Palo Alto/San Jose Etc.

[alanamoana]

there's a cute little patisserie at santana row.

Yuck! Everytime I've made a purchase at this place, the product has been stale. And they aren't nice about replacing it with one that isn't.

good to know. i've always walked by and wondered about this place. too bad, because it is a nice location and their product looks good. but we know that looks aren't everything.

Edited July 16, 2006 by alanamoana (log)

[therese]

Okay, possibly desperate situation here. Work dinner this PM in San Jose or area, and though I'd suggested Manresa it looks like they're closed on Monday.

So, lest I end up at Maccaroni Grill (which has happened), where else might I suggest to my hosts?

[alanamoana]

for a work dinner, i'd recommend the left bank. there is a location in santana row. it is bistro/brasserie style food run by roland passot of san francisco's la folie (four star). it is a chain, albeit a small one but might be good to satisfy a group of people with differing tastes. my husband's employers use it often when they take prospective employees out to dinner after an interview.

edited to add link

Edited July 17, 2006 by alanamoana (log)

[therese]

for a work dinner, i'd recommend the left bank.  there is a location in santana row.  it is bistro/brasserie style food run by roland passot of san francisco's la folie (four star).  it is a chain, albeit a small one but might be good to satisfy a group of people with differing tastes.  my husband's employers use it often when they take prospective employees out to dinner after an interview.

edited to add link

←

What I'm looking for here is not food that will be acceptable to a group of people with differing tastes, but to me, the picky VIP they're entertaining. The other guests either are or considerable themselves to be very food-savvy, but the fact that the local guy (who lives near Los Gatos) hadn't heard of Manresa is of concern. And my past experiences dining with him have done nothing to allay that concern.

[alanamoana]

well, based on your food blog:

a) i should have known that this would be a trick question since you didn't give any of those details in your first post

b) i should make this a quiz for you to figure out the answer on your own

c) allow you to do the research, since you know all the answers...

d) suggest something a little more ethnic of which there is a lot in this area

there's a huge population of chinese in the san jose, milpitas, cupertino, santa clara area...i don't know where you're conducting business, but if they would have been willing to drive to los gatos for dinner, maybe they'd consider milpitas? there is a chinese strip mall that has several good restaurants one called darda (i think) that serves really good islamic chinese food. casual, but something different and interesting.

there are (as posted above) some really above average indian restaurants in the area as they are the second largest immigrant group in the area.

since you're the picky vip, what are you in the mood for?!

[robyn]

seeing as i'm an unemployed pastry chef, i don't buy much.  samgiovese was teasing me because when i first moved here i walked to the mall from my apartment, thinking it was only a fifteen minute drive...so it couldn't be too far, right?  well, it turned out to be five miles each way! 

there's a cute little patisserie at santana row...haven't tried their stuff yet.  also a pretty famous pastry chef opened a little place in los gatos (a twenty minute drive at the most), near manresa, called fleur de cocoa.

lots of options!  pm me for contact information if you'd like company 

←

Last time I went to Los Angeles - I stayed at the Four Seasons - which was just around the corner from about a mile of great walking looking at furniture/design stores. The weather was gorgeous - so I walked - and people looked at me like I had 2 heads .

We have decided to go to Manresa one night (sounds like the kind of place that we *must* do if we're in the neighborhood). Otherwise - I will print out this thread - and we will just kind of hang loose - a lot of the places mentioned don't seem like they need far in advance reservations (especially during the week - when we'll be there).

FWIW - I've been to the local book store - and looked at a lot of travel books. There is almost nothing written about this area! Best I found was the Green Michelin guide to the San Francisco area - which had a lot more coverage than most. Too bad the last version was published in 2001 - and the next edition won't be out until December 2006. Guess "old news" is better than "no news".

Also - we did decide to stay at the Four Seasons (some of the other hotels mentioned were sold out or otherwise wouldn't work). It's like some other Four Seasons properties we've stayed it - more or less a business hotel. No views - golf courses or beaches to die for. But it should be fine.

I will check on the wineries (I noticed in one of the books I checked out at the bookstore that getting to some in the hilly areas wasn't a piece of cake (bad mountainous roads etc.). Being from Florida - we are not too fond of mountain driving!

