Ken Brenner at Pho69

from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

Phantom Galleries is pleased to present "Color" by painter Ken Brenner at Pho69 Restaurant.
Artist's Reception: Friday, February 1, 7-11pm
Free and open to the public, part of the South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk

Ken started painting in his early 20’s experimenting with acrylics and watercolors. At that time, he was teaching young children in Berkeley. With marriage and a growing family, his occupation changed directions. He entered the banking industry and has successfully developed his career over the past 35 years. He is currently President of Avidbank in Palo Alto. Only recently was he encouraged to take up art again. Ken has found the medium of oil painting an inspiring way to stimulate the mind and bring the beauty of the world around us to life. Painting has allowed him to develop a passion for creative expression.

In our world, color embodies a wide spectrum of feelings and emotions. It is used to convey power, joy, intellect, royalty, and purity among others. Each color represents its own purpose and meaning. In nature, color has evolved to communicate different messages. Poison-arrow frogs have bright, flamboyant colors to stand out as a warning signal to predators. The male peacock has extravagant colors in its eye-spotted tail, which are used for courtship. Other animals like the chameleon use color for camouflage, which enables them to remain hidden from potential threats. For Ken, color is an intense underlying theme throughout his work that allows him to truly express himself. The colors in his work give dimension, depth, and most importantly life to the canvas. It is Ken’s unparalleled eye for color that brings a unique quality and distinctive feel to each piece.

"Color" by Ken Brenner at Pho69
321 S 1st St
San Jose, CA 95113
Ken Brenner website
Pho69 website

Vietnamese New Year Celebration at Pho 69!

My favorite Pho restaurant is having specials for Vietnamese New Year starting tonight and running all the way through Saturday! As icing on the cake, they're kicking off their first month of participation in South First Fridays with a dragon dance and opening reception at 8pm tomorrow. More info below:

Come join us bring in the New Year.

Starting at 5:00 pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
Beers $3, Wine $4, Starters $4, Pho $6

Come join the Vietnamese traditions of testing your luck with:
- Blackjack
- Tien Len
- Binh
- Bau, Cua, Tom, Ca
- Poker Tournament (Proceeds to Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Group)

Poker Tournament $35 buy in
Starts at 5:00 pm, 7:30 pm, and 10:00 pm
16 seats per session
Payout
1st: $250
2nd: $75
3rd: $50
4th: $35

Sign-up by calling 408-289-8521
Hours 11 am - 8 pm

**Friday Night - Dragon Dancing at 8:30pm, SoFA Art Walk Opening Reception at 8:00pm

-- 
Thank you,
Darren & Teresa
Pho 69 Noodle, LLC

321 South First Street

San Jose, CA 95113

408-289-8521

www.pho69noodle.com

Join us on Facebook | www.facebook.com/pho69noodle

SoFA is Getting a New Gallery in Time for February's First Friday!

Call for Art at new Pho69 in SoFA District

from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

Phantom Galleries will be coordinating on-going art exhibitions at the newest SoFA District restaurant PHO69 (located next door to Caffe Trieste). The restaurant has been getting great Yelp reviews since their opening last month with special mentions of their contemporary decor, great food and friendly staff. It's just missing your art on their large spacious walls!

We are looking for large scale contemporary art work that will add to their overall ambiance and customer experience. Exhibition duration will be 2-3 months (yet to be determined) and will be a participating venue in the South First Fridays monthly art walks. Art may be available for sale.

Art work will hang from a professional hanging system that the restaurant installed (no screws/nails in the walls.) Hanging areas are: (2) 20' wide x 6' tall and (2) 12' wide x 6' tall.

To be considered for exhibition, please email 5-7 jpgs (sized no larger than 900 pixels wide at 72dpi), with short bio and exhibit history toinfo[at]phantomgalleries.com

We'd like to start their exhibitions by First Friday February 4th, so please respond soon if you're interested.

Feel free to pass this opportunity onto other artists you feel would be a good fit!





For more information, contact us at info@phantomgalleries.com

Pho 69 - Best Pho in San Jose!

Downtown San Jose is really on a roll with restaurant openings lately. Since I was raised in San Jose, I'm intimately familiar with Pho (Over 100,000 people of Vietnamese descent live in San Jose... Pho is everywhere). Back in college, I had Pho for lunch almost every single day. Of the 50+ Pho restaurants I've been to over the years, Pho 69 is hands down the best one in every criteria I can think of!

Let's start with the food. Today I had the spring rolls, crispy rolls, a Pho 69 special, and my wife had Chicken Pho. Everything was amazing, but the house special Pho 69 really rocked my world. The 3 main proteins in their signature bowl are brisket, meatball, and thinly sliced fillet mignon. You read that correctly, fillet Mignon in Pho! My wife's Pho Ga also featured a rare Pho ingredient, free range chicken. The broth was rich and complex. Usually I douse hot sauce and plum sauce in my soup, but that was really unnecessary in this case. Perhaps the $20,000 vat that they use to steam cook the broth over a 24 hour period has something to do with the quality here.

