medal in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition yesterday. This is the most prestigious piano competition in the world! 

-Anna Bagirov 

Souresseau News: Ethnic Communities

This week's history video is about ethnic communities that moved to San Jose. Even 100 years ago, San Jose was surprisingly diverse with French, German, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Italian, and Filipino immigrants. At one point we even had the largest minority population in California.

To watch the two minute video, click here.

3rd Annual Little Italy San Jose Street Festival

The annual Little Italy San Jose Street Festival goes down this Sunday (Sep 30) from 11am to 7pm. Almost 25,000 people attended last year and this year could be even bigger. You can expect authentic Italian Cuisine, local bands, children's activities, Italian Arts & Crafts, and more info on the future Italian Museum & Cultural Center. The event will be a blast and admission is free!

Parking is available across the street at the County Social Services building on Julian. For more info, head over here.

Content 10.1 (Tech) Pick-up Party

Content Magazine is hosting a party to celebrate their latest issues on February 20th (entitled "Tech") at Enoteca La Storia (320 West St. John St.), a hot new restaurant in Little Italy featuring traditional cuisine and an Italian wine shop.

The event goes from 7pm-9:30pm and includes live music from featured artists such as Casey Wickstron and Artificial Lavender. Art by John Edmark Kelly Detweiler, Mr. Chen Lieuh Huang, and Laura Johnston will be on display. Subscribers get one free drink to kick off the night as well as an appetizer and entree to share (wow, really?). For more information, head over to the event's Facebook page.

1st Annual Little Italy San Jose Street Festival

Little Italy is throwing a huge party this Sunday from 11am to 8pm! The very first Little Italy San Jose Street Festival will feature authentic Italian cuisine (of course), local bands, traditional Italian entertainment, children's activities, Italian Cars, Italian Arts & Crafts. There may even be a sneak peak into the future Italian Museum & Cultural Center.

Admission is free and the event is family friendly. Free parking will be available at 333 West Julian. For more info, head over to their Facebook page.

Enoteca La Storia coming to Little Italy

Little Italy is about to get another flagship restaurant across the street from Henry's Hi-Life. Enoteca La Storia will bring more fresh pastas, pizzas, and paninis to the neighborhood along with Italian cocktails and wines. They already have a very successful and highly rated location in Los Gatos (4.5 stars on Yelp) at 416 North Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos. I can't wait for the San Jose version to open up!

For more info head over to the Enoteca La Storia website.

Dine Downtown Restaurant Week kicks off tomorrow

Starting tomorrow you will be able to get three-course meals at a variety of Downtown San Jose restaurants for a fixed price. 18 different restaurants are participating in the latest Dine Downtown Restaurant Week, including several of my favorites. I highly recommend Arcadia, Cafe Stritch, Nomikai, Scott's Seafood, and SP2. $1 will be donated to Martha's Kitchen for every meal that is purchased during the event.

Below in the SJDA press release you will also find a list of events to pair with your dining experiences. To see the full list of participating restaurants, head over here.

SAN JOSE – Downtown diners can experience a new hot spot every night over 10 days this June, when restaurants offer specially priced, three-course meals for Dine Downtown.

From June 10 to June 19, downtown restaurants create special menus for Dine Downtown. Options include new up-and-coming restaurants and recognized, award-winning downtown icons.  There’s a meal to meet every want – from Hawaiian to Asian-inspired comfort food to steakhouses, Italian food and beyond.  See all of the restaurants and menus at http://dinedowntownsj.com.

Since food is also about community, the dining experience isn’t just for the joy of a great meal.  Dine Downtown sponsor Sysco will donate $1 to Martha’s Kitchen for every meal purchased.  Martha’s Kitchen has provided hot meals to the hungry for 35 years.

Dine Downtown is a great week to explore all the area has to offer – from great food to arts. Be sure to check out these great events downtown at the same time:

• You and I:  Play-goers "take the leap into an unexpected friendship" with a poignant and insightful story about two teenagers.  City Lights Theater.  www.cltc.org
• The Art of Fashion: A special preview of a collection that will be shown at Anne & Mark’s Art Party.  http://pivot-artfashion.com
• Third Thursday:  After-hours with live music, food, drinks and, of course, art at the San Jose Museum of Art. http://sjmusart.org/calendar
• Wild Party:  A musical and whodunit set in the Roaring 20s.  The Stage Theater Company. http://www.thestage.org 

For a full list of downtown events, visit www.sjdowntown.com/events.