<<On a related note: if you're from an actual, thriving and multidimensional urban area, PA itself, while lovely in some ways and more interesting than most tighty-whitey suburbs (and certainly not dangerous, difficult, or dirty, for God's sake) is not exactly a hotbed of new or interesting culture unless you get a bit off the beaten path.>>

I don't live in any place like that - I live in a rather nice suburban area in northeast Florida. Not at all ashamed of it either. While I love the great cities of the world (most recent trip to a great city - Tokyo - was fabulous) - I can understand why a lot of people in the US live in places like the one where I live after my trip to San Francisco last year (we had a very nice trip - but I don't think one should have to be extremely careful to avoid stepping in vomit to have a good urban experience - having read the local papers - seemed to me that I'm not the only one who thinks this). I've never seen any city/town in this particular area of California - will probably get around to a fair number of them - and will let you know what I think. I look at this part of California as a place where a lot of people actually live and work. I therefore find it much more interesting than a place like Napa/Sonoma (have been there before) - which is kind of a Disneyworld for people who fancy themselves wine lovers. Robyn

[Stu-i-moto]

I will check on the wineries (I noticed in one of the books I checked out at the bookstore that getting to some in the hilly areas wasn't a piece of cake (bad mountainous roads etc.).  Being from Florida - we are not too fond of mountain driving!

FYI - Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards (in the hills above Cupertino) won a James Beard award this year for outstanding wine and spirits professional. You could give that a try as well - they are well-known for having particpated in the 30th anniversary of the "Judgment of Paris." See below for a synopsis -

1976 Paris Tasting Rematch

May 24, 2006

On the 30th Anniversary of the Judgment of Paris tasting, the original wines were tasted blind by expert panels simultaneously in Napa and London. The 1971 Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon earned the top rating by both panels.

"Judges on both continents gave top honours to a 1971 Ridge Monte Bello cabernet...." The Times Online

"The Ridge Monte Bello was my top wine ­ warm and spicy with no sign of age, as fragrant as a fine Bordeaux, elegant and beautifully balanced." The Independent

"A 1971 Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet from Napa received the highest praise." BBC News

"When the results were combined, the 1971 Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon from the Santa Cruz Mountains finished first,..." San Francisco Chronicle

"Judging panels on both sides of the Atlantic declared the 1971 Ridge Monte Bello, a wine from the hills above Cupertino, the best wine in the tasting." Mercury News (free registration required)

[therese]

since you're the picky vip, what are you in the mood for?!

←

The picky VIP was in the mood for something great. I've been on the road now since Thursday night (in Bethesda the first few days) and am growing tired of less than great food.

Since Manresa was closed Monday night and I didn't have time to do any research I just went with the flow, and we ended up at Lion and Compass. Food better than I expected (watermelon gazpacho, salmon with potstickers, very good berries), service painfully slow, decor old school and not necessarily in a good way.

Better than most of the meals I've had in the San Jose area over the years.

[alanamoana]

The picky VIP was in the mood for something great. I've been on the road now since Thursday night (in Bethesda the first few days) and am growing tired of less than great food.

Since Manresa was closed Monday night and I didn't have time to do any research I just went with the flow, and we ended up at Lion and Compass. Food better than I expected (watermelon gazpacho, salmon with potstickers, very good berries), service painfully slow, decor old school and not necessarily in a good way.

Better than most of the meals I've had in the San Jose area over the years.

←

thanks for taking my post with a grain (or two) of salt! unfortunately, there are decent restaurants here, but i don't think there is much that is great.

actually, if you like steak, alexander's steakhouse is pretty darn good. i would say on the level with new york steakhouses. just avoid the desserts. their menu concept is a little different as they sort of fuse the steakhouse concept with high end sushi...haven't tried the sushi though. but i have seen lots of japanese and other asian businessmen eating there.

edited to add: for what it's worth, the left bank would probably have been a decent choice if you like french bistro style food. i don't think that it is much lower on the scale than bouchon in yountville.

Edited July 18, 2006 by alanamoana (log)

[Genny]

Robyn,

If you are going to Manresa anyway, go a few hours early to walk around Los Gatos. I've not seen much written on it in this post but it is a quaint old-school town that is a bit hip and has a lot of old money. I always loved hanging out there for an afternoon there. There are the ubiquitious chain stores but there are also a ton of cute independant places as well to poke around.

