The San Jose Blog: April Dishcrawl Recap

May 3, 2011 5:17 pm

San Jose Dishcrawl: Restaurant Row Here We Go

This is our biggest turn out yet with 150 food lovers converging in San Jose on Restaurant Row! We are so excited to see that so many neighbors near and far come together to experience the food adventure around San Fernando Street. We hit five delicious stops for this outing of Dishcrawl discovery, starting at The 88 for a wine reception and tours of the residences and sweeping views of San Jose.

The entertainment lounge at The 88 was a sweet way to start off; especially with tasty treats offered by Color Me Sweet and Li’l Puffs! There were delectable marshmallows in various flavors from Linda at Li’l Puffs. The dessert bar from Color Me Sweet included dark chocolate and strawberries & cream macaroonsas well as mini lemon bars, brownie bites, raspberry truffle fudge and cookies & cream fudge.

The night was young as we all gathered in the lobby of The 88 and split up into three different groups to begin our dining adventure. The rotations of groups started in different places but we all got to taste the same great food. We begun atOaxacan Kitchen food truck which serves authentic Mexican cuisine. Chef Ron served tamale verde and mole negro with mild and fresh flavors that make taste buds yearn for more. To top it off, a light and fluffy churro that just melts in your mouth.

Off to Whipps Frozen Fruit and Frozen Fruits and Desserts to see Illya for a palate cleanser! Samples of whipped frozen fruit were passed out as we were told that these creamy dreamy treats were made with no cream and no added sugar. What a refreshing and healthy delight!

Next we moseyed across the street to talk with the owner of Fahrenheit Restaurant and Lounge, Danny. With the menu featuring modern global cuisine, Chef Christopher gave Dishcrawlers a great sampling experience by not only letting us taste but also see demonstrations of the food. A beautiful orchid caprese salad, flavorful wild herb crusted mahi, and tasty lamb tagine really satisfied all the senses to heighten the dining experience in the lounge.

Loft Bar and Bistro was the last stop of our restaurant row journey. Manager Armando set out a buffet of pickings on the second floor patio for us to enjoy. There were many items we got to try and among the stand-outs were calamari, Chinese chicken salad, and vegetable stir-fry. The group seating and open air stirred up great conversations to end the night!