Arts, giving and great food: That’s what great community and Dine Downtown are about.

Reservations taken through Open Table:  http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?pid=365&m=4

###

About Martha’s Kitchen: Martha’s Kitchen has served more than 3 million meals to San Jose’s hungry over 35 years.  Based between Willow Glen and downtown, it provides meals to service agencies and through its own dining room.

About Sysco:  Sysco helps the foodservice industry satisfy diners’ appetites with 194 locations throughout the U.S., Bahamas, Canada, Ireland & Northern Ireland. http://www.sysco.com

About the SJDA:  The non-profit San Jose Downtown Association was founded in 1986 to represent businesses and property owners.  It works to enhance downtown’s vitality. http://sjdowntown.com

Lark Creek Kitchen Review

I still fondly remember Yankee Pier, the first Santana Row sit-down restaurant. It ended up becoming the first of many in one of the South Bay's premier dining destinations. After several years, the space was remodeled and transformed into Lark Creek Blue, which was still heavily focused on seafood. Now in the third incarnation of this space, Lark Creek Kitchen opens up the menu dramatically and focuses on more creative and elaborate dishes. Executive chef Nick Tall previously worked at Amber, a Two Michelin Star restaurant in Hong Kong. You can definitely see the influences from both Amber and Nick's Miami upbringing in the dishes. The menu also changes frequently with seasonal items being added every two weeks or so.

The summary (if you don't want to get into all the specifics below) is that I loved it. This is now easily one of the best restaurants on Santana Row. Ask your server for the chef's recommendations for that week and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Smaller Plates

24 hour slow-cooked pork belly - This was both tender and crispy at the same time. It came with a flavorful side of morning glory (water spinach), a rare and hard-to-find topical plant used in Asian cooking but surprisingly hard to find in Silicon Valley.

Heirloom beet and buratta - This is a must-try appetizer if you visit! The buratta cheese was smooth and creamy and was accompanied by beets, dates, and pomegranate. I could eat three of these and call it a day.

Hamachi ceviche verde with avocado, kiwi, cucumber, green yuzu (Asian citrus) and plantain chips - Of all the great dishes we had, this one was my favorite. If you are a sushi fan like I am, you will love this. They use the fatty part of the hamachi (toro) for extra flavor. You can either use the plaintain chips to scoop up generous pieces of fish or use the lettuce on the bottom of the bowl to make a hamachi wrap (which I highly recommend, this helps you sop up all of the ceviche juices at the bottom).

Larger Plates

Yellowtail amberjack (cooked hamachi) with maitake mushroom, bacon, broken noodles, pickled cauliflower, and miso mustard glaze - Mind-blowingly good hamachi made from a dorsal fillet. A seaweed bacon infusion is used for the noodles.

Braised local lamb cavatelli pasta with homemade lemon ricotta, grilled fennel, roasted tomato, olive, three herb pesto - Perfect for a hearty meal when it's cold outside. There were a lot of flavors on the plate and it was very filling. If you feel like skipping the appetizers and getting down to business, this is a great choice.

Desserts

Cheesecake creme brulee, pink guava puree, cafe culce de leche - Very unique, I have never had a dish like this. This is a perfect hybrid of both cheesecake and creme brulee, two of my favorite deserts. I would order this again in a heartbeat.

Caramelized pineapple and preserved lemon tart, white chocolate zabaglione (Italian custard made with egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine), pineapple caramel - This one was my wife's favorite. The flavors were very balanced and the cubes of pineapple inside of the custard were a great touch.

Drinks

Unfortunately the cocktails were not quite up to the same caliber as the food. A place like this really deserves some true craft cocktails to go with the killer dishes. I tried the Cucumber Mule (hanson's organic vodka, bitters, lime, and ginger beer) and Broken Branch (rittenhouse rye whisky, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, amaro averna, bitters). They were fine, but I wouldn't come out of my way to grab a cocktail here. Wine might be a better choice with your meal.

Chef Nick Tall also has ambitions to bring local craft beer vendors into the restaurant for multi-course beer pairings. He happens to be a brewer himself and has a strong appreciation and fondness for the art. If he launches a beer pairing for his outstanding menu, I'll be the first one in line.