Enjoy! Please be sure to update this with a report of your experience, I'd love a shot of home .

Genny

[therese]

thanks for taking my post with a grain (or two) of salt!  unfortunately, there are decent restaurants here, but i don't think there is much that is great.

←

Heh heh.

edited to add: for what it's worth, the left bank would probably have been a decent choice if you like french bistro style food. i don't think that it is much lower on the scale than bouchon in yountville.

Info stored for future reference.

I was supposed to have dined with my brother and his family last PM, but they ended up with some extra family obligations last PM, so that's been switched to Thursday.

So last night ended up going out with some people from my meeting here, all of them on fairly tight budgets and widely varying tastes (all meat vs no meat vs delicate tummy). We ended up at a north Indian place in (I think) Rivermark Village called Mezbaan. Better than I'd expected, though they were out of ras malai, so no dessert. And the tandoori chicken tikka was entirely forgettable. Very good mutter paneer and bhangan bharta.

Tonight will be somewhere in downtown San Jose with somebody whose taste I trust. I'll report back.

[dvs]

The picky VIP was in the mood for something great. I've been on the road now since Thursday night (in Bethesda the first few days) and am growing tired of less than great food.

Since Manresa was closed Monday night and I didn't have time to do any research I just went with the flow, and we ended up at Lion and Compass. Food better than I expected (watermelon gazpacho, salmon with potstickers, very good berries), service painfully slow, decor old school and not necessarily in a good way.

Better than most of the meals I've had in the San Jose area over the years.

←

thanks for taking my post with a grain (or two) of salt! unfortunately, there are decent restaurants here, but i don't think there is much that is great.

actually, if you like steak, alexander's steakhouse is pretty darn good. i would say on the level with new york steakhouses. just avoid the desserts. their menu concept is a little different as they sort of fuse the steakhouse concept with high end sushi...haven't tried the sushi though. but i have seen lots of japanese and other asian businessmen eating there.

edited to add: for what it's worth, the left bank would probably have been a decent choice if you like french bistro style food. i don't think that it is much lower on the scale than bouchon in yountville.

←

apples and oranges...

[alanamoana]

apples and oranges...

←

in what way? according to the french laundry web site:

"The French word "bouchon" describes a particular style of cafe that has existed in the province of Lyon for centuries. Bouchon, opened in 1998, lives up to this designation, offering authentic French bistro fare of a quality not to be found elsewhere in the United States."

from what i can see, at least in the united states, bistro and brasserie are terms used interchangeably to mean a relatively casual french restaurant serving some common food items like: steak frites, frisse salad, french onion soup, etc.

i haven't eaten at left bank (but my husband has), and we have both eaten at bouchon...i think they fall into the same category as restaurants like balthazar, l'express, etc. that you can find in nyc. just because it is thomas keller, doesn't mean it can't be compared to other restaurants of the same ilk. and to be honest, i didn't find the service, food or atmosphere so rarefied at bouchon (unlike the french laundry, i'm sure) that it could be held above left bank to the degree of a comparison being "apples and oranges"...

to beat a dead horse, their menus are very similar and they are both multi-location endeavors.

Edited July 20, 2006 by alanamoana (log)

[dvs]

apples and oranges...

←

in what way? according to the french laundry web site:

"The French word "bouchon" describes a particular style of cafe that has existed in the province of Lyon for centuries. Bouchon, opened in 1998, lives up to this designation, offering authentic French bistro fare of a quality not to be found elsewhere in the United States."

from what i can see, at least in the united states, bistro and brasserie are terms used interchangeably to mean a relatively casual french restaurant serving some common food items like: steak frites, frisse salad, french onion soup, etc.

i haven't eaten at left bank (but my husband has), and we have both eaten at bouchon...i think they fall into the same category as restaurants like balthazar, l'express, etc. that you can find in nyc. just because it is thomas keller, doesn't mean it can't be compared to other restaurants of the same ilk. and to be honest, i didn't find the service, food or atmosphere so rarefied at bouchon (unlike the french laundry, i'm sure) that it could be held above left bank to the degree of a comparison being "apples and oranges"...

to beat a dead horse, their menus are very similar and they are both multi-location endeavors.

