2014 Downtown Doors Expands to 91 Locations!

Downtown Doors is a fantastic program that allows student art to be featured throughout Downtown San Jose by turning a typically boring object--doors--into thought provoking art. For 2014 the program is undergoing a substantial expansion, both in the number of locations and the scope of the art.

21 additional San Jose high school students are now featured Downtown across 11 brand new locations and 15 sites that have been refreshed. 5 of the locations feature art from students at our sister cities of Dublin (Ireland), Okayama (Japan), Pune (India), San Jose (Costa Rica), and Tainan (Taiwan).

11 of the students have even posted YouTube videos that explain the inspiration for their piece and how they feel about being selected. You can find these videos along with more information about the program at the Downtown Doors website over here.

Below is a handy map that shows where the art is located, which you can click to enlarge and print it out.

Two New San Pedro Square Market Eateries!

Arepa Swing (Venezuelan Cuisine) is now open in the Market Hall right next to Treatbot. They feature crispy maize-based flatbreads (gluten free) filled with a variety of meats and cheeses. As for the second eatery, Spuds is a loaded backed potato bar with organic topping options. They plan to open a bit later this year and will be the first "Potato Bar" in San Jose. For more details on both Arepa Swing and Spuds, just scroll down.

Arepa is a flatbread made of ground maize dough and is a Venezuelan delicacy! It's a daily tradition that can be served with various items such as cheese, avocado, jam, or split and used to make sandwiches.  Arepa Swing, located in the Market Hall at San Pedro Square Market will offer the best and most traditional Venezuelan Arepas, all glutten-free! Stop on by and grab a bite!

Two crazy dreamers from the Americas' met in Australia in 2009 and  merging both their dreams, passions and skills, they began to develop the concept of SPUDS USA.  They dreamt of real food that can be different, fast and healthy so, here they are in 2014 opening their prototype and first loaded baked potato shop for you to enjoy in the Heart of the Silicon Valley.

Spuds USA is the best way to enjoy real food served to you promptly. The base of our meal is a delicious and soft, Baked potato. Added that we offer you less carbs and calories than average sub sandwich bread, plus a huge variety of delicious organic toppings, your meal will be as healthy as you decide.

Diridon Station Plan Moves Forward

The master plan for the Diridon area was approved by the San Jose City Council last week. The vision includes up to 5 million SQFT of office/R&D--which is not far away from what all of Downtown San Jose has today (8 million SQFT)--as well as 2,600 residential units, 900 hotel rooms, and 424,000 SQFT of retail.

It is ambitious, but after BART, Bus Rapid Transit, and High Speed Rail connect to Diridon it will be far and away the best connected station in the Bay Area. For more info or to get involved in the planning from the community side, head over to the Diridon Station Area Plan website.

Source: SVBJ

Scott's Seafood Hosts First Brewmaster's Dinner

Downtown San Jose's Scott's Seafood is hosting its first brewmaster's dinner featuring beers from Firestone Walker Brewing Company this Thursday, June 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This dinner provides a great opportunity for those who haven't tried a food-and-beer pairing event yet and will surely satisfy beer dinner veterans.

It's set to take place on the scenic sixth floor rooftop patio, and like any true brewmaster dinner, original brewmaster Jeffers Richardson and others from the Firestone Walker team will be on hand to answer any questions about the brewery and their offerings.

Here's the menu:
 

• First Course: Nuts and berries cheese plate paired with Pivo Hoppy Pils.

• Second Course: Butter leaf lettuce, spicy pecans, and goat cheese, with raspberry vinaigrette paired with Double Barrel Ale.

• Third Course: Seared ahi tuna with ponzu sauce, sticky rice, and bok choy paired with Union Jack IPA.

• Fourth Course: Bread pudding with whipped cream and caramel sauce paired with Stickee Monkee Central Coast Quad.

This dinner is $40, and space is limited. Tickets are available at their Eventbrite page.

I've written a bit more about this event for SanJose.com.

San Jose Historic Photos

Check out this amazing collection of photos put together for History San Jose. Thanks to Arturo from the Skyscraper City Community for finding this. I have posted some of my favorites below (check out what St. James Park used to look like in 1890!).

The Riverpark II Tower Downtown Finally Gets Tenants!

Riverpark II at the edge of Highway 87 in Downtown San Jose is finally going to start filling up! Much like the Sobrato Tower before Oracle moved in, this is a key building that has sat empty for years. Since it was completed in 2009, it has never had a tenant. Legacy Partners (the owner) was holding out for a single flagship tenant to take the whole building. However, that strategy did not pan out.

Now there are two big deals on the horizon. Both Intacct and Xactly are rapidly expanding tech companies currently located in Downtown San Jose. Each is looking to grab three floors in the building, which would amount to a grand total of 120,000 SQFT between both of them. If this comes through, it would likely put office vacancy Downtown around 17%, a huge improvement from 22% a year ago.

