History San José Celebrates Founders Month with Special Sundays at San Pedro Square during this Thanksgiving Season

This month San Jose celebrates its 243rd Birthday! There are multiple events being thrown by History San Jose, three of which will be happening at the San Pedro Square Market. This is a great chance to learn more about the Peralta Adobe (oldest building in San Jose) and Fallon House (first Victorian), as well as check up on how the San Pedro Square Market is coming along.

 

Happy 243^rd Birthday to San Jose!

San Jose CA – November 1, 2011 ---

Sunday, November 6 from noon to 4 PM is the Adobe Days’ Childrens Fiesta: features activities for children and tours for adults.  Children can make corn husk action figures, adobe bricks, dip wax for candle-making, and practice roping. Visitors can see a horse whose ancestry can be traced back to the horses brought to the new world centuries ago by the Spanish settlers. Her name is Stone Shield, and she is a paint mare --- 18 years old with 2 blue eyes.

As early as 1492 Spain planned the expansion of their power, including into North America. It was the Spanish horses that carried the DeAnza party to settle Alta California and today provides the framework for thoroughbreds, standardbreds, and the Morgan and quarterhorse. Only 2,000 of the Colonial Spanish horses remain and is critically endangered.

A real vaquero, cowboy, will offer roping demonstrations. Tours of the Peralta Adobe and the Fallon House will be at 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM and 2:30 PM.

Sunday, November 13 from noon 4 PM is Adobe Days: Dig into San José’s Past - Kids Archaeology Day: Stanford Archaeology Center students will be at the Peralta site conducting a dig. Tours of the Peralta Adobe and the Fallon House will be offered at 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM and 2:30 PM.

Sunday, November 20 from noon to 4 PM is Happy 243^rd Birthday, San José!: the traditional birthday party for the founding of El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe. There will be a candle-lighting ceremony and visitors can share birthday cake with San José’s founding family members. ‘Happy Birthday, San Jose!’-a –little-early-party---the real birthday is November 29. Music will be provided by Los Arrebeños de San Francisco, led by Lance Beeson, a member of the Californios.

Tours of the Peralta Adobe and the Fallon House will be offered at 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM and 2:30 PM.

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The Fallon House was built in 1855 by one of San José’s earliest mayors. The Victorian mansion showcases 15 fully-furnished rooms typical of the Victorian period. Thomas Fallon was a frontiersman in the John C. Fremont expedition, and Carmel Fallon was the daughter of one of the most prominent Mexican landowners in California.

The Peralta Adobe is San José’s oldest address. Built in 1797, the Peralta Adobe is the last remaining structure from El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe. See the Adobe’s horno, an outside working oven or venture inside the home and see two rooms furnished as they might have been when they were occupied by the Gonzales and Peralta families. It is now surrounded by the new San Pedro Square Market.

Dishcrawl Offers Some Unique Dining Experiences in Downtown San Jose

from Downtown San Jose Real Estate by Eric

If you’ve never partaken in a Dishcrawl, now is the perfect opportunity. Dishcrawl is a social dining experience through four restaurants in one night with a group of awesome food lovers. Try a taste of everything while meeting your neighbors, the local chefs and owners. And while the following Dishcrawls are in one location instead of the typical four, they offer unique experiences in dining.


Exotic Meat Extravaganza at Morocco’s – Monday, November 7 at 6:30 pm
Broaden your culinary palate and discover 150 year old Moroccan preparations with a twist. Some of the dishes will be kept a secret, but here are some highlights to tease your imagination: exotic wild rabbit tagine, slowly braised with caramelized onions and raisins; custom tapas prepared by Chef Jay with housemade Moroccan bread; sweet mint tea and crisp, golden honey briwatts filled with smooth almond paste.
Morocco’s is located at 86 N. Market Street in downtown San Jose between Santa Clara and W. St. John Streets.


A Wine Affair – Tuesday, November 8 at 6:00 pm
Chic, fun, and captivating! Swing by Wine Affairs as they are hosting a wine pairing with some delicious treats. If you’ve never been, come and check out their amazing HUGE selection of wine and beers, modern and sleek decor, and cool ambiance. So chat it up with new friends, meet the sweet owner, treat your palate with good wine, or bring a date- you’ll find a great experience at A Wine Affair!
Wine Affairs is located at 1435 The Alameda in the Rosegarden neighborhood of downtown San Jose