←

ok.... to each their own i guess. but i have eaten at both. the food quality at LB is seriously lacking and the service far from professional. whereas at bouchon, the food is great & the service wonderful.

but again, to each their own.

[ludja]

...

Are there wineries in the general area (I think I recall seeing a reference to the J Lohr winery)?  My husband likes to go to wineries - but I don't think we want to make a 150+ mile round trip to Napa.  Robyn

←

There are several wineries near Cupertino, Saratoga & Los Gatos:

Ridge Winery is on Montebello Rd. in Cupertino, as is the historic Picchetti Winery. In the Saratoga hills, you'll find the Cooper-Garrod Winery, and in Los Gatos, there's the Jensen's Testarossa Winery.

Also, in the Santa Cruz mountains just south of Los Gatos are David Bruce Winery and Byington Winery, both on Bear Creek Rd. off Hwy 17.

For a more complete list, check out this link.

←

...

I will check on the wineries (I noticed in one of the books I checked out at the bookstore that getting to some in the hilly areas wasn't a piece of cake (bad mountainous roads etc.).  Being from Florida - we are not too fond of mountain driving!

...

←

Sangiovese has some good winery recs. The wineries that do not require a lot of mountain driving and are located pretty close to one another are:

Testarrossa

Pichetti

and another not mentioned,

Savannah-Chenelle (up route 9 a little west of downtown Saratoga).

I just went to Savannah-Chenelle for the first time and they have a suprisingly beautiful collection of pinot noirs.

Cooper Garrod involves a little "more driving" but is still pretty accessible and is close to Pichetti.

If I only picked three and wanted to avoid mountain driving I would go to Testarossa, Pichetti and Savannah-Chenelle.

Ridge Winery is close to Pichetti but you do have to drive up a windy mountain road for another 2 miles or so. That being said, if you're willing to drive more out of they way for one winery this is well worith it--world class Zinfandels, Cabernet Sauvignon and an excellent Santa Cruz Mountain Chardonnay. The views fromteh winery are stupendous of the entire Bay and East Coast Mountains. On a clear day you can see SF and Oakland. They have a beautiful picnic area on their overlook as well. You could start with this winery first and bring a picnic lunch for after your tasting... Sharing tastings isn't a bad idea either.

If you plan on spending any time in the Santa Cruz area there are two good wineries that also do not involve Santa Cruz Mountain driving--Storrs Winery in Santa Cruz and Bonny Doon, a little north of Santa Cruz off of Hwy 1. (I like David Bruce quite a bit but the drive might be a little intimidating for those not used to it.).

As an aside on Santa Cruz, we happened to be there on a Thursday recently and really enjoyed their Farmer's Market which is downtown in the early evening.

If you happen to be up on Skyline Blvd (the ridge road that travels the length of the Santa Cruz Mountains) a very nice winery to check out is Thomas Fogarty Winery. Nice gewurtztraminer and pinot noir. The last chardonnay we tasted there was nice as well; not heavily oaked. THe winery and tasting room are beautiful and also have great views of the valley. The easiest road to get up on Skyline are Hwy 92 (which is farther north). Hwy 84 is the next easiest.

Palo Alto has a nice Farmer's Market on Saturday's. Sunnyvale has a smaller market on Saturday's also in their downtown area. Sunnyvale has a couple of great food vendors as well--Esther's Bakery with excellent German pastries made with butter. (Some of the best commercial pastry I've ever had) and a great tamale stand. Mountain View has a very nice Farmer's Market on Sundays.

Edited July 20, 2006 by ludja (log)

[therese]

Dinner last PM at Teske's Germania. I like German food and can't get it easily back home in Atlanta, so this option was fine with me, despite the heat this week in San Jose. We ate outside in the garden, right next to the fountain, where I found the occasional splash distracting but cooling.

Dinner is pretty much a set menu: soup (vichyssoise on this hot evening was nice, but was too salty and tastes a lot like the instant Knorr version), salad (very nice, with various sorts of cabbage, etc. dressed with a very light dill dressing), main, and apple strudel for dessert (entirely forgettable).