There has also been a 3,500 SQFT lease on the ground floor to Fremont-based Pan Pacific Bank. They focus primarily on small and mid-sized business and this would be the bank's second location.

Needless to say, this is fantastic news and could be a sign that the Downtown office market will be receiving a lot more attention.

Source: SVBJ

The Merc is Moving Back Downtown

Last week The San Jose Mercury News officially announced that they were moving to Downtown San Jose. Specifically, they signed a lease for two floors at 4 N. Second Street (same complex with Ike's and ISO: Beers). They are taking a total of 33,186 SQFT on the 7th and 8th floors. The move will happen in September.

While it's not a huge lease, it means a lot that the largest newspaper in Silicon Valley is now in Downtown San Jose. The last time the Mercury News was located Downtown was in 1967.

Source: SVBJ

The Photography of Modern Cuisine at The Tech (Jun 25 - Sep 1)

SAN JOSE, CA – Prepare for your close-up – with food like you’ve never seen it before.

The Photography of Modernist Cuisine: The Exhibition, a collection of more than 75 large-format photographs of food taken by Nathan Myhrvold and his Modernist Cuisine team, will be on display at The Tech Museum of Innovation from June 25 to September 1. Admission is free.

Myhrvold is the former Microsoft chief technology officer and author of the critically acclaimed Modernist Cuisine books, which are beloved by chefs. The photographs in the exhibition illuminate the fascinating, accessible science at work every day in our kitchens. “Cooking is the only science experiment we all do on a regular basis,” Myhrvold says.

"Nathan Myhrvold's passion for food and photography are on full display in this extraordinary exhibit,” said Tech President Tim Ritchie. “He enables us to see how wonderful and beautiful food really is, and how we can use technology to prepare it in delightful ways."

“I hope that others share with us the child-like wonder and curiosity I feel when looking at these photos,” Myhrvold says. “The exhibition and book are in many ways a culmination of my lifelong interest in photography, in much the same way thatModernist Cuisine was a milestone in my interest in food.”

Visitors will see the fractal structures and mesmerizing color gradations of vitamin C crystals through research microscopes with filters that polarize light. They’ll learn about the physics that propel and explode a bursting kernel of popcorn through the lens of a high-speed video camera that slows the action by a factor of 200. This unprecedented collection of images uses these innovations and other advanced technologies – including photographic techniques like panoramic stitching, focus stacking, and microscopy – to show the world of food in an entirely new way.

The Tech is the exhibition’s second stop in a three-year worldwide tour.

WHAT: The Photography of Modernist Cuisine: The Exhibition, a collection of more than 75 large-format photographs of food taken by Nathan Myhrvold and his team atModernist Cuisine

WHEN:  June 25 through Sept. 1, 2014

WHERE: The Tech Museum of Innovation, 201 S. Market St., San Jose, CA

Saturday Stats: San Jose is the #6 Healthiest City in the US

The ACSM American Fitness Index is a scientific snapshot of health and fitness at a metropolitan level. On a national level, San Jose ranked at the #6 healthiest city. San Francisco came in a hair better at #5.

The areas San Jose excelled at include a high vegetable consumption, low percentage of people smoking, low obesity rates, high percentage of people in excellent or very good health, and a high number of playgrounds and parks per capita. Areas improvement include a higher percentage of mental health issues (all the stress from tech jobs?) and a higher rate of asthma than other metros.

You can download the full report as well as historic reports at the link below.

Source: ACSM American Fitness Index, Hat tip to Barclay Livker

Dine Downtown San Jose Starts Today!

A 10 day "restaurant week" in Downtown San Jose kicks off today. This year there are 27 different restaurants including 8 brand new options. You can check out the full list below along with some menu examples. For a restaurant list with links to Opentable reservations, check out this handy SJDA webpage. 

Dine Downtown San Jose – June 20-29
27 downtown restaurants combine value, service and quality

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Foodies have a lot of new choices at the sixth annual Dine Downtown San Jose “restaurant week,” so good it extends to 10 days.

From June 20-29, new and regular customers alike can savor the tastes of 27 different restaurants offering prix-fixed, three-course meals including appetizer or salad, entrée and dessert, starting at $15 per person.

Restaurants new to the Dine Downtown program this year include: Blackbird Tavern, The Blue Mango, Bluefin Sushi, Da Kine Island Grill, The Farmers Union, First to Market, La Pinata and Nomikai Social Food + Drinkery.

First to Market’s (399 S. First St.) $35 per person Dine Downtown San Jose sampling includes grilled watermelon salad, pork belly mac and cheese or grilled ahi for appetizers, grilled elk chops, seared scallops or brown rice-stuffed bell pepper for main course and pie of the day.  Or after trying Nomikai’s arugula salad and corn pizza, save room for fresh strawberry with Nutella coconut cream parfait, all for $20 per person.

The offers also include a six-course meal at 71 Saint Peter for $45 a person and a five-course, $55 offer at Nemea Greek Taverna.