Tequila Education Oaxacan Style! Mezcal – Thursday, November 10 at 6:30 pm
It’s tequila time! Whether you are a tequila connoisseur or know that you just like it, check out the buzz behind tequila with Mezcal’s owner Adolfo. Have a seat with fellow tequila mates, learn about the art of tequila, and enjoy this special pairing with Oaxacan small plates.
Mezcal is located at 25 W. San Fernando St. between 1st and Market, across from the Fairmont Hotel indowntown San Jose


Take A Trip To Thailand! House of Siam – Sunday, November 13 at 7:00 pm
Craving the mouth watering flavors of Southeast Asia? Enjoy a Thai feast at the House of Siam as they guide you through your very own Thai food adventure in downtown San Jose.
House of Siam is located at 151 S. 2nd Street in the shadow of The 88 high rise residential complex
For more information or to make reservations, visit http://www.dishcrawl.com/bayarea/

New Public Art! "Portal"

Later tonight a well known video artist, JD Beltran, will be speaking about her latest work here in San Jose called Portal. The video art will be projected on the ATT building downtown every night and will slowly change over time. Check out this link for more information on both the artist's presentation at the Children's Discovery Museum and the piece itself which will be live until at least the end of the year.

This is exactly what I need to start getting excited about Zer01 in 2012! I would love to see much more public art at this scale throughout Downtown.


Portal from JD Beltran on Vimeo.

South First Fridays Art Walk Tonight!

19 venues will be open for tonight's art walk, rain or "shine!" Looking at the walking map over here, it's interesting to see how things have changed over the past year. I remember when SLG was the only place open on Market Street. Now the Art Glass Center, Higher Fire Clay, and Works are all on Market. The Tech Shop and Pho69 are also new additions not around last year. Looking forward, I'm sure the new Zer01 Garage will be participating in future First Fridays as soon as they get up and running.

For more details on tonight's event, the highlights are down below:

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from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

Join us this Friday for the South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk in downtown San Jose! 7-11pm, FREE & Open to the public.
Lots of new exhibitions with artists' receptions, special performances and on site demos!

Opening Reception for featured artists Gianfranco Paolozzi and John Eric Paulson
KALEID Gallery, 88 South Fourth St.


A Box Is A Box Is A Box by Gianfranco Paolozzi
In search of new surfaces to apply my marks, to write my journals, the everyday boxes used as packaging for products that we consume, are becoming my canvasses. the box is a canvas when it is disassembled or not.


Photographs from Italy and Greece by John Eric Paulson
Each day I wonder what photographic surprises await me. When I focus on an area, I look for what I would like to see if it were a perfect world, creating the ideal, capturing the basic beauty and enhancing its drama.


Kanji Garden by Shannon Amidon
Phantom Galleries 95 South Market St.
Kanji Garden was created using hundreds of cut, hand dyed, and folded books that were destined for a landfill. The reused books that received a new life were titled “Understanding Kanji Characters” by Ping-gam Go.


Milk and Bones new paintings by Izer the Mizer
Good Karma Vegan Café, 37 South First St.
An amalgamation of images from children’s book illustrations and horror films, the teachings of Rush Limbaugh and Friedrich Nietzsche, a humanity that Gandhi would have eaten for, the end of the world, the birth of a child, the death of your mother, true love, true fate, true hate, true blood, a three headed hound with no legs, a drunk on a roll.


…..of light & shadows (de la luz y de las sombras) by Robertino Ragazza
Pho69, 321 South First St.
A new collection of new works by Robertino Ragazza mainly focusing the usage of high and low key lighting on his subjects or within the framing of his poetic photographs. All photographs are hand-printed Selenium-toned Silver Gelatin.
Pho69 also features live contemporary music on First Fridays. Come check out local bands performing favorite covers and original music.

There's 19 lively art / performance venues to peruse this Friday night, visit www.SouthFIRSTFRIDAYS.comfor full exhibition lineup and join us!

Heroes Golf Tournament II to Raise Funds for Fort Ord Veterans Cemetery

WHO:

The Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery Foundation will hold its second annual Heroes Golf Tournament November 12, 2011, at the famed Fort Ord Bayonet Course. KSBW personalities Dan Green and Dennis Lehnen will share emcee and auctioneer duties. The Heroes Open II is proud to announce the first Presenting Sponsor, Choice Home Health Care, and is honored to have the support of KSBW, Stahl Motor Company and others.

WHAT:

The scramble format tournament, at $150 per player, is the centerpiece of the day complemented by The Heroes Tea and Silent Auction, $25 per guest, and The Santa Maria Barbecue at $75 per guest.  Those who cannot attend the tournament are asked to sponsor a veteran’s entry fee.

WHEN:

November 12, 2011.  Registration 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. cannon start. 

WHERE:

Bayonet Course, Fort Ord.

