San Jose is getting a new signature cocktail

Rollati Ristorante, one of Downtown San Jose's top restaurants, is introducing San Jose's first signature drink. It's called the San Jose Sour and includes not one, but two local products.

The main spirit is 10th St. Distillery's triple cask single malt whiskey called Dragon Plus. This is a local San Jose company with several award winning products and the spirit is even distilled in San Jose.

The second ingredient is Alamitos Vineyard's award-winning estate Hawk Eye Syrah, which is grown and produced in South San Jose.

The drink also has lemon juice, simple syrup, egg whites and a few dashes of Angostura bitters. You can enjoy it at Rollati right now and hopefully it will be available at some of their sister restaurants like Left Bank, LB Steak, or Meso. If you want to try to make this cocktail at home, below are the ingredients and directions.

THE SAN JOSÉ SOUR

Ingredients

1 ½ ounces 10th Street Distillery, American Whiskey, Triple Cask, STR Single Malt, San Jose, CA

¾ ounces Alamitos Vineyards, Syrah, Hawk Eye Estate Grown, Santa Clara County, CA

1 ounce lemon juice

¾ ounces simple syrup

1 egg white

4 dashes Angostura bitters, “Aromatic,” Trinidad & Tobago

Directions

1. Add whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white into shaker

2. Shake with ice and strain back into tin

3. Reverse dry shake

4. Double strain over coupe glass

5. Float Hawk Eye Syrah

6. Garnish with Filthy Black Cherry and Angostura bitters

Hobee's Restaurant and Beer Garden is now open in Downtown San Jose

San Jose's newest Hobee's sits in a blue Victorian that used to be Ludwig's German Table. It also has one feature that no other Hobee's has, a beer garden. This element of the menu will open in 2025, but diners can already enjoy the breakfasts and coffeecakes that Hobee's is known for.

The current seating capacity is 65 on the inside and up to 140 outdoors. The new location is planning to play a strong role in the community and is already getting repeat customers and regulars.

Hobee's Restaurant and Beer Garden is located at 261 N. Second Street and is currently open from 8am to 2pm, Tuesday through Sunday. Those hours should expand in 2025. 

Source: The Mercury News

Rollati had added an Italian Mercato to Downtown San Jose

Rollati was my favorite new restaurant opening in Downtown San Jose for 2023. It brough upscale Italian cuisine to the City Hall neighborhood, nestled under the two MIRO high-rises across the street from the City Hall Rotunda. Now they have added a cute little Italian store with groceries and gifts on the side of the restaurant.

They're stocking pastas, cheeses, olives, salads, and an assortment of beverages. It's one more reason to check out an already exceptional restaurant.

Source: 408Nate on X

Eos & Nyx is now open!

The most highly anticipated restaurant in Downtown San Jose for 2024 is now open. Eos & Nyx is the new flagship venue from the proprietors of Original Gravity, Still OG, Alter Ego, Miniboss, and Paper Plane. It takes up 4,000 SQFT across two stories in what used to be the Camera 12 building in Downtown San Jose, and the restaurant looks stunning. It is part of the Paseo Project also brough us Urban Putt earlier this year. This project is quickly transforming this part of Downtown San Jose in the best way possible.

The vibe is described as chic and sophisticated. It looks like careful attention has been provided to every detail. The restaurant has 20-foot-high ceilings, indoor trees, and custom furniture. There is even a lit conveyor belt of spirits. I'm not entirely sure how the conveyor belt will work but I can't wait to find out.

The menu is upscale Mediterranean with influences from many different cultures. Some of the dinner items include prawns in a Moroccan tagine stew, octopus, kofta beef & lamb meatballs, pappardelle duck, tagliatelle lobster with beurre blanc sauce and caviar, bone in pork chops, and lamb chops. The cocktails are going to be the high-end craft variety they are known for at their other establishments.

Hours are Tues-Wed from 5pm-9pm, Fri-Sat from 10am-2pm and 5pm-10pm, and Sunday (brunch) from 9am-3pm. These will likely be expanded after the soft opening period.

You can find Eos & Nyx conveniently located at 201 S. Second Street. It's impossible to miss as you drive or take a Light Rail down second.

Source: SiliconValley.com

San Jose's first and only Michelin Star restaurant is coming back!