Some of downtown San Jose’s best restaurants will return to support the popular program: 71 Saint Peter Modern European Kitchen; Arcadia – A  Michael Mina Steakhouse; Bella Mia; Billy Berk’s Restaurant; Cafe Stritch; Fahrenheit Restaurant & Lounge; Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant; The Grill on the Alley; Il Fornaio San Jose; Loft Bar and Bistro; Los Gatos Brewing Company; Mezcal Restaurant; Morton’s The Steakhouse; Nemea Greek Taverna; Orchestria Palm Court Restaurant; Paolo’s Restaurant; San Pedro Square Bistro & Wine; Scott’s Seafood San Jose; and Vino Vino.

Since 2009, Dine Downtown showcases the exceptional restaurants offered in the center city.  Based on restaurant surveys, Dine Downtown customers come back again and again, trying new places and returning to familiar favorites.  In 2013, downtown restaurants served thousands of meals

“The San Jose Downtown Association loves to produce Dine Downtown because it promotes some of downtown’s best assets,” said Julie Carlson, SJDA marketing director. “We’re excited to see so many new restaurants and old favorites in the Dine Downtown mix this year.”

Dine Downtown restaurants, menus and additional information are at dinedowntownsj.com.  Dinner starts nightly at 5:30 p.m. and reservations are recommended through each restaurant’s website or OpenTable.com.

Sysco, the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, will sponsor Dine Downtown for the second year.  For each meal served, Sysco will donate $1 to San Jose’s Loaves and Fishes Family Kitchen.  Also, OpenTable will again take Dine Downtown reservations.

Meals to tempt the most discriminating of culinary tastes, including vegetarian options, include:

$30 for two people
La Pinata:
First:  Nachos, flautas or quesadilla
Second:  Super famoso burrito, mole enchiladas or enchilada/taco combo
Third:  Flan, cheesecake chimichanga or pastel tres leches

$39 for two people
Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant:
First:  Southwest egg rolls
Second: Baby greens, Caesar salad
Third:  Brewhouse chicken, miso mahi, bourbon chicken & grilled shrimp, and bistro steak medallions
Fourth:  4 mini sampler desserts

$20 per person
Bella Mia:
First:  House side garden salad
Second:  Oven-baked lasagna, ravioli trio or crab & shrinp cannelloni
Third:  Petite season fruit crisp

$30 per person

Blackbird Tavern:
First:  Soup du jour, green Waldorf salad or grilled farmers market peppers
Second:  Bourbon grilled chicken, seasonal risotto, steak frites or rockfish
Third:  Nectarine bruschetta or strawberries and cream ice cream

Da Kine Island Grill:
First:  Ahi poke, tako poke, salmon poke, Kalua nachos or Kalua quesadilla
Second:  Hawaiian plate, mahi loco moco, seared ahi plate, aloha spare ribs, flamin salmon, mango pork chop, Da Kine chicken Ceasar
Third:  Rum bread pudding or pineapple sticky rice

Mezcal:
First:  Oaxacan summer salad, tortilla soup or seared scallops
Second:  Bacon-wrapped filet mignon, sea bass or vegetarian duo
Third:  warm Oaxacan chocolate cake or Don Julio anejo neat, chocolate and sliced orange

$45 per person (six courses)

71 St. Peter Mediterranean Grill
Amuse-Bouche:  Chilled gazpacho
First:  Fresh Dungeness crab salad
Second:  Spring vegetable risotto
Intermezzo: Lime sorbet
Main Course:  Pancetta wrapped petite filet mignon, or sage roasted California sea bass, or roasted butternut squash ravioli
Dessert:  Apricot upside-down cake

$45 per person
Morton’s The Steakhouse
First: Caesar salad, Morton’s salad or baked five-onion soup
Second: 6oz single cut filet mignon (+$10 for 8oz), double cut prime pork chop, honey-chili glazed salmon or chicken bianco
Third:  Chocolate mousse or cheesecake

$50 per person

Arcadia
First:  Heirloom tomato salad or roasted corn soup
Second:  Grilled king salmon steak or petit filet & short rib rillettes
Third:  Chocolate molten cake or mascarpone cheesecake

$60 per person
The Grill on the Alley:
First: Charcuterie board or rustic grilled Ceasar
Second:  Smoked bacon-wrapped filet or sweet pea, lemon & prawn risotto
Third:  Vanilla brandy panna cotta

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San Jose Downtown Association is a non-profit group of business and property owners working to improve the vitality and livability of downtown San Jose.  Check www.sjdowntown.com.

Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen is a non-profit organization that has served the working poor, families, homeless and seniors living in and around the downtown and East Side of San Jose for over 32 years. What began as a simple first meal of fish and bread for 11 adults and 15 children has grown to nearly 500 meals per day, served with dignity.  Visit www.loavesfishes.org.

Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. The company operates 177 distribution facilities serving approximately 400,000 customers. Visit www.syscosf.com.