WHY:     

Proceeds will go toward creating a final resting place for veterans and their spouses on 178 acres of the former Fort Ord.  Players, guests & volunteers are invited to bring non-perishable items for the Food Bank

For information, register to play golf, donate or sponsor go to www.ccvcf.com or call (831) 679-2610.  Their rest depends on you.

Sharks Return From Road Trip For Six Game Home Stretch

The Sharks return home after putting up a successful and dominant display of skill during their six game road trip in the east coast. While the Sharks left home with a disappointing 1-3-0 record, they returned with a more favorable 6-4-0, winning five of their six away games. While the Sharks’ impressive road trip may have concluded with an unfortunate loss to the New York Rangers, their five game win streak proved their capability of being the top team in the NHL. Even the best teams have less than remarkable games and lose, and the loss to the Rangers was no exception.

Despite being away from the loud and supportive HP Pavilion crowd for six games, the Sharks return home to Silicon Valley for another six – this time with the support of the Sharks’ well-known exuberant crowd. This time, the fans should be able to see a more experienced team; a team that has ironed out their beginning season woes.

To successfully win hockey games, especially on the road, it requires the effort of the entire team to push themselves ahead of their opponents. No doubt the Sharks were hungrier and played a more intelligent game than they teams they played on their victorious road trip games. As the NHL already encompasses the most elite players, the difference between good teams and great teams relies entirely on strategy and finding crafty ways to score. Although an entire team is responsible for their on-ice victories, there were indeed several notable players who stood out that much more and must be recognized.

Joe Pavelski undoubtedly rises to the top, as he was far and away the most successful Sharks player on the road trip, notching eleven points, placing his total firmly on top of the team with thirteen total points so far in the season. It is clear his placement on the first line with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau is clicking quite well.

In addition, captain Joe Thornton has not failed to disappoint, scoring two goals in the Detroit Red Wings game and contributing helpers in each of the Sharks’ away games, with the exception of the game against the New York Islanders. Logan Couture added a few goals as well, and the ex-Minnesota Wild duo of Martin Havlat and Brent Burns have proven to be terrific assets to the team.

While the first road trip game against the New Jersey Devils was won in a shootout, the other winning contests were more decisive; three out of the five wins were two goal victories, each capped with empty net goals to bring each respective game to their conclusion.

The Sharks may have looked extremely sloppy when they played the New York Rangers, however fans alike should be hopeful they will come back to display the chemistry they demonstrated during the first five games of their road trip.

Tonight, the Sharks begin their home stretch with a game against the Eastern Conference’s Pittsburgh Penguins. The Sharks have statistically done well versus the Penguins (with their last win in San Jose occurring in 1997), although the Penguins should not be taken lightly, especially with their currently impressive 8-3-2 record.

Let’s hope history works in the Sharks’ favor again tonight by starting off the comfortable home stretch with two points!

GO SHARKS!

20 Year Anniversary of DRUM!

San Jose-based DRUM! is celebrating their 20th year this month, a pretty amazing feat for any publication. Full press release below:

Enter Music Publishing Has a DRUM! Déjà Vu With Charlie Benante: Smashing The Cover Then And Now

 

San Jose, Calif., -- Anniversaries can often bring reflection. And, Enter Music Publishing, publishers of hip, drum/percussion magazines, worldwide and online, is no exception as it celebrates 20 years of publishing DRUM!. Two issues ago, the magazine had Chad Smith on the cover, discussing new Peppers percussion. Indeed, appropriate since Smith has been on the cover of DRUM! more than any other drummer.

 

So, it’s quite apropos, that its October issue features Anthrax drummer, Charlie Benante, since it was 20 years ago last month that he appeared on the first cover of DRUM!. At that time, the magazine was a free tabloid with a circulation mainly in Northern California. Benante, on the other hand, had already made a name for himself with his eight years of blast beats that had propelled Anthrax to the forefront of the rock/metal music scene during the late eighties and early nineties.

 

Indeed, Benante was and remains very well respected for his drumming, guitar playing, and song-writing abilities. And, as noted in the “Epilogue” (20 Year Thrashback Charlie Benante and DRUM!) to the story on page 104 of the current issue, Benante reveals that his fame, then and now, had not made him a snobby rock star since he shared the first cover with Joe Franco. In fact, “He (Benante) seemed thrilled to be in the same room with Franco, one of his idols,” back in 1999.