A little Portuguese restaurant in East San Jose called Adega made history years ago as the first San Jose restaurant to earn a Michelin Star. For a time is was also the only Portuguese restaurant in the United States to have a star. From there, the owners created several additional successful restaurants including Petiscos in SoFA and Pastelaria on Santa Clara Street. Sadly, they decided to turn Adega into a second Petiscos location at the start of 2024. Petiscos is excellent, but Adega was next level.

Now, after many requests to bring back Adega they are doing just that. Starting tomorrow, November 15th, the restaurant will go back to a multi-course tasting menu. The cost will start at $125 per person, which is pricey but by no means insane for this caliber of restaurant. They also have the largest Portuguese wine list of any restaurant in the US and you better believe they have amazing wine pairing options to go with each course. 

I loved Adega and am thrilled to see it return. If you are ready to make reservations for the most decorated restaurant in San Jose, head over here.

Source: SVBJ

El Cabron Kitchen & Cantina

The Downtowner has a plug for El Cabron this week, which is one of Downtown San Jose's newer Mexican restaurants. It has a fun vibe and central location close to Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Below is the description of the restaurant in the newsletter:

"Looking for great food, fantastic vibes, and a true taste of Downtown San Jose’s vibrant energy? El Cabron Cantina & Kitchen is the place to be! Known for its authentic Mexican cuisine, craft cocktails, and an atmosphere that buzzes with excitement, this lively spot has quickly become a favorite among locals and visitors alike.

What sets El Cabron apart isn’t just its mouthwatering dishes—it’s the electric mix of fun, flavor, and community spirit. From casual diners to foodies seeking something special, everyone is welcomed with open arms, adding to the dynamic pulse of downtown.

Ready to experience it for yourself? Head over to El Cabron Cantina & Kitchen and see why it’s quickly becoming one of Downtown San Jose’s hottest spots. Whether you're looking to grab a bite or simply soak in the energy, this is the place to be!"

El Cabron Kitchen & Cantina is located at 155 W. San Fernando and open until 1:30am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Source: The Downtowner

Eos & Nyx is getting closer to opening

The most highly anticipated new restaurant and bar in Downtown San Jose right now is Eos & Nyx. This is being done by the same owners of Miniboss, Paper Plane, Still O.G., and Alter Ego. It's a flagship two-story restaurant and bar in the building that used to house Camera 12 (Urban Putt is in there as well).

I was walking by and not only was there furniture, but they were testing the mechanical system on the 2nd floor that opens the windows. Look at that glorious patio space on the ground floor! 

It was supposed to open this year, but that might still be a bit of a stretch. Below are the spy shots followed by the latest renders.

Paleta Planeta now open in Downtown San Jose

The highly anticipated Paleta Planet officially opened over the weekend. The new shop specializes in unique popsicles like the Astro (mix of guava, horchata, and watermelon), Aguacate Coco (Avocado Coconut), and the Cookie Monster which is pictured below with self-explanatory ingredients🍪. They also have ice cream, dips, toppings, and some specialy items that are not desserts. I'm also excited about the Mexican Street Corn which is white corn with sour cream, mayo, cotija cheese, chili power, and lime.

Paleta Planeta is located at 150 E. Santa Clara Street in the heard of Downtown San Jose. They are open from Monday through Thursday from 12pm to 7pm and Friday through Sunday from 12pm to 8pm. 

Google still investing in Downtown San Jose, outdoor dining and beer garden coming to Downtown West

Many have speculated that Google's plans to build a flagship office in Downtown San Jose near Diridon have been cancelled due to the state of the office market and tech worker's reluctance to return to physical offices. However, Google has continued to make small moves to show their intentions have not changed. This includes funding community programming (Creekside Socials) to bring people to "Downtown West" and beginning to prep various parcels they have assembled for eventual construction. This latest announcement marks one of the clearest signs that plans are still a go.

Google is now looking to fund new experiences and placemaking in the neighborhood. In early 2025 they plan to add food & beverage, health & wellness, and retail concepts along Barack Obama Boulevard and South Montgomery street. The goal is to create a lively street scene BEFORE the Google offices are built. I'll take it.

Google is partnered with Jamestown, development and real estate experts responsible for Ghirardelli Square in SF, Fourth Street in Berkeley, and both Chelsea Market and Pier 57 in NYC. The duo is eyeing 57 Barack Obama Boulevards for a beer garden and dining spots. It does have a cool industrial vibe to it that looks ripe for something trendy.

One of the first major construction projects will likely be an affordable housing project on the site of the old Orchard Supply Hardware store. Dirt has already been moved to clear the site.

