Baseball San Jose has NEW A's STADIUM RENDERS!

Our friends over at Baseball San Jose have a killer treat for you today... more stadium renders! My favorites are the first and fourth ones--if you click on them to enlarge, you can get a good feel for the view inside the proposed ballpark. To help make this dream a reality, head on over to Baseball San Jose to find out how you can contribute!

Famous Dave's BBQ Opens First San Jose Location Sep 20th

Yet another famous national chain comes to San Jose! Full details below:

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FAMOUS DAVE’S DEBUTS IN SAN JOSE

Southern California Business Owner Continues Expansion Throughout California

(San Jose, Calif.)—Famous Dave’s, the award-winning Bar-B-Que restaurant known for its barbequed and grilled meats, sandwiches, side items, salads and unique desserts, is opening its first location at 61 Curtner Ave. in San Jose on September 20. The opening will be under the direction of Anand Gala, president and CEO of Gala Corporation, one of the leading privately-owned hospitality and food services companies in the United States, widely recognized as a first-class developer and operator of hospitality and food service assets. Gala Corp operates 27 existing restaurants including Applebee’s and Famous Dave’s BBQ restaurants throughout California.

            “Consumers love the authenticity of Famous Dave’s BBQ. I am excited to bring award-winning flavors and a family-friendly atmosphere to area-residents,” said Gala. “We have some great events planned for the September grand opening; it’s the perfect way to introduce Famous Dave’s into the community.”

In 1994, Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que opened its first restaurant in Hayward, Wisc. and introduced its cuisine to the world. Fifteen years later, the award-winning chain has grown to more than 175 locations. Gala Corporation has plans to continue this trend and expects to open additional restaurants in the next several years with growth coming from its existing brand portfolio and/or other concepts. This will be Gala’s sixth Famous Dave’s location in the California market.

Fresh & Easy Comes to San Jose (Willow Glen)

The first Fresh & Easy Grocery Store in the South Bay is coming early next year to a former Albertsons on the corner of Bird and Minnesota and will be between 13,000 and 14,000sqft. Fresh & Easy Markets focus on fresh and organic foods. Click here for more details.

Our 300th Post!

After 15 months, we're still alive and kicking and on our 300th post! Thank you to all of the SJ enthusiasts out there that make updating this blog worthwhile.

I would also like to extend an invitation out there to anyone that is interested in putting up their own San Jose-related blog posts here OR syndicating their posts from other blogs. If you look to the left or right, you'll notice no ads. This blog's primary goal is advancing San Jose's many attractions, culture, and international visibility--all are welcome to contribute to that goal. Just shoot me an email at josh@thesanjoseblog.com and I'll get you all set up!

San Jose Jazz Festival Breaks Attendance Records, Releases Cool Video

Thanks to Thomas Wohlmut for the tip!

Veggielution Now Part of the Downtown San Jose Farmer's Market!

JoAnn Freda just posted some good news on San Jose Metblogs... Veggielution is now part of the Downtown Farmer's Market! This should hold over fans of San Jose-grown produce until the San Pedro Square Market opens up.

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Produce Doesn’t Get Much More Local than This

By JoAnn Freda

August 19th, 2010 @ 6:17 PM Downtown, Farmer's Market

Veggielution Community Farm is now selling at the Downtown Farmers Market every Friday from 10-2 until December 14 (closed the day after Thanksgiving). This means we now have access to the most local and sustainable produce in San Jose. For two dollars you can buy a beautiful bunch of basil that was picked just two hours before you bought it.

In addition to heirloom tomatoes, Veggielution has a variety of unusual and heritage vegetables which means you may find something you’ve never seen or tried before.

The proceeds from Veggielution’s farmers market stand go to support programs such as Veggie Youth and Family Day. So look for their colorful display of approximately 100 pounds of freshly picked produce that has travelled a total of 3.5 miles to the market.

These satisfied customers are walking away with a Sugar Baby watermelon.

Nice Blog Post RE: The 88

I recently ran into this article on The 88. Interesting read, especially since it is written by a former San Franciscan. Here's my favorite quote: "San Francisco isn’t the only urban option for the Bay Area. San Jose downtown is a newer, cleaner, safer urban option for the Bay Area." Click here for the full post.

Satori Tea - Ribbon Cutting Ceremony!

My new favorite tea shop announced that they are having their ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug 20th at 10:30am! Swing on by to celebrate their opening and enjoy some Free Masala Chai and a 10% discount off tea & teawares.