 

DRUM! And Drummer Roll On

As further discussed in “Thrashback,” the success of DRUM! and that of Benante, have intriguing similarities. Benante continues to evolve and influence drummers all over the world with those original blast beats and double bass and DRUM! is now a color newsstand magazine with a worldwide readership. Thus, having Benante featured on the cover of DRUM! simply makes sense because Anthrax has shattered an eight-year hiatus with the release of its 10^th album, Worship Music. And Benante is in rare form in term of all his artistic output and also discusses some of the challenges related to the group.

 

So the syncopated story goes…

 

Benante, during his candid interview with DRUM! assistant editor, Andrew Lentz, gives the reader a complete insight regarding what Benanate and crew had been up to since the 2004 release, We’ve Come For You All?. Over that period, the group experienced a series of ups and downs, based on each player’s interests. Benanate had let his passion for the fret board loose, which resulted in new material that he explored with guitarists Scott Ian and Rob Bello as well as bassist Frank Bello. However, after a brief, successful reunion in 2006, Joey Belladonna, vocalist and a solid drummer as well, announced that he would not take part on the album of material led by Benanate.

 

During this time, the vocal seat was a revolving door with vocalist John Bush coming and going twice. As Benante explains, “At first, there was a honeymoon period and then it ‘the honeymoon’ was gone.”

 

Benante: Breath-taking Blasts With Ease

Interestingly enough, Belladonna’s return to work with Benanate on a solo project resulted in a new, fresh perspective for Anthrax in 2010. Rather than pursue the solo project, Benante explains, the material was a better fit for Anthrax even though Belladonna had been absent from the vocal position for almost 18 years.

 

As Lentz explains, the material that became Worship Music really demonstrated past success with new ideas, especially in the drum parts. Benante, well known for his speed and agility, embraced more straight-ahead rock. He had learned new strategies for playing fast without knocking himself out A good example is the tune, “Judas Priest,” described as a real “ankle breaker.” Describing his approach, Benante said:

 

 “Let’s say on some shows I don’t feel like playing it as fast as I would alternating feet so on my right kick, I’ll do two hits and then on the left kick, I’ll do one … It sounds like you’re doing singles. And then sometimes, I’ll do two on the right and two on the left.”

 

Of course, the story includes great transcriptions and a surprise sidebar discussing Belladonna’s drumming and vocal approach. The Benanate issue is available now so don’t hurt yourself trying to find it.

 

About Enter Music Publishing

Founded in San Jose, CA in 1992, Enter Music Publishing, Inc. is a leading publisher of hip, drum/percussion magazines, with distribution in 20 countries. DRUM! is the flagship publication of Enter Music Publishing, Inc. and continues to set the industry standard for editorial quality and innovation. Enter Music Publishing, Inc. also publishes great content on its website, drummagazine.com. Over the company’s history, Enter Music Publishing has pressed other well-respected publications, such as How To Play Drums, and TRAPS magazine. The company’s mission is to be the best source of drumming news and info on this planet and others as they become populated. The company’s founders, Phil Hood and Andy Doerschuk, are well-respected drum industry veterans with more than 50 years of experience in the field.

The Tech Museum After Hours Tomorrow!

Time	Wednesday, November 2 · 6:00pm - 11:00pm
Location	The Tech Museum 201 South Market Street San Jose, CA
Created By	The Tech Museum After Hours
More Info	After Hours is the new monthly themed event where adults only can enjoy science, technology, entertainment and cocktails together with their friends. Each month is new and different. Cosmos Under the Cosmos Wednesday, November 2nd 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. • Sip on a glow-in-the-dark Cosmo from our no-host bar as you enjoy the cosmic music stylings of Lynda Williams, also known around the Bay Area as the Physics Chanteuse. • Learn about cosmic dynamics with hands-on activities by UCSC astrophysicists, led by Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz. • Journey through the universe in the Holt Digital Starlab. • Be the first to see NASA’s brand new image collection, “From the Earth to the Solar System”. • Explore the entire museum under moody lighting and music as you decide whether to play a bevy of giant games, lounge in our Cosmic Cabaret, or just relax with friends! • Limited cafe menu available for purchase. Tickets are $12 $10 for members Group rate for 10 or more! For more information or to buy tickets please call +1 (408) 294-8324, or visit our website at http://tickets.thetech.org/calendar/view.asp?id=24551 Service charges may apply. Members’ service charges waived. For guests 21 and over only. Please be prepared to show I.D. at the door.

Cool Video of the San Jose Jazz Volunteer Recognition Dinner

Happy Halloween San Joseans!

Photo is from the Annual Halloween Doggie Social & Costume Parade in Willow Glen

Dia de Los Muertos in San Jose

What better place to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos than in California's oldest secular cemetery? Full details below:

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All Saints Day/Day of the Dead/ Dìa de Los Muertos

At Oak Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park

Sunday, November 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

San José, CA – October 19, 2011 --- It has become a tradition on All Saints Day to celebrate our ancestry, our forebearers who have passed on before us.  This year to commemorate Dìa de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead the festivities will again be held at Oak Hill Memorial Park with an outdoor mass on Sunday, November 6.