Next, the ambiance. Easily the nicest Pho restaurant I have ever been to (I've had Pho at Parcel 104 before, but that doesn't really count). The dining area is spacious, lofty, and well appointed. There's a second floor for additional seating and private parties that overlooks the entire restaurant, and it's equipped for Karaoke. The kitchen is pretty open and is visible from the dining area. There's even a skylight, another feature I've never seen in a Pho restaurant.

Lastly, let's talk about character. Pho 69 is located in the artsy SoFA district downtown. I've been keeping my fingers crossed for weeks that the restaurant would have a program for artists, and it looks like it paid off. The walls are fully prepped to support rotating art and the 20+ foot ceiling provides ample space for even over-sized works. And yes, Pho 69 is planning to participate in South First Friday and already have relationships with Anno Domini and MACLA!

Personally, I couldn't have asked for anything more for a new SoFA restaurant. It's been a good year for Downtown San Jose!

Pho 69 Press Release

I've received additional information on Pho 69's opening ceremony this Saturday! The ribbon cutting takes place at 2:30pm in SoFA and features traditional lion dancers. Sounds like a nice stop to make before heading to Christmas in the Park.

For Immediate Release:                                    Contact:

December 13, 2010                                           Khanh Bui: (408) 394-0369 or pho69noodlea@gmail.com

Something Hot is Coming to your Mouth at Pho 69

San Jose, Calif. -  An enticing new restaurant has come to Downtown San Jose.  Restaurant goers throughout the city are invited to sample the unique sights, sounds and tastes of Pho 69, conveniently located in the eclectic SoFA District, next to Original Joes’ (321 S. 1^st St., San Jose, CA 95113).

Join us for the grand opening on Saturday December 18^th, ribbon cutting and lion dancers at 2:30pm.

From the moment you enter into the inviting surroundings of this contemporary restaurant, you quickly realize this is not your typical Pho restaurant.  The knowledgeable staff greets you with a warm smile and you are immediately captivated by Pho 69’s thoughtful, savvy service.

The aroma of the rich pho broth with hints of star anise and cinnamon is a welcoming invitation to the forthcoming hot bowl of luscious rice noodles that is sure to warm you during this winter season.  The pho comes in a variety of broth options including traditional beef, free range chicken, locally farmed vegetable and seafood, all expertly prepared and gingerly tended to maximize flavor.

Along with the enticing aroma of comforting hearty pho, the modern interior complements the experience. Earth-toned glass tile covered walls, large lantern style pendent lighting and the warm orange of the hand embroidered chrysanthemum banquettes are a gentle complement to the subdued modern nickel-shaded sconces, historic green stair case and uplifting white textured tiles surrounding this contemporary eatery. The walls have been outfitted with museum grade hangers and left intentionally naked as Pho 69 puts out a call to local artist to exhibit their craft.

The relaxed sophistication of the dining room of Pho 69, with its stylishly trendy comfortable furnishings, muted lighting, and blend of soft and vibrant colors is the perfect neighborhood place to meet up with friends or have a business lunch.

Noted for the aromatic and simple but elegant preparation of its local products, modern Vietnamese food has become the new darling of the culinary world. The open kitchen sends the aroma of fresh herbs and spices wafting to your table as you anticipate your meal.  With all of your senses engaged, you know you've come to the right place to sample the delicious fare of Vietnamese cuisine.

Aside from pho, savor Pho 69’s other dishes such as the fresh grilled BBQ pork Vermicelli bowl with julienned vegetables, fresh herbs, bean sprouts and caramelized brown sauce. Continue your dining journey with fresh spring rolls with grilled tiger shrimp, hot and crispy crab eggroll or the roasted Japanese eggplant with crunchy shallots.  If you need just a quick bite, then have a Vietnamese sandwich filled with pickled daikon and carrots, cilantro, jalapeño, your choice of grilled meats, and for the indulgent, request the pate spread.

With so much to offer, there is always something hot coming to your mouth at Pho 69.

Pho 69 is situated at the gateway of the SoFa district in Downtown San Jose. Operating hours are Monday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., closed Sundays. There is ample parking in the many lots in the neighborhood, many of them free after 6pm. 

Pho 69 Launches Dec 18th in SoFA!

I'm really excited about this place! For the 3 people living in San Jose who have never had Pho, it's essentially Vietnamese street food (or "common people" food). The US analogy would be a hamburger or hotdog. However, it looks like Pho 69 is going to take a traditional Vietnamese staple and modernize the entire experience, much like The Counter does with gourmet hamburgers and sides. It looks very nice inside--and it's a 2 story retail space like Eulipia. I'm very happy with the location as well, right at the entrance of SoFA near original Joe's. 

Looks like their Grand Opening will be Dec. 18th at 2pm. Also, their normal hours will be Mon-Thur 11am-8:30pm and Fri-Sat from 11am to 10pm. It's a shame more restaurants aren't open on Sundays, but hopefully that will change over time.