The Italian Family Festa is This Weekend!

The 35th annual Italian Family Festa is coming to Little Italy San Jose this Saturday and Sunday. There will be free entertainment, a grape stomp, bocce ball, wine tasting, arts & crafts, and of course tons a great Italian food. Last year I remember the fried zuchinni, meatball sandwiches, and eggplant pesto sandwiches being fantastic.

The event runs from 11am to 8pm on Saturday (August 29th) and 11am to 6pm on Sunday (August 30th). 35,000 people are expected to attend and seating is limited, so bring a lawn chair if you plan on staying for a while. You can see the full schedule below. Head over to the Italian Family Festa website for more info and details.

The Westin San Jose is Now Open!

After two years of renovation, the historic Sainte Claire Hotel is now the Westin San Jose. It has 171 rooms, 10,000 SQFT of meeting space, and an Il Fornaio Italian Restaurant. Many details such as the original moldings on the ceiling of the early 1900s building have been preserved. The location is stellar, across the street from the San Jose Convention Center and a block away from SoFA and Plaza de Cesar Chavez.

The Westin San Jose will really appeal to are business travelers. That has always been Westin's sweet-spot, and what better place to locate a business oriented hotel than in Downtown San Jose across from the convention center and walking distance to hundreds of companies.

This will be the second Westin in Silicon Valley (the other is in Palo Also) and the second Starwood Hotel in Downtown San Jose--the first was the Four Points which coincidentally is also in a historic building.

Source: MarketWatch

August 2015 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:

• The Knight Foundation provided the San Jose Downtown Association with a $625,000 grant spread over five years to to develop projects that contribute to the city's beauty, vitality, and livability. Some of the projects currently underway are:
• Street improvements such as an interactive exercise loop, a new Almaden Boulevard median, and a new light installation on the Circle of Palms
• Four new Murals
• Prototyping and Research projects
• Increasing SJDA programming from 110 days a year to 121 days
• The Downtown Homeless Jobs and Training program is expanding for 2015-2016.This project placed 28 homeless with Groundwerx for training last year. In exchange for their work, participants earned food vouchers and housing assistance. Of the 28, 10 found employment and 11 gained housing. The extra hands also led to Downtown being cleaner and better Groundwerx response times.
• Some of the city's $2.9 billion 2015-16 budget will be used for several Downtown projects:
• $68,000 will go to rehabilitating the carousel across from the SAP Center and putting it back in operations.
• $210,000 for a canopy/band shell to replace the current rented canopy at Plaza de Cesar Chavez
• $100,000 for events and programs around the US Gymnastics Trials
• $100,000 for events and programs around Super Bowl 50
• $70,000 to enhance the San Jose Veterans' Parade
• $12,500 for a Downtown homeless drop-in center at First Presbyterian
• Tech Startup Skinnyprice have moved to 111 W. St. John
• The San Pedro Square Market has several new tenants:
• Oni Mexicantessan: a new gourmet Mexican sandwich spot
• Pasta Fresca: homemade Italian cuising with sauces made from scratch
• Lou's Beach Shack: seafood such as clam chowder, calamari, fish sandwiches, as well as shave ice and cotton candy
• Insight Realty pans to develop 10.6 acres between Highway 87 and Coleman Avenue it purchased from the Union Pacific with 250,000 SQFT of office space, 650 urban homes, and neighborhood-serving retail. The total investment will be around $360 million.

To read the full newsletter, click here!

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.

Patxi's 10th Anniversary Party

This Wednesday is the 10 year anniversary of Patxi's Pizza, and they are doing a variety of promotions to celebrate. First off is free food and drinks (beer and wine) on June 4th from 3pm to 4pm at every location. Those wearing a Patxi's t-shirt to the party will get a $20 gift card.

Also on June 4th, anyone who orders a pizza for delivery will get a Willy Wonka-style golden ticket that give customers a chance to win $25-$50 gift cards or the grand prize of "Pizza for a Year."

Lastly, any children under 10 that have their birthday on June 4th will get a free pizza. Those lucky enough to turn exactly 10 years old on June 4th will win a pizza party valued at $200.

Patxi's San Jose location is on the edge of Crescent Village at 3350 Zanker Road.

PATXI’S CELEBRATES ITS 10^th ANNIVERSARY

Party at Every Location, Specials, & More

Patxi’s Pizza, the Bay Area brand famous for classic Chicago-style stuffed pizza and authentic Italian thin crust, celebrates its 10^th Anniversary on June 4 with celebrations around town, food and drink specials, contests and more.  

Patxi’s (pronounced pah-cheese. ‘t’ before ‘x’) began as a labor of love for old friends and now business partners William Freeman and Francisco “Patxi” Azpiroz. From their first location in Palo Alto, which is still operational, the duo has built the business into a successful, growing brand with twelve restaurants spanning two, soon to be three, states. With nine locations in the Bay Area, a thriving three-store operation in Denver, and plans to open in Seattle later this summer, Patxi’s is set up for an even more exciting ten years to come. 

“Throughout the last 10 years and as we’ve expanded from our first location in Palo Alto, we’ve really tried to remain true to our initial mission; which is to service excellent pizza and top-notch hospitality,” says CEO Bill Freeman. “So, to celebrate, we want all of the communities in which we have a restaurant to feel the appreciation we have for each of them.”

COMPLIMENTARY CELEBRATION AT EVERY PATXI’S

Wednesday, June 4, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Patxi’s invites customers and friends to join them for complimentary food and drinks (beer and wine) at every location in the Bay Area. Plus, Patxi’s will celebrate with cake and a toast for everyone. Those wearing a Patxi’s t-shirt to the party will receive a complimentary $20 gift card. Space is limited, event is first-come, first-served. 

GOLDEN TICKET DELIVERY DAY

Wednesday, June 4, all day

Patxi’s isn’t leaving out their valued delivery customers during their anniversary celebrations. Everyone who orders pizza for delivery will get the chance to win big—Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-style. 

With each delivery on June 4 comes a “Golden Ticket,” guests can check their tickets value on Facebook to see what prizes they have won. Prizes include gift cards in $25 and $50 denominations along with a Grand “Pizza for a Year” Prize, valued at $500. 

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Wednesday, June 4, all day

Any child 10 and under also having a birthday on June 4 will receive a complimentary pizza (or gift certificate for a free pizza). Plus, any child also celebrating their 10^th Birthday will win a pizza party celebration, value of $200. Plus, balloons for the kiddos at the grand celebration. 

LOYAL CUSTOMERS GET “THANXED”!

Month of June

For those customers participating in Patxi’s Loyalty Program, through Thanx, there are some fun anniversary specials as well. Thankx customers who dine at Patxi’s ten times during the month of June will receive a special VIP $50 reward. For details visit http://thanx.com/patxispizza. 

PATXI’S PIZZA LOCATIONS

San Jose: 3350 Zanker Road, San Jose, CA, 95134, 408.526.1999

Fillmore: 3318 Fillmore Street San Francisco, CA 94123, 415.345.3995

Hayes Valley: 511 Hayes Street San Francisco, CA 94102 , 415.558.9991

Irving: 822 Irving Street San Francisco, CA 94122, 415.759.9000

Noe Valley: 4042 24th Street San Francisco, CA 94114, 415.285.2000

Campbell: 1875 South Bascom Ave, Suite 405, Campbell, CA 95008 The Pruneyard Shopping Center, 408.559.0700

Palo Alto: 441 Emerson Street Palo Alto, CA 94301, 650.473.9999

Lafayette: 3577 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette, CA 94549, 925.299.0700

Livermore: 2470 1st St, Livermore, CA, 94550, 925.371.1000

ABOUT PATXI’S PIZZA

www.patxispizza.com

Founded in 2004 by two friends, entrepreneur Bill Freeman and pizza expert Francisco “Patxi” Azpiroz, Patxi’s Pizza offers authentic Chicago- and Italian-style pizza, featuring two distinct, handcrafted styles of dough, four types of mozzarella and over 30 different fresh meat and veggie toppings (ingredients sourced locally whenever possible).  Patxi’s Pizza (pronounced pah-cheese) is privately owned and operated with a total of 12 locations between the San Francisco Bay Area and Denver, CO. Patxi’s Pizza was ranked #6 in the Food & Beverage Industry by Inc. Magazine’s Top 100 Hire Power Companies of 2013 and named among the Top 10 “Most Life-Changing Pizzas” of 2012 by Esquire Magazine. CEO Bill Freeman was recently named one of the “Most-Admired” CEOs in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times. 

Patxi’s menu features a standout family of pizzas and an array of salads and small plates. Says Executive Chef / Partner Patxi Azpiroz, “Here at Patxi’s we happily renounce stovetops, deep fryers and freezers. Instead we prepare all of our dishes using fresh ingredients, sourced locally when possible.”

In addition to pizza, Patxi’s features an array of small plates great for sharing, including Burrata Bruschetta and the Meatball, which is inspired by a long-time Boston-Italian family recipe and features sustainably raised beef and a Chicago-style Italian sausage braised in a house made tomato sauce and topped with basil and Grana Padano cheese. In lieu of dessert, Patxi’s offers honey for the “bones” or crust of the pizza—the perfect way to enjoy those last remnants of crust after the meal. Guests can also enjoy fresh salads and beverages including a full bar. Complete menu is here. Photos available upon request. 

Through their 52 Weeks of Giving program, Patxi’s donates a portion of its profits to local nonprofit organizations dedicated to education and children’s health and welfare – totaling over $315,000 in donations to date.

52 Weeks of Giving Facts:

• In 2013, Patxi’s Pizza donated more than $166,620 to partner organizations through a total of 395 fundraising events 
• To date, the program has raised more than $315,277 for partner organizations with their shared mission. 
• Since the program’s inception, Patxi’s has hosted just over 740 individual fundraisers for community organizations, nonprofits and schools.
• Over 397 community organizations participated in the program this year including a total of 128 local schools and in-school programs; and non-profit organizations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation (Bay Area and Denver Chapters), The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, United Autism Foundation, Children’s Hospital Oakland, Muscular Distrophy Association, and dozens more.
• Money raised through the program funded programs like a trip to Washington, D.C. for Lincoln High School, a 5th Grade Science Camp for Livermore’s Rancho Las Positas Elementary, and travel for the Team World Finals for Stanley Odyssey of the Mind among many others.
• The program currently operates through Patxi’s nine Bay Area locations and three Denver locations, and will expand to the Seattle and Santa Barbara markets, totaling 15 locations in 2015
• Patxi’s goal is to raise $200,000 to benefit charity organizations in 2014

December 2013 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:

• Development construction in Downtown San Jose is booming. The only major new construction in the last five years was the Convention Center Expansion, but you can now see two massive cranes for the One South Market and Centerra high-rise apartment projects. In addition to that you will soon see cranes for:
• Saint James Towers (2 towers, 20-22 stories, 612 units)
• North San Pedro (6 stories, 408 units)
• The Pierce (7 stories, 235 units)
• Parkview Towers (18 stories, 197 units)
• Marshall Squares (7 stories, 195 units)
• Post and San Pedro Tower (19 stories, 156 units)
• Civic Center (7 stories, 127 units)
• Santa Clara County Family Justic Center (8 stories, 233,900 SQFT)
• Hampton Inn & Suites (8 stories, 197 rooms)
• San Jose's Office of Economic Development is revising its San Jose Storefronts Initiative, which helps small businesses lease vacant space by offsetting permit costs and fees. New restaurants will be able to apply and grantees can receive up to $16,000. The program will continue until the $250,000 of funding is used.
• On any given night, as many as 25 Downtown venues can feature live music. Check out the SJDA Live and Local page for listings.
• Thanks to some private contributions from Downtown businesses, the Downtown PBID was able to purchase a small electric vehicle (let's be honest, it's a golf cart) to help with security patrols.
• A permanent US patent and Trademark Office that will service the entire west coast will occupy part of City Hall at 200 E. Santa Clara.
• David Nevin, owner of the Rock Shop, is bringing live music back to The Back Bar at 418 S. Market.
• Bel Bacio Imported Italian Coffee is now open at 350 W. Julian St. No. 4.
• gZines! is now selling fine art and jewelry at the Fairmont Hotel.
• Blackbird Tavern is now using the vacant 2,400 SQFT next door for private parties and events.
• Thirst Tea is now selling boba teas and snow ice at 150 S. First St., Suite 118.

To read the full newsletter, click here!

Downtown San Jose Restaurant List Updates! (Q4 2013 Edition)

I have done the latest round of updates to the Downtown San Jose Restaurants database (it has been a while, sorry about that). We are up to a grand total of 249 eateries! This is yet another record-breaking number for Downtown San Jose! To put it in perspective we were at 206 eateries just two years ago and we were at 234 last December.

We did have some closures such as Pop's & Sons at the San Pedro Square Market and Rokko Japanese near Cesar Chavez Park, but the new restaurants opening up more than counterbalance what little bad news there was this past quarter. It's a good time to be a foodie Downtown! Here are some of the newcomers:

• Bel Bacio Imported Italian Coffee - Little Italy finally gets a second Eatery to compliment Paesano's, one of the best Italian restaurants Downtown. Bel Bacio's specialty is high-quality imported coffee from one of the most famous coffee regions in the world.
• Ike's Place - The most famous sandwich chain in the Bay Area has finally come to Downtown San Jose (located at 60 E. Santa Clara)! Their sandwiches are amazing and they have a large selection of vegetarian options that even meat-lovers will appreciate. 
• Thirst Tea - Great boba milk tea shop in the heart of Downtown across from Camera 12 (in the former Sandella's spot). They also have a great honey-toast dessert that will easily feed 4 people.
• SP2 - Trendy new restaurant next to the San Pedro Square Market with locally sourced ingredients and a mixology-style bar menu.
• BJ's Brewhouse - Now open at the San Jose Market Center.  
• Other Places Coming Soon
• ISO: Beers
• C.R.E.A.M.
• Da Kine Island Grill
• San Jose Pizza Co.
• Nomikai
• Take One Pizza
• SoFA Market

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

• 7/25/2013 Added SP2, which replaced Sabor
• 7/27/2013 Added Amor Cafe & Tea, which replaces Cafe Bon Terre
• 7/28/2013 Noted that Sante Grill closed
• 7/28/2013 Noted that The Mmoon closed
• 7/29/2013 San Jose Pizza Co. is coming to the former Sante Grill Space
• 9/15/2013 Take One Pizza will be opening in space formerly occupied by The Mmoon
• 9/15/2013 Pops & Sons closed at the San Pedro Square Market
• 9/15/2013 Added Da Kine Island Grill on Market (formerly Thepthai)
• 12/1/2013 Koji Sake Lounge replaced with Nomikai
• 12/1/2013 Added Bel Bacio Imported Italian Coffee in Little Italy
• 12/1/2013 Added Thirst Tea on First 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.

New Alchemy Museum Coming to San Jose in 2015!

One of my Wednesday Wishlists ages ago was to see more museums in San Jose. They contribute to tourism, the economy, and provide new educational opportunities for local residents. In 2013 not one, but two major museums were announced. The first was the Italian Heritage Museum in the burgeoning Little Italy neighborhood Downtown. The second is going to be the largest Alchemy Museum in the world!

The RoseCroix University building next to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum will be converted to a full-blown Alchemy Museum in 2015. Since alchemy is thought to have originated in ancient Egypt, this seems like an ideal location.

The museum will have seven different rooms with exhibits, one for each of the seven phases of alchemical transformation:

• Calcination
• Dissolution
• Separation
• Conjunction
• Fermentation [Josh: my favorite]
• Distillation
• Coagulation

To top it off, there will be interactive exhibits, lectures, a working alchemy lab, and an auditorium for events. Apparently this will be the only facility of its kind in the US.

You will be able to get a sneak preview of this new project at the Egyptian Museum next summer. The Rosicrucians are planning a special alchemy exhibit to promote the new museum, which is again due out in 2015.

Source: MetroActive

Little Italy San Jose Updates!

Here is a little Thanksgiving treat for San Joseans. We have some exciting announcements related to San Jose's new Little Italy district. All but details are below but the quick summary is:

1.) Bel Bacio Imported Italian Coffee is officially open for business and their Grand opening will be this Sunday from 10am-12pm! (can't wait to check this out)
2.) The first home restored by SV Home is already being shown off and the cast from HGTV's Flip it to win it was onsite yesterday.
3.) Architectural and landscaping designs are being finalized for the Little Italy Cultural Center and Museum (yay!)
4.) The Little Italy Arch is ready to start construction. They are just waiting for the work permit.

Thanks Josh Melander for sending this in!

~~~

Bel Bacio Italian Café Now Open!!

Today Monday November 25th is the first day of business for Bel Bacio - Italian Cafe. Please stop by this week to try their authentic espresso from Barbera in Messina Sicily.  The Grand Opening will be Sunday December 1st from 10am -12pm.

First Home restored by SV HOME reveal and Open House!!

Yes, It has been only two months and the first home purchased by SV HOME has been restored and the reveal with SV HOME and the TV crew from HGTV and the cast from Flip it to win it will be this Wednesday November 27^th from 3pm -5pm.  SV Home will be paying for catered Food from Paesano Ristorante and would love all of you to attend.  We hope you can see all the progress that has been made in Little Italy.

~ We also are looking for a few people to be involved in a live casting for the TV show to be on camera looking at the home

Status of Little Italy Cultural center and Museum

We are finalizing architectural and landscaping designs for the Cultural center and Museum.  Thus far we have the following…….

~ Cleanup, Demo, and Framing – Donated by SV HOME

~ Electrical – Donated by Best Electrical

~ Cooling and Heating – Donated by A1 Cooling and Heating

~ Architecture – Donated by staff from SV HOME and Davide Giannella

~ Interior Design – Donated by James D’Ambrosio

We desperately need………….. In Kind Plumbing/HVAC, Roofing, Drywall, Windows, and Painting

Little Italy Arch Finally ready to start Construction!!

We are finally just about ready to start construction on the Little Italy Arch!!  We will be re-submitting the application this week to obtain the work permit to start construction.

~ We had to redo the entire arch and move it over 6 inches to avoid an underground electrical box that PG&E did not discover previously and had to get all the maintenance approvals for the Arch.

Stay tuned for a Groundbreaking date…………………

October 2013 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:

• SJDA Creates a Strategic Action Plan to improve Downtown over the next 15 months including the following recommendations:
• Increase use of retired and reserve officers Downtown through PBID funding
• Create a one-time global headquarters incentive package for Downtown
• Extend the High-Rise incentive program
• Dedicate a share of future parking meter revenues to promoting Downtown
• Streamline regulations and reduce fees to encourage more festivals and events
• Have the city hire a senior urban designer with a Downtown focus
• Map Downtown's potential development sites along with allowable height and proximity to transit
• Advocate for the A's stadium and an underground high-speed rail alignment
• Centralize homeless resources
• After a decade of planning, the $130 million expansion of the Convention Center is ready! 125,000 SQFT of space has been added, increasing the total size to 550,000 SQFT. The community is invited to an opening celebration on Oct 10th from 4:30-9:00pm.
• Little Italy received $360,000 in donations to acquire two dilapidated homes and turn them into the future Italian American Cultural Facility and Museum.
• Bel Bacio Imported Italian Coffee is coming soon to 350 W. Julian in Little Italay
• Groundwerx are installing RGB pixel light strings on the 32 palm trees that make up the Circle of Palms that could even be programmed for light shows and synchronized with music
• Downtown Ice returns Nov 15th.
• Willow Glen Yogurt and Ice Cream Co. has opened a concession in Camera 12 Cinema
• Da Kine Island Grill opens at 23 N. Market with Hawaiian and Island-style recipes

To read the full newsletter, click here!

American food culture photo shoot at Montalvo on 9/29

Love food? Community? Unique events? 

Be a part of a national photography project called My American Pantry on Saturday, September 29th at Montalvo Arts Center. Register (link at the end of this post), bring a picnic blanket and some goodies to share! Culinary artist, Andrea Blum, will position all participants in the composition she wants for the photo and a drone will fly above and capture the view! "The resulting photo will be included in an interactive digital atlas of American food and drink representing American food and entrepreneurship." 

See this as an example, taken in Marin County. Read the official release below for more information.

Photo © Kenny Blum Photography and Andrea Blum, 2013.

Official Press Release:

CALLING ALL FARMERS, GOURMET ARTISANS, AND FOOD & DRINK LOVERS: BE A PART OF THE AMERICAN PANTRY MAP!

     

National photographic project by artist Andrea Blum celebrates American food culture with photo shoot at Montalvo on Sept. 29 at 1:30pm 