My main was sauerbraten, served with red cabbage and either spatzle or potato dumpling. I chose the latter. It was all fine, though not spectacular.

My dining partner chose the special of stuffed pork chop, served with scalloped potatoes and, um, chili. Chili with ground meat and beans. The server had originally described the side as asparagus, so did manage to scrounge some up for him after he'd ordered it and was unwilling to take the chili instead. He said it was fine.

My last dinner in San Jose will be this evening, with family.

[alanamoana]

My dining partner chose the special of stuffed pork chop, served with scalloped potatoes and,  um, chili. Chili with ground meat and beans.

My last dinner in San Jose will be this evening, with family.

←

chili with a pork chop...that's a little odd and un-german, eh?

i hope your last meal in town is a good one. the weather has been a bit unbearable, but not as humid as hotlanta, right?

[MaxH]

... I just went with the flow, and we ended up at Lion and Compass. Food better than I expected (watermelon gazpacho, salmon with potstickers, very good berries), service painfully slow, decor old school and not necessarily in a good way.

1. Thanks for the report! Plenty history in that place. Original purpose-built "power lunch" venue in silicon valley starting about two booms ago, with little competition indeed. Even had a stock-ticker display near the bar. Opened by Nolan Bushnell of Atari fame; appears in 1986 edition of the SF Chronicle's restaurant-reviews book. Busy in the early-middle 1990s: you'd see Bushnell, other local industry celebrities, negotiations over lunch. Got serious competition from Birk's down the highway, when that opened.

2. Thanks alanamoana for reprising relevant threads promptly here. This Bay Area subregion, population some 3 million, actually is rich in diverse, unique modest to upper-middle level restaurants, often ethnic, but they are scattered all over. With some concentrations like Downtown Mountain View (84 restaurants currently, within four-block radius) and the Willow Glen district of San José (does it have an online index too? Please post, anyone).

This far-flung region commands periodic threads, I wish we could collect the articles in one place for the queries that arise, because many people travel through, or come for business, school, etc. (The old Bay Area Restaurant Guide site, 1994-1997, collected them like that.) Even the necessary search terms are far-flung.

3. Consistently excellent insightful honest French brasserie eating just recently at Le Petit Bistro, Mountain View near Palo Alto, 1405 West El Camino Real (650 964 3321, dinners 5:30-9:30 PM). I think it's been mentioned here before but wow. This is a family-owned modest French restaurant that sticks to its knitting. French-born second generation has run it for years, local regulars support it. Unpretentious cuisine bourgeoise done with taste and integrity. Everything sang: A-la-carte specials of mussels with a Pernod "tomato" sauce. (I suggested change in specials board wording: "tomato sauce" implies thick puree to many; this was a spicy Mediterranean sauce almost as for a bouillabaisse, with some tomato in it and finely diced aromatic vegetables.) The sauce was a main part of the dish. With some bread, a meal in itself. Then special of crab tartlettes, delicate, little cheese sauce, small. Special of beef filet "bourguignon" (I asked and yes, stewed filet! -- marinated in advance with wine and aromatics, French-style). Sounded good, was better. With pauses to digest (server even brought up the trou Normand ritual for such situations but Calvados unavailable) onion soup followed by simple French-style leaf salad with tart mustard vinaigrette, garnished by three piles of shredded root vegetables of different colors, some lightly dressed, some not. Very European (cold vegetable salads are more common there than in US, unlike 100 years ago I gather). Anyway no room for any desserts alas. Books scattered on the tables: on crêpes, Bocuse, etc. I've dined at this place a few times and noticed this time the sequence of "on" dishes at moderate price. Food like a Sunday dinner in a warm French family home. Check it out.

(Edited to garnish the salad.)

Edited August 11, 2006 by MaxH (log)

[alanamoana]

MaxH,

Le Petit Bistro sounds like our kind of place. We'll definitely check it out. Although we only moved here about six months ago, we're enjoying it immensely. A bit nervous at first because we were coming from New York City (NEW YORK CITY?!) and even though I had lived in San Francisco, we weren't sure what to expect. We've been pleasantly surprised on just about every count.

As soon as my husband can get down to a normal work schedule, we'll be checking out all kinds of restaurants.

Thanks for your informative post.

Alana

[MaxH]

Thanks alanamoana. Within the US it's hard to imagine a metropolitan restaurant scene to compare with NYC's. The range, the standards, the vibrancy. On the Pacific coast, historically the largest population center until 70 years after the Gold Rush was San Francisco (constrained to a tiny fraction of the land of Manhattan). The region in this thread is younger still, and highly suburban. But also vibrant, and motivated people accomplish remarkable gastronomy. You have to drive, though.

[robyn]

I'm from Florida. I drive everywhere . Has anyone here been to Marche in Menlo Park? What do you think about it? Robyn

[samgiovese]

Robyn:

Yes, we've been there a few times. I think you'd like it, and you know what kind of food we like! It's a small, chef-driven place with a GREAT wine list. If you have time during your visit, I think it would be a great choice.

[MaxH]

Here are notes accumulated, last couple years, on two high-end restaurants of the six or eight well established in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties (all have now been mentioned on this forum); three French brasseries, one of them (Left Bank) in the form of a chain; and a new restaurant, Quattro. (By the way, I started posting Internet notes on Bay Area restaurants 20-some years ago. After eventually moving to the particular region of this thread, it took time to fully realize how many good, unique restaurants it does have. They're far-flung in both style and geography.)

Marché (chef Howard Bulka, www.restaurantmarche.com) is in downtown Menlo Park. I've had several small and large dinners there last several years and characterize Bulka's style as elegant comfort food. For instance, one time for a group "gastronomic" dinner around certain serious wines he made oversized (4-inch square?) duck-breast raviolis drizzled with meat juices, counterposed to bitter greens and a mound of God damned garlic puree. (Animally satisfying, with a rich red wine.) That's what I mean by elegant comfort food. Bulka told me that to make this dish he must sacrifice at least one raviolum to check the cooking, and therefore needs multiple people to order it, and it's not on his menu, but he'd do it for, say, four people or more, given advance arrangement. Also I and a friend had an interesting experience there when one of the region's great wine collectors dropped in, but that's another story of little service to the question.

231 Ellsworth, downtown San Mateo (off third) and a good value, established itself well last decade then went through a reconstitution early this decade. You may occasionally run into, say, Clive Coates there (the British writer on wines of Burgundy).

Hip and businesslike and new to Palo Alto this year is Quattro in the new Four Seasons hotel, part of an exotic circular complex at the old Whisky Gulch. I was at a banquet function there earlier this year with special "theme" food, and they did it very well. Chef was from the Milan area. Many Europeans work there. The bathroom was so stylish as to be humorously awkward (sink a huge very shallow porcelain square, hard to reach the fixtures.) Being a new enterprise of an upstart chain (the WSJ reported recently something about Four Seasons taking market share from the Ritz-Carlton, in high-end chain hotel business) the personnel were understandably eager and professional.

Local Frenchoid brasserie chain Left Bank, which opened additional locations the last couple years in Santana Row and San Mateo, sticks to formula recipes, some of which tend to be unusually sweet (e.g., onion soup) or bland. I've been now to maybe 20 dinners and lunches including most of the locations more than once. Best experiences at Santana Row and San Mateo. Had, for instance at Santana Row, very finely done shellfish (prawns, mussels) with citrus zests and Pernod, and a devastating tarte Tatin of caramelized apples and leaf pastry, for those fortunate not to fill up on savory courses. (The kitchen's sweet touch works well there.) Moderate price points are part of the format, which includes well-known French food-wine posters (Santé, gaieté, espérance!) and Real Grammatical French on menus though some staff struggle over its pronunciation which is a little incongruous. On the other hand a couple of dinners at Santana Row had gross mechanistic problems. Wine glasses were brought to the table greasy, dusty, and fingerprinted at one business dinner; then a big food-wine organization's banquet became a comedy of service problems and sustained confusion. I've had other, detailed reports of bizarre service problems there. For independent, lovingly done casual French food I'd instantly choose Le Petit Bistro, upthread, or Brigitte's in Santa Clara (www.brigittescuisine.com .) Each is small, independent, consistent, unpretentious, has French cooks and servers, and is no more expensive.