The goal for early investment is to get others excited about developing here and truly creating a brand new district and ecosystem. It could easily evolve to have a better quality of life than Mountain View, as it's close to the biggest transit project on the West Coast and the 300+ eateries, bars, and entertainment venues in Downtown San Jose. That's not to mention the fact that housing close to this area is nearly a fraction of what you pay for Mountain View and Palo Alto.

Exiting times are ahead for Downtown West.

Source: The Mercury News

Downtown San Jose restaurant updates

A couple weeks back, Nathan Donato-Weinstein from the San Jose Office of Economic Development had a slew of restaurant updates. I was going to break these out into separate posts, but in the interest of getting the news out quicker, here they are:

• Hobee's is full-steam ahead for their new diner and beer garden at 261 N. Second St. in the coming weeks 
• City staff are working with restaurateurs for two high-profile locations: 
• The former Togo's space at 18 N. San Pedro St. is destined for an exciting Thai restaurant 
• The former Curry On (née Taqueria San Jose) at 241 E. Santa Clara St. will host a unique new burger concept (I've always thought there was plenty of room for burgers in Downtown.) 
• Don't miss two old Santa Clara Street favorites, recently re-opened: 
• Fuji Sushi just re-opened at 56 W. Santa Clara St. and 
• ISO Beers has also recently re-opened after a renovation (it's perfect for happy hour after work). 
• Speaking of happy hour... Urban Putt has a new HH menu Tuesday-Thursday (check it out here). While you're there, you might as well play a few holes.. (9 holes is just $11). 
• Time flies… SoFA Market will be celebrating its 10^th anniversary this fall (stay tuned for details)… Stop by its beloved Fountainhead Bar, which is under the new ownership of Uyen Nguyen with a background in biomedical, venture capital, and investing who also owns NUE, a well-reviewed restaurant in Seattle.  
• You may have seen new signage at San Jose's Downtown Food Hall (operated by Cloud kitchens). Masala Pizza [Josh: pictured below] will be occupying a front-of-house walk-up window in just a few weeks. Stay tuned for more announcements as additional restaurant concepts are being added shortly.

 

New rooftop beer garden and restaurant in Willow Glen

Copita, backed by celebrity-chef Joanne Weir, made a big splash in Willow Glen last year.  Not only were the food and cocktails on point, but it brought a really nice 2nd floor outdoor terrace to one side of Downtown Willow Glen. Another new restaurant called Luke's Rooftop Beer Garden and Restaurant will bring the same vibe to the other side of Willow Glen. 

Luke's is owned by the same proprietor as Water Tower Kitchen in Campbell and the former Blush Raw Bar at the San Pedro Square Market. The vision for Luke's is that it will be kid-friendly on the ground floor and be an ideal date-night spot for adults on the upper terrace.

The menu will be California cuisine with local ingredients. The rooftop beer garden will have 18-20 rotating beers on tap.

With San Jose's awesome weather, it's surprising that more restaurants have not opted to build rooftop terraces. The only other one I can think of that is coming is Eox & Nyx in Downtown San Jose. Willow Glen is especially well suited for this since you have a single beautiful street where all the restaurants and businesses are concentrated.

Luke's should be coming in a year or so. The address is 1093 Minnesota Ave (next to the Starbucks) and it will be a significant improvement to the area as you can see from the images below.

Source: The Mercury News

Prime corner spot in Downtown San Jose to become a new restaurant and office space

A new corner restaurant is destined for 189 West Santa Clara Street at the intersection of Almaden Avenue. The space is part of the thriving San Pedro Square area and the owner already operates multiple restaurants around this block.

The space is also known as the Lyndon Building and was constructed in 1884. In 1902 it housed the Times-Mercury which was a precursor to the San Jose Mercury News.

The new restaurant will span 5,500 SQFT and feature both a bar and outdoor seating. It will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the menu will be California-style farm-to-table. It still doesn't have a name, but will be something related to the newspaper printing heritage of the building.

There is also an 8,000 SQFT upper floor that will be leased as office space. This part of the building was a venue for big bands and country music in the 1940s and '50s, and then rock in the '60s. I believe it also hosted the Irish Innovation Center at one point. The building owner envisions a tenant such as a creative firm or AI startup for this space.

A restaurant and high-tech tenant would further activate this space and help connect it to the next block, which has an Opa! Greek restaurant and an office tower.