Oak Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park is Celebrating their 165th anniversary as California’s oldest secular cemetery. Oak Hill welcomes friends, family, neighbors and beyond to commemorate their 6th annual Dìa de Los Muertos, also known as All Souls’ Day or Day of the Dead, on Sunday, November 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The ceremony is dedicated to honor those friends and relatives that have passed away. An outdoor mass will be held at 10:30 AM. 

“It is an honor to invite everyone,” said Brian Kestenblatt, General Manager of Oak Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park “as we welcome, honor and celebrate the memories of our beloved souls. Join us for Mass as we rejoice and observe the mystical beauty and wonder of this ancient spiritual celebration.”

The Mass Service will be held at Our Lady of Guadalupe section of Oak Hill Memorial Park, and will include the traditional sweet bread, coffee, champurrado, live music and ceremonial dances.

The custom of All Saints’ Day and Day of the Dead dates back to 600AD and is a custom that is preceded by Halloween or All Hallow’s Eve.  It has evolved into a ceremonial commemoration.

Oak Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park is located at 300 Curtner Avenue at Monterey Highway in San José.  For more information call 408.297. 2447.

Silicon Valley Unemployment Rate is Dropping

Here's a great stat to start the weekend off with... the local unemployment rate is dropping. Last year the San Jose metropolitan area had an 11% unemployment around this time, in August 2011 it was 10%, and the latest figures have unemployment pegged at 9.6%.  This is compared to a state unemployment rate that currently stands at 11.4%. So in other words, unemployment is dropping in San Jose and our job market is outperforming the California average by almost 2%.

For more info, you know the drill.

SJC - Your high speed gateway to Silicon Valley Video

Brand new video from WMSMedia about SJC:

Oracle is Coming to Downtown San Jose

Oracle has decided to partially occupy the the 380,000sqft Sobrato Tower, which they own thanks to their BEA acquisition. They are currently building out 65,000sqft split between the 3rd, 8th, and 9th floors. This will help decrease Downtown's office vacancy rate and put more feet on the ground in front of San Jose businesses and restaurants.

As a side note, 488 Cafe is a new restaurant on the ground floor of the Sobrato Tower.

For more information on the Oracle move, click here.

San Jose Halloween Attractions 2011

Wondering what to do Halloween weekend? This year we are fortunate to have more Halloween attractions than ever before in the area. Below is a summary of all your major options (click the names to go to the website):

Winchester Mystery House: Curse of Sarah Winchester - San Jose

Easily the most impressive haunted attraction that I have every been to in the Bay Area. It is the only haunt in a location that is creepy in and of itself. Not only does the maze wrap around the world famous Winchester Mystery House, but it incorporates a real pet cemetery as well as various authentic buildings on the property. The props seem like they are straight out of a Hollywood movie and the scares are impressive and unpredictable. The finale in the seance room will blow you away! It may be worth getting the VIP pass because you'll want to do this one more than once. The cost is $20 per person ($30 per person for VIP with multiple entries).

World's Largest Haunted House - San Jose

A massive haunted maze that is actually 2 haunts back to back. The first one is a little bit tame but has great ambiance. The second seems to go on forever and is downright terrifying. Everything is pitch black in the second maze, which gives the staged scenes a lot of extra pop. The cost is $20 per person for both mazes.

Pirates of Emerson - Pleasanton 

The preeminent Bay Area Halloween event for almost 2 decades is returning this year with an another great event. There are 5 haunted mazes this year, a Halloween Carnival (perfect idea for Halloween in the Park), and several other attractions such as a mini-maze and a substantial cornfield maze. This is MUCH MORE intense than Great America, so don't bring your young children to this one. You'll get scares from every angle, including above and below you. The haunts are extraordinarily well done, and they only let in small groups... you'll get what you pay for. The cost is $20 per person, but they are also selling "Monions" which let you access the carnival games and some of the special attractions. Expect to drop $30-35 for a full experience. If anyone from Pirates is reading this, please have a look at the SJ Convention Center or one of the many empty parking lots in Downtown San Jose next year ;)

Halloween Haunt @ California's Great America - Santa Clara

The largest Halloween event in Northern California by a mile. This is the fourth annual Halloween Haunt and maybe the last given the sale of the theme park. There are 6 haunted mazes (only one is new) a single haunted ride, 3 scare zones (one less than last year), and various shows. Most rides worth going on are still open and the roller coasters are being run with all the lights turned off. I hate to say it but this was a huge disappointment this year. Even on opening weekend it was completely packed, they were not spacing out entrances properly so none of the attractions were able to provide good scares, and they really didn't even try to make it bigger or better than last year. The cost is between $25-40 per person.