SARATOGA, Calif. – At 1:30pm on September 29, 2013, culinary artist Andrea Blum invites the community to participate in her national photography project My American Pantry: a celebration of creativity, taste, community, and entrepreneurship. Taking place on the Great Lawn of the Montalvo Arts Center, the event will begin with an aerial photo shoot, followed by a community picnic with participants sharing dishes prepared from family recipes. The resulting photo will be included in an interactive digital atlas of American food and drink representing American food and entrepreneurship.
 

This will be the first time Blum has invited the general public to participate in one of her MAP photo shoots In the past, she has limited participants to professional artisan food and drink producers, including cheese makers, vintners, and farmers. “Part of the aim of my project is to celebrate the rich local traditions around the preparation and sharing of food,” she said. “Asking participants to share family recipes seemed like the natural evolution of the project.”

All participants will be asked to bring a picnic blanket of a specific color, a homemade food to share, and the recipe for the dish. Participants who are professional artisan producers will also be asked to bring products and tools of the trade of their craft. “Be prepared to relax in the grass and to share what you bring with those around you,” said Blum. “We will do the rest with the composition and with the remote control camera flying above.”


ABOUT MY AMERICAN PANTRY
Begun in 2013, the My American Pantry (MAP) project is an interactive tapestry of people, food, story, and recipes that celebrate the American table, conceived of by culinary artist Andrea Blum. Traveling around the country, Blum documents the wide array of artisans, products, and food traditions native to different geographic areas. First arranging participants and the tools of their trade in a carefully designed composition, Blum then captures the image via aerial photography by means of a remote-controlled camera. The photo shoots also provide an opportunity to gather stories from participants about their practices, products, and their craft.

The end-goal is to create an online and offline map of people, products, and stories allowing viewers and even shoppers to interact with the images and stories. Blum hopes to bring the finalized project from all 50 states to the World's Fair in Milan in 2015. More information about the MAP project is available at myamericanpantry.com.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER: ANDREA BLUM
Born in Pennsylvania and raised in California, Andrea Blum is a journalist and chef turned entrepreneur. Her passion for food ignited as a child after eating her first French meal in a famous restaurant in Philadelphia at 11 years old. That experience changed the way she thought about food. At 20 years old, she took a year to study in France learning the history, art, and cultural significance of food that would quickly become part of a lifelong fascination. Though she later returned to France and Italy to resume her studies of fresco painting and art restoration, every moment of her free time was spent exploring the cooking, farming, and culture of the French and Italian food world, with mothers, grandmothers, master cheese makers, and artisans.

In 2003, Blum traded her paintbrush for pen, graduating from Columbia University in Journalism with awards in social justice reporting. She has since worked as a reporter covering the environment in Northern California. But she has also stayed close to her passion for food, writing for newspapers and magazines such Gourmet and Saveur, and hosting tours to discover and indulge in Italian regional "food worlds" such as the Cilento and Amalfi Coast regions of Campania.

Blum’s interests have always been related to the geography of food; she seeks to discover the stories each dish can tell whether it’s from the highlands of Tibet or in remote villages in Turkey. My American Pantry (MAP) is an extension of her geographic quest to follow food back to where it’s made. Only this time, she has chosen to focus on American artisan food, its rebirth, its crafters and its terroir.

FLOURISH: ARTISTS EXPLORE WELLBEING
Blum's photo shoot is presented as part of the public programming organized around Flourish: Artists Explore Wellbeing, Montalvo’s latest multiyear programming theme, coordinated by the Lucas Artists Residency Program in collaboration with Montalvo’s Education Department. Through exhibitions, conversations, performances, and workshops, Montalvo explores the question, “How can we live meaningful, happy, and healthy lives?” For more information, please visit montalvoarts.org/flourish.

MY AMERICAN PANTRY (MAP) PICNIC AND PHOTO SHOOT
Who: Culinary artist Andrea Blum, in partnership with the Montalvo Arts Center
What: A public potluck picnic and photo shoot, organized around the My American Pantry project to celebrate American food and drink.
Where: Great Lawn of the Montalvo Arts Center, 15400 Montalvo Road, Saratoga, CA.
When: Sunday, September 29, at 1:30pm
Admission: It is free to participate, but advance registration is required. Please sign up at myamericanpantry.com/montalvo-picnic-photo.