Source: The Mercury News

Dine Downtown San Jose Restaurant Week is July 11-21

Later this week, one of the largest restaurant weeks in Downtown San Jose history will kick off with 40 participating restaurants. This is a great opportunity to try out fixed price multi-course menus and other specials at discount prices.  

There are many classic and new restaurants on the list. I'm going to highlight a few that I've personally been to:

• AJI - great Japanese Peruvian fusain restaurant in the lobby of the Signa Hotel (former Fairmont). Have been here several times and it has never disappointed, great for groups.
• Angkor Chef - Downtown San Jose's first Cambodian restaurant. Affordable and delicious.
• Club on Post - Great brunch, best Espresso Martini in San Jose. 
• Cobre & Clay (NEW) - Mexican cuisine at the corner of the San Jose Marriott.
• Dr. Funk - Tiki bar with outstanding ambiance, great way to surprise guests and friends.
• EggHead (NEW) - Very popular local chain featuring egg sandwiches.
• Elyse (NEW) - French Vietnamese fine dining in beautiful expanded space. Perfect date-night. restaurant.
• Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ (NEW) - the only Japanese BBQ Downtown.
• ISO Beers (NEW) - They're back and newly remolded! Previously they did not serve food, but I see they have will have dinner specials.
• Orchestria Palm Court - One of the most unique restaurants I have ever been to. Part museum, part 40's restaurant experience.
• Petiscos - Downtown San Jose's only Michelin-rated restaurant. Excellent introduction to Portuguese cuisine.
• Pastelaria by Adega - Petisco's sister restaurant with a focus on Portuguese desserts (amazing egg tarts) and snacks.
• Rollati (NEW) - Hot addition to the San Jose dining scene and the flagship restaurant around City Hall.
• Silicon Valley Capital Club (LIMITED ACCESS) - This is Downtown San Jose's only place to dine in the sky. It takes up the penthouse floor at 50 West San Fernando and is actually a private club. It's only open for everyone during Restaurant Week. I'd recommend taking advantage of it and soaking up amazing views of San Jose and Silicon Valley from their giant outdoor balcony.
• Urban Putt (NEW) - The best minigolf course I have ever done, a true love letter to San Jose. Their food and drinks are surprisingly great and unique as well (Pad thai pizza?). If you haven't been here yet, this is a great reason to go.

Check out all 45+ restaurants over here and support your unique, local San Jose Restaurants!

Scott's Seafood is expanding to a banquet space on 4th Street in Downtown San Jose

Scott's Seafood is one of my favorite restaurants Downtown. However, I still do miss it's old location that was on top of the City Plaza parking structure, overlooking Plaza de Cesar Chavez. It was one of just two places Downtown where you could enjoy an elevated view with your meal, the other being The Capital Club--which is not easy to get into.

Fortunately, Scott's is expanding to the roof of another parking structure. The space was previously used by the San Jose Rotary on top of the 4th Street Parking structure. Now it is called the Fourth Street Summit Center and will be managed by Scott's Seafood. It's located at 88 S 4th Street on the 7th floor.

The ballroom has floor-to-ceiling glass windows, two open-air balconies, and a variety of spaces. Indoor capacity is a whopping 450 people. Unfortunately it will only be used only for events, not everyday dining.

You can learn more about the space over here.

Exciting new restaurant coming to Downtown San Jose's 50 West San Fernando building

The owners of Waterbar and Epic Steak in SF and Hurrica in Redwood City are going to build a new 4,000 SQFT restaurant on the ground-floor of 50 W. San Fernando. This was previously the location of KQED offices. Instead, this prime corner in between the San Jose Museum of Art and the Signia Hotel (formerly Fairmont San Jose) is going to become a new flagship restaurant.

There is not a lot of information yet on the restaurant but we do know it will offer lunch, happy hour with specialty cocktails, and dinner. The source article also mentions that it will be an indoor outdoor concept, which is perfect for San Jose weather. That likely means that the windows will be replaced with glass doors that fully open and the outdoor seating will open up to the Circle of Palms. This area also happens to be used for the ice skating rink during Christmas in the Park, so it will be interesting to see how the restaurant will function during the holidays.

The building used to have a coffee shop called Crema using part of this space, but I think it will be much better suited for an upscale full-service restaurant. The building also hosts the Capital Club on the 17th floor, which has a private restaurant and two large outdoor balconies. It's also the only restaurant on top of a high-rise in San Jose and anyone will be able to check it out during Dine Downtown Restaurant Week (more on that soon).