Swank Farms - Hollister

I didn't do this one this year, but I heard it was great. Instead of doing 2 haunts they have one very large maze (seems to be becoming a trend). The haunt should take 15+ min and incorporates part of their cornfield maze.  The cost is $25 per person.

The Scotts Valley High Haunted House - Scotts Valley

A high school production may seem out of place on this list, but I assure you that this one is 100% worthwhile. As opposed to your typical maze where you have people randomly popping out at you, each year there is a unique story with hundreds of actors, making you truly feel like you're immersed in a horror movie. You can also forget the saying "don't touch the actors and they won't touch you." Past events have included surprises like receiving fake shots, being completely separated from your party, and even wet hands touching the back of your neck while you are in pitch darkness. Insanely scary and much more interactive than any of the major venues. Plus the money connected is donated to charity. One caveat, due to how awesome this haunt is there may be a 2-3 hour wait. At least you'll have the high school dance team dressed up as zombies entertaining you while you wait (and performing Thriller in its entirety every 15min).  The cost is ~$10 per person. Oct 27-29 only, starting at 7pm. 555 Glenwood Dr., Scotts Valley.

A's Buying Parcels in Downtown San Jose

We're still waiting on a decision from Major League Baseball as to whether the A's can move to San Jose, but that isn't stopping Lew Wolf from acquiring all but 2 parcels required to build the 14 acre stadium. Having ownership of the land will give the commission one less reason to prevent the A's from calling San Jose their home.

Fore more info click here.

Google Offers Launches in San Jose

Google Offers has finally launched in San Jose! Their first deal is $15 for $30 worth of food at Sonoma Chicken. The deal is on for another 12 hours or so. If you're interested, just click here.

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Google Offers Beta Launches in Baltimore, Minneapolis, San Diego, and San Jose

We’re on a roll! Today we’re launching Google Offers in four new cities including Baltimore, Minneapolis, San Diego and San Jose. Here’s more on today’s offers in our newest locations:

• In Baltimore the first Google Offer is for Blue Hill Tavern -- “one of Baltimore’s most impressive dining spaces” according to Baltimore Magazine. The artfully designed dishes are as eye-catching as they are palate-pleasing. Enjoy delicious comfort foods and views from the rooftop patio with today’s offer: $15 for $30 worth of food and drinks.
• Visit the acclaimed cultural mecca of the Twin Cities with today’s offer for the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. For $1 you’ll get admission to the MIA’s special exhibition: “Edo Pop: The Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints” (up to $8 value), where you can enjoy the finest of rendered color and texture from the Far East and beyond. The Edo Pop exhibit runs Oct. 30, 2011- Jan. 8, 2012.
• Burgers are on the menu in Sunny San Diego. Our day-one offer is for the famous local eatery, Crazee Burger. Choose from more than 25 creative burger types (including wild boar, ostrich, alligator and more!), fresh salad and savory sweet potato fries. Today’s offer is $10 for $20 toward delicious grub at this favorite local spot.
Enjoy the “best of Silicon Valley” at Sonoma Chicken Coop, which serves up an award-winning combo of fresh fare, fast service, and friendly prices to all corners of Silicon Valley. Grab today’s Google Offer for San Jose and get $30 toward food and drinks for just $15 at participating locations. 

Sweet Tomatoes Grand Opening and Charity Fundraiser

Sweet Tomatoes will be the 5th restaurant to open up at the new @First project bordering 237 and North First Street (Five Guys, Chipotle, Panda Express, and Panera are already open). On November 1st they will  have their official grand opening; however, they have a great concept for a "soft opening" this weekend. On Oct 28th, 29th, and 30th they will be charging only $5 for the buffet. The best part is 100% of that money will go to the American Red Cross Silicon Valley Chapter. It's a promotion where everybody wins! Diners get a substantial discount, money goes to a great cause, and new employees get trained before the grand opening.

I have always been a fan of Sweet Tomatoes. There are on my very short list of favorite chain restaurants and the only buffet I'll eat at outside of Vegas. The @First location is the most upscale I've seen (like most other things in @First... I thought the Panera was going to be a high-end restaurant before the sign went up). Even if you are closer to the Coleman, South San Jose, or Sunnyvale locations, this one is worth checking out. Full details on the fundraiser below:

Sweet Tomatoes Offers Sweet Deal:  $5 All-You-Care-To-Eat at New

North San Jose Location on October 28 – 30

Pre-opening “fun-raiser” to benefit American Red Cross Silicon Valley Chapter

(SAN JOSE) October 21, 2011 – The newest Sweet Tomatoes, located at 4180 N. First St. in the @First Shopping Center is scheduled to open on Tuesday, November 1. To celebrate the grand opening, Sweet Tomatoes has partnered with American Red Cross Silicon Valley Chapter to host a preview fundraiser event on the following dates:

• Friday, October 28, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, October 29, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Sunday, October 30 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

For only $5.00 (five dollars), guests can enjoy Sweet Tomatoes’ 45-foot salad bar full of fresh, seasonal vegetables and tossed salads, made-from-scratch soups and hand-crafted muffins, focaccia, breads and desserts. Sweet Tomatoes will donate 100 percent of the proceeds to the American Red Cross Silicon Valley Chapter, a non-profit, humanitarian organization that depends on the generous contributions of time and money from local Santa Clara County residents and companies to provide services and programs that help our community prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Sweet Tomatoes seeks to be a vital and contributing part of each community in which it operates. To reach this goal, restaurants offer a “Fun-Raiser” program through which charities, churches, schools, athletic teams, scout troops and other non-profit organizations may raise funds by hosting in-store events. The restaurants assist in marketing the non-profit’s event by creating master flyers for distribution and promotion.

Sweet Tomatoes, named one of America’s “Best Chain Restaurants” byParents Magazine, offers a rotating menu of more than 100 original, made fresh dailyrecipes featuring signature salads, soups, bakery goods and hot pasta sauces, at an all-you-care-to-eat price.  All food is prepared without the use of artificial flavors, colors, additives or artificial trans fats. 

Sweet Tomatoes in North San Jose will be open daily from 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. on weekdays, 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. on Sundays beginning on November 1.  For more information visitwww.sweettomatoes.com or call (408) 526-0200. For more information on American Red Cross visit www.siliconvalley-redcross.org.       

About Sweet Tomatoes

Sweet Tomatoes was founded in 1978 in San Diego and currently operates 121 salad buffet-style restaurants across the western, southern and eastern portions of the United States. Sweet Tomatoes cares about what comes out of guests’ wallets and into their bodies by creating an exceptional, all-you-care-to-eat dining experience with a daily selection of made-from-scratch soups and salads and hand-crafted muffins, focaccia, breads and tasty desserts. By combining high-quality, farm-fresh and scratch-made foods for a fixed price, the restaurants provide guests with the freedom to create their own wholesome meals. The restaurant concept is built around fresh prepared, great-tasting recipes with a salad bar full of seasonal vegetables and tossed salads prepared exhibition-style every 20 minutes. Sweet Tomatoes restaurants are open daily for lunch and dinner. For more information, visitwww.sweettomatoes.com.

About American Red Cross Silicon Valley Chapter :

Founded in January 2009 with the merger of the Palo Alto Area and Santa Clara Valley chapters, the American Red Cross Silicon Valley Chapter is a non-profit, humanitarian organization that depends on the generous contributions of time and money from local Santa Clara County residents and companies to provide services and programs that help our community prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Led by volunteers and supported by community donations, your American Red Cross Silicon Valley Chapter is part of a nationwide network of approximately 710 locally supported chapters dedicated to saving lives and helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Weekly Sharks Update: Welcome to the New Season!

Hello, Sharks fans!

As this is my first post of the San Jose Sharks’ 2011-2012 season, welcome to another exciting season of Sharks hockey! For those of you new to my Sharks posts here on The San Jose Blog, during prior seasons, I routinely posted relevant updates (with much more frequent post-game updates during the playoffs). Starting this season, I plan to post updates once per week to provide my Sharks game analysis and to shine light on notable updates to the team and organization. In the near future, I plan to provide video updates for those of you who wish to watch updates provided in that format.

As for my hockey “experience,” besides being a Sharks fan since their inaugural 1991-1992 season, I played in the Magnitogorsk Metallurg hockey development program as a kid (where Evgeni Malkin played), before moving to play D1 hockey in high school, before briefly playing in the WHL (Seattle Thunderbirds). Eventually, I decided to attend Santa Clara University to earn Accounting and English degrees, and am currently limited to playing an “offensive defenseman” role for adult “beer league” play on the weekends.

(Now that I have provided my new introduction, let us jump right into the season!)