[Misplaced_Texan]

  Consistently excellent insightful honest French brasserie eating just recently at Le Petit Bistro

←

Wanted to say that I too have had nothing but wonderful experiences with Le Petit Bistro. A coworker lives very close to it and recommended I give it a shot. The wife and I have had delicious food every time we visit.

Edited August 16, 2006 by Misplaced_Texan (log)

[MaxH]

... San Jose isn't exactly full of good places to eat -  there are some good Indian and Vietnamese places, and a great Falafel place, most of the other places I've been in the area are mediocre.

Hi Melkor. Can you recall any more specifics of the places you liked and did not like?

Downtown SJ, to take just part of a sprawling town, is known locally for its range of restaurant offerings (see Supplement below). As a local office-building and entertainment area, the downtown has a concentration of middle to upper-middle restaurants used for business dining and before or after shows. Here are some examples of that description from my own notes, where I've had multiple good experiences:

A. P. Stump’s, downtown San José (408 292 9928)

-- Began, 1999, high-end, in remodeled Masson pre-Prohibition sparkling-wine building. Switched or repositioned to chop-house theme, post-dotcom.

Eulipia, downtown San José (408 280 6161)

-- Many ownership changes over the years, but some good large events there

Il Fornaio, downtown San José only (Hyatt Sainte Claire, 408 271 3366)

-- Italian brasserie; a distinctive entry in a small chain; program of visiting Italian chefs with different local cuisines, announced in a newsletter.

La Pastaia, De Anza Hotel, downtown San José (408 286 8686)

71 Saint Peter, downtown San José (408 971 8523)

-- One of the San Pedro Square cluster (like AP Stumps and Spiedo)

Note that San Pedro Square is one downtown commercial block. Its Web Site lists 18 restaurants there.

--

Supplement: The following list of 78 downtown San José restaurants within walking distance (comparable to the denser 84 currently in Mountain View's small-town downtown) is obsolete. Newspaper and travel sites have more current lists. But it at least suggests the diversity.

Abigail's Pub

Andale Taqueria

Beck's Downtown Cafe

Boudin Sourdough Bakery and Cafe

Ca Mau Restaurant

Cafe Fame

California Sushi and Grill

Casa Castillo

C'est Bon

Charlie's Diner

Chez Croissant

China Wok

Chinatown Seafood Restaurant

City Cafe and Deli

Crepe Shoppe

Dac Phuc Restaurant

DiMattia's Pizza and Pasta Cafe

Don Pedro's

Downtown Tobacco and News

El Maghreb Moroccan Restaurant

El Paraiso

Emile's

Eulipia

Fat Cat's Pizza on Wheels

Flo's Char-Co Grill

Fountain Restaurant, Fairmont Hotel

The Freshly Baked Eatery

Garden City Market

Gerard's Club Jazz

Gervais

Goldie's Barbecue

Gordon Biersch Brewery and Restaurant

Grande Pizzeria

Henry's Hi-Life

Hoagie's Food and Beverage Company

Hochburg von Germania

Horn of Africa

House of Pizza

Hung Ky Restaurant

Infiniti

La Pastaia

La Taqueria

Las Cazuelas

Lee's Sandwiches

Little King

Marisco's Inda No. 2

Marsugi's Bar and Grill

Mini Club Restaurant

O! Deli

The Old Spaghetti Factory

Original Joe's

Pagoda Restaurant, Fairmont Hotel

The Parrot Restaurant, Holiday Inn

Peking House Restaurant

Phoenix Espresso Cafe

Pierce's Coffee Shop

Pizza A Go Go

Pho Hien Vietnamese Restaurant

Quoc Te Restaurant

Rue de Paris

Sal and Luigi Pizzeria

Scott's Seafood Grill and Bar

Second Street Deli

Silver Max

Sizzler

Subway Sandwiches

Sweet Darling Cafe

Teske's Germania Restaurant and Bar

Thanh Huong Sandwich Shop

Thanh Huonz

Thepthai Thai Cuisine

Tico's Tacos

Tio Nacho

Trieu Chau Restaurant

Trine's Cafe #2

Victorian Garden Restaurant

Wok Express

Yeung's Sung Yuan Restaurant