Source: SiliconValley.com

Downtown San Jose gets its first Japanese Ramen restaurant

Hinodeya Ramen has officially opened a restaurant in Downtown San Jose near the intersection of Market Street and Santa Clara Street. Surprisingly, this will be Downtown's first Japanese ramen restaurant--not the first Japanese restaurant but the first specifically specializing in ramen.

Hinodeya in headquartered in Japan and has a few other US locations. There are a number of outposts in San Francisco and one in Campbell, Newark, and Dallas.

This is long overdue Downtown and fortunately the restaurant is off to a great start.

Hinodeya is located at 9 N Market Street and is open from 11am to 10pm from Sunday through Thursday and 11am to 11pm on Friday and Saturday.

The first Block Party of 2024 is at the Historic District, May 16th

Downtown San Jose advocates are hosting a series of six different block parties in Downtown San Jose, and the first kicks off this week in the Historic District at the heart of the downtown area. I didn't realize just how many businesses were located in this region until I saw the list below. Over 60 businesses are participating in the event!

The block party is expected to bring thousands of people and there will likely be live music and other special activities. It goes down on Thursday, May 16th from 5-9pm starting in Fountain Alley.

Upcoming block parties will take us to SoFA, San Pedro, Paseo De San Antonio, Little Italy, and City Hall. Every location has had new businesses arrive over the past year.

Elyse: elevated French Vietnamese cuisine in the heart of Downtown San Jose

Before we talk about about the new Elyse, I have to spend a moment to honor the original. Elyse was the first French Vietnamese restaurant in Downtown San Jose and took residence in the former House of Siam space that old school San Joseans will remember well. The first time I went, I was just happy that a Downtown space that sat vacant for years was finally filled up with a new restaurant. However, I was completely blown away by the cuisine, cocktails, and how romantic the space was. Despite my mission to eat at every restaurant in Downtown San Jose (I'm at 258 so far) I returned several more times and would easily place it in my Top 10 for all Downtown San Jose restaurants.

This was in 2018. Fast forward to the pandemic. During the early 2020s the owner endured multiple hardships including including the passing of her mom, break-ins, property damage, looting, a divorce, and then some. It was an incredibly challenging time, and Elyse closed their doors for an extended period. 

Now, not only is Elyse back... but they have a new location that is bigger and better than ever. This key corner space once belonged to Nemea at the corner of San Fernando and 1st Street. Like House of Siam, it has also been vacant for years. There is a lot of pressure on Elyse to bring something special to this high-traffic part of Downtown--and they delivered.

The space is open and inviting. There is a bar area, main dining room, a cellar-style wine room, a private dining space, and outdoor seating. There are large works of art themed around both France and Vietnam. The lit Eiffel Tower was my favorite.

I was fortunate to sample eight of their dishes. For the appetizers we had caviar blinis, mushroom tartlette (crowd favorite), head-on grilled shrimp, fried Brussel sprouts, mussels, and garlic noodles. I would recommend any of these. The caviar was a nice surprise since I don't remember that on the original menu and I'm not aware of any other restaurant in Downtown San Jose that has that available. As decadent as that was, my favorite app was the mushroom tartlette followed by the giant shrimp skewers with Vietnamese seasonings.

After the appetizers we had two of the mains--a glazed seabass with sauted bok choy and cofit as well as a braised short rib bourguignon with bone-in braised Angus beef short rib and Belgian style fries.

Both were phenomenal. I'm normally a carnivore and prefer steak, but the pan seared glazed seabass was truly outstanding and would likely be my choice. If you're out on a date, it's the perfect opportunity to get two different dishes and share. 

Unfortunately I had to leave the media preview night early to get to our baby at home and did not have a chance to try the desserts. They had a black sesame panna cotta and a Belgian chocolate lava cake, both of which I would have loved to try. I'm planning to head back there this weekend to get those desserts and try more of their dishes. I'm especially looking forward to trying some items that lean more towards the Vietnamese side and a cocktail or two.

In summary, Elyse gets two huge thumbs up. Please give them a try and let us know what you think! Could this be San Jose's next Michelin-recommended restaurant? Petiscos needs some company, and this may be it.

Elyse is located at 96 South 1st Street and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm to 9pm. Street parking is free after 6pm and pretty easy to get within a couple blocks of the restaurant. You can make reservations here as well as read more reviews (spoiler, they have a well-deserved 4.5/5 stars on Yelp).