As of today, the Sharks stand at 3 (wins) - 3 (losses) - 0 (OT losses), after winning their last two road games against the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins, respectively, to improve their once abysmal 1-3-0 record for the season’s start. During the off-season, the Sharks made a tremendous amount of adjustments, with the purpose of building a team capable of winning the Stanley Cup. Sharks fans are already accustomed to watching a team continually qualifying for the playoffs. While repeated post-season eligibility is good sign, a city with no prior Stanley Cup victories (like San Jose) leaves the fans hungry for more. The fans want to see a winning team. Even though the Sharks have yet to play in a Stanley Cup Final series, appearing there is just going to be another step in the momentum that is bringing the elusive hardware to San Jose for the first time ever.

To assist the Sharks with doing this, General Manager Doug Wilson made several notable changes. During the last two seasons, the fans clamored for “more defense,” and while this issue had partially been addressed during last season (with Ian White, who has since been signed to the Detroit Red Wings), drastic line changed were implemented, in addition to the acquisition of veteran Colin White, and the major trade to acquire defenseman Brent Burns from the Minnesota Wild for fan favorite right winger Devin Setoguchi. The trade came as a shock to most fans, as less than a day prior to the trade, Setoguchi agreed to a three year extension with the Sharks. Burns has already proved to be a real asset so far with his fantastic puck handling, strong defense, and putting up good scoring numbers. From Burns’ days in Minnesota, he was highly regarded for his off-ice activity and charitable contributions as well.

In another move, the Sharks sent Dany Heatley to the Minnesota Wild for Martin Havlat. Havlat had put up similar numbers to Heatley last season and has historically had stellar playoff production, as opposed to Heatley, who many fans saw as underachieving in the post-season (tallying only five goals in the last three post-seasons combined). In addition, it is noted Heatley would have provided a $2.5 million greater salary cap hit per season.

Along with the Burns and Havlat acquisitions, the Sharks acquired Michal Handzus from the Los Angeles Kings, the same player who had been a perennial thorn in the Sharks’ side during the regular season and Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Kings last season. Doug Wilson surely did not forget Handzus from last season.

So far this season, the Sharks have made known their ability to control and shoot the puck, evidenced by their “shot on goal” count (especially in comparison to their opponents), and their shot on goal tally can be even higher if the Sharks can keep many of their non-deflected shots from flying high and wide of the net. Although any high level hockey player can express the importance of shooting the puck at the net, the NHL (as expected) requires shots with greater accuracy and velocity. A dominant shot on net tally, however, can prove to show how well the opposing goaltender is playing. Shots need to be put in the back of the net.

If we can look at it this way, which shots are more effective? Are they the shots from the point (the area near the blue line, where the defenders stand), or the shots up close? Either way, each shot counts as one shot on net, but it is clear the more devastating shots are the ones that are up close.

Shots up close are what made the Anaheim Ducks so deadly when they played the Sharks on Tuesday, the 18th. Veteran forward Teemu Selanne tallied two goals that night (in addition to several shots on net) using the same strategy: by sneaking behind the Sharks’ defense to be in position for his shots. Although getting set up for more lethal scoring opportunities is easier said than done (especially from my “fan’s perspective”), some teams can very effectively clear out the goalie’s crease and slot to keep other players from sneaking in for a point blank shot on net.

If the Sharks can effectively deliver more accurate shots and clear the front of their net, they will prove to be a dominant force this season. The Sharks must execute more accurate shots, not counting the extremely common shot deflections that occur and bouncing/rolling pucks (that are unpredictable for every level of hockey player). I understand that, in most cases, players are attempting to pick corners and ovoid other players when blasting the puck at the net, however that means the players must be quicker at releasing the puck from each of their sticks, and handling/shooting a puck not bouncing around must be on the mark. There are no excuses.

The Sharks have real potential this season, and as I have mentioned before, a playoff entry is all I care about, as far as the regular season goes (besides the Sharks winning at home when I am in attendance for the excitement factor). As for the post season, our weaknesses must be ironed out. If the last year’s Boston Bruins squad can win the Cup, so can the Sharks.

Let us cheer on our team this year – loud and proud! GO SHARKS!

Downtown Condo Crawl Open House + Free Drink at SPSM!

This Saturday from 12-4pm you can check out all of the high-rise condo buildings in Downtown San Jose with free pedicab transportation between each one! If you have ever wondered what living in a high-rise would be like, this would be a good opportunity to get more information and see all of your San Jose options. As an added bonus, if you visit all 3 towers you will get a drink ticket for use at the San Pedro Square Market (complete digression here, but it's really coming along nicely and well worth a visit). 


Fore more info click to enlarge the image below or click here, here, or here. (Come on, I know you want to click all 3!)