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

Willow Glen Christmas Trolley Rides

It's getting to be that time of year again! Willow Glen is doing a holiday trolley ride through both the commercial and residential parts of Willow Glen to view all of the holiday decorations. The trolly is an old fashioned cable car that seats up to 32 people.

The rides take place from December 7-10 and December 14-21 from 5:15pm to 9pm. Each ride takes about 30 minutes and costs $20 for kids and $40 for Adults. The trolley boards in front of Bank of America at 1245 Lincoln Avenue. There is also plenty of free public parking in the Bank of America lot, courtesy of the Willow Glen Business Association.

If you're wondering why I'm posting this so early, well many of the dates have already sold out. Now would be the time to book your holiday trolly ride over here.

Trick or Treat in Willow Glen

Downtown Willow Glen is hosting their annual trick-or-treat event tomorrow from 11am-12:30pm for toddlers and 3pm-4:30pm for school-aged kids. Several stores along Lincoln avenue will be handing out candy at this time and will be fully decked out for Halloween.

Then after 5pm, you can take your kids into the Willow Glen residential neighborhoods which are one of the top areas to trick-or-treat in San Jose.

New Willow Glen Dishcrawl!

Dishcrawl is coming to a new San Jose neighborhood on June 18th at 7pm. This is the best way to try out several different restaurants in one night! After meeting up with other foodies, you will walk over to four different eateries and get a sampling of the food at each venue. To get tickets before it sells out, head over here.

INFORMATION

We're here to experience the true foodie side of Willow Glen that few people know! The saying goes, "Good things come in small packages." And that's what we have to say about this quaint but vibrant neighborhood. Join me, Amel and all foodies around to sample the best tasting cuisine that has always laid in our backyards.

I’m a Vegetarian: Vegetarian options are available, however we may not be able to accommodate other dietary restrictions. If you have any particular requests or have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Beverage Policy: Drinks not inclusive of the ticket price. Drink specials and pairings may be available at discretion of the participating restaurant.

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations are taken only if given 48 hours advance notice. All Dishcrawl events are held rain or shine.

Questions?: Contact me! I'm Amel, your San Jose Dishcrawl Ambassador!  My email is Amela@dishcrawl.com.

About Dishcrawl: Dishcrawl is dedicated to re-imagining the way people think about food, drink, and their community. You can find local progressive dinners, exclusive chef encounters, and other fun food events in every city! From culinary experiences in real life to great stories about local culture online, Dishcrawl spans 250 cities across the US, Canada, and soon the UK. 
Make life more delicious and visit Dishcrawl.com.

It's a guessing game! We’re keeping the names of the restaurants we will be visiting a secret for now, but here and there we’ll give you some hints. Follow us on Twitter @DishcrawlBos and be the first to know!

Where to Meet Us: All ticket holders will be notified of meeting location via email, 48 hours prior to the event.  

Jim Stump Expands The Table Restaurant and launches Stumpy's

After being open for only a year, Jim Stump--proprietor of AP Stumps and Los Gatos Brewing Co.--is already expanding The Table in Willow Glen. The restaurant has been booming lately and they are taking over 900 SQFT currently occupied by a neighboring dry-cleaner, where they will move their bar to. This also creates the opportunity for a massive outdoor patio (drawing below). Construction is slated for early 2014 with a 4-5 month build-out, just in time for summer.

Jim is also doubling down on Willow Glen with a second eatery called Stumpy's in the Garden Theater building. They will serve modern hamburgers and hot dogs in a small 700 SQFT space, but they are planning to convert two parking spots into an outdoor curb-cafe to make more available dining space.

Source: SVBJ

Willow Glen Town Square Grand Opening!

This Saturday is the official grand opening celebration of the Willow Glen Town Square. I really like what they did with this project. It's a three story building with medical and professional offices on the top two floors, retail on the ground floor, a community common area with a fountain (the "square") and two story parking in the back. Lou's Village, Crepevine, and Willow Glen Creamery are some of the eateries on the ground floor.


Some highlights of this event include:

• Live music and entertainment
• Face painters and balloon artists
• Samples from local restaurants 
• Raffles
• Platter painting contest
• Interactive characters
• Giveaways
• 2nd Harvest Food Drive 

The Petroglyph Cermaic Lounge platter painting contest will encourage local residents of all ages to paint their interpretation of Willow Glen Town Square. The entry fee is $10 and the winners will receive a $300 Apple Gift Card.

Sounds like a stellar event and a great opportunity to check out the new iconic project in Willow Glen.

Assyrian Food Festival Aug 18-19

There are a myriad of ethnic festivals in San Jose, but this is one I have never heard of before. This weekend in Willow Glen the Assyrian Food Festival kicks off. There is no entrance fee and there's even a free shuttle from Tamien Station. The food is in the Mediterranean genre with staples such as hummus, dolmas, and kebabs along with some unique cultural dishes. Sounds really interesting!

The festival will be centered around the Assyrian Church of the East on 680 Minnesota Avenue. For more festival info have a look at their website.

Source: The Merc

Content Magazine Pick-up Party Tomorrow

My favorite publication is having a "Pick-Up Party" over at Willow Glen's newest Gastropub, The Table. This eatery is owned by Jim Stump (A.P. Stumps & Los Gatos Brewing Co.) so my expectations are high for the food and drinks. Hop on in anytime between 6 and 8pm, pick up the best San Jose-oriented magazine on the planet, throw back a few drinks/appetizers, and hang out with the awesome staff of Content!

The address is 1110 Willow Street and the Facebook page for the event is here.

Downtown Willow Glen project is a GO

Today the San Jose City Council unanimously approved a mixed-use project at Lincoln Ave and Willow Street. You guys know I love bullets, so here are the specifics:

• 41,000sqft 3-story building
• 18,000sqft retail (restaurants and boutique shops)
• 23,000sqft office space
• Plaza with a fountain and plenty of seating
• 108 parking spaces on the 2nd floor
• Willow Street Pizza will expand its bar and outdoor dining patio into this project
• Willow Glen Frozen Yogurt will be relocated into the new retail space (one of my favorite yogurt shops)
• Construction begins in June, Completion in Feb 2012
• $10m budget

For more information, have a gander at this San Jose Business Journal article.

Also, here is a little before and after: