Must Watch Video: Baseball San Jose Area Tour!

ET Water Moves Manufacturing From China to San Jose

Let's start off the work week with a fun fact. Novato-based ET water has decided to move the manufacturing of their smart irrigation control systems from China... to San Jose. Here is the exact quote from the SVSJ Business Journal article: "The company said the relocation will eliminate import tariffs and duties, improve production quality and yield, and accelerate new product development." It's not every day you hear about manufacturing jobs coming BACK to Silicon Valley.

Read more: ET Water manufacturing moves to San Jose from China | Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal

@First Reveals Planned Eateries!

The @First development at 237 and First St. in North San Jose is anchored by a high-end Target which (opened in October) and Brocade's new international headquarters. It is also getting 80,000 sqft of retail, mostly for restaurants! Unfortunately, many of the restaurants area already available in either the San Jose Market Center off Coleman, or nearby. Here is the list:

• Panda Express (also in SJ Market Center, tons in SJ)
• Sweet Tomatoes (also in SJ Market Center, but glad to have a second in SJ)
• Chipotle (already one on 1st St.)
• Panera (also in SJ Market Center)
• Premier Pizza (all 3 of their existing locations are within a couple miles)
• Five guys burgers and Fries (only one in the area and it's in South SJ, this is a welcome addition)
• Chick-fil-A (the only restaurant so far that is "New" to San Jose)

There is also a 160 room Hotel Sierra that will open next month, Union Bank will also likely sign a lease, and they are also looking for a grocery sub-anchor... potentially Fresh & Easy. In addition, they are looking for a dry cleaner, hair salon, and dentist. I hope they can make some space for a couple unique retailers that will add something new to the city.

Facebook Page for The San Jose Blog!

The San Jose Blog finally has a Facebook page, about time right? It's going to work much like our Twitter page where we'll have links to all posts as well as occasional news bits that don't make it to the blog. To check it out, just click here.

CSUs Analyze the Monetary Return on Education

A few weeks back the Merc had an intriguing article on what 20 California State Universities (including SJSU) are doing to measure the value of college education in cold hard cash. By publicizing the average salaries of their graduates they are hoping to show that even with tuition hikes, the return on a college degree is easily worth the investment.

How did San Jose State do? Pretty damn well. Out of the 20 CSUs participating in the study, SJSU has the second highest average starting salary and the third highest mid-career salary. You can take a look at the list below for yourself. Even better, click here to read the entire article.

A Taste of Paris is Incredible!

My expectations were set already high by friends that have already eaten here and Yelp reviews... yet somehow A Taste of Paris still managed to blow my mind. I have to be honest. When I first heard a restaurant called "A Taste of Paris" was coming to the old Beard Papa space, I assumed it was just going to be another generic sandwich shop. What downtown San Jose ended up getting is a truly AUTHENTIC French Delicatessen with sets the bar for sandwiches downtown.

The authenticity begins with the proprietor Lionel Haeberle, a 6th generation French baker who also happens to be a fully trained French Chef. Then we have the food itself. The bread is made fresh throughout the day, from scratch, using base ingredients imported from France. Even the mustard is imported! Then you have small touches to complete the feel, such as French music playing throughout the cafe.

The menu is concise and focused on quality over quantity. My wife and I were fortunate enough to sample most of the menu, and EVERYTHING was amazing... the Brie Baguette, Pate, Cassoulet (traditional French country soup), Nutella Croissant, Almond Pastries, and even simple Ginger Cookies were incredible. The prices are also unexpectedly reasonable, especially considering the quality and meticulous prep work. 

In addition to their menu, they are also selling a few high-end imported products from France, such as slow roasted coffee, their mustard (which comes in thick glass jars), and jams. The selection here is going to be expanding over the next few weeks.

One last interesting tidbit is they are planning to build a traditional French patio, which would have an overhang above outdoor seating right on Paseo do San Antonio.

To summarize... authentic French delicatessen with phenomenal sandwiches and desserts. You might as well throw a dart at the menu when you get there because anything you order will impress. A very welcome addition to downtown San Jose!

Grand Opening of Paesano Ristorante!

Little Italy San Jose is about to launch their first Italian restaurant! Information on the grand opening ceremony  tomorrow is below. I can't wait to try this place out!

We are excited to announce the long awaited Grand Opening of Paesano Ristorante will be this weekend.

 

What: Paesano Ristorante Grand Opening

When: Sunday December 5th (Main Grand Opening event) and Saturday December 4th (Additional Grand Opening)

Where: 350 West Julian #1

Phone # for Reservations - 408 - 217-9327

Details:  In addition to the Grand opening event on Sunday December 5th, we will host an Italian Christmas celebration with La Befana, Tree Lighting ceremony, and an Italian Choir.

 

Help us congratulate Giuseppe "Pino" Spatola and support our Little Italy business.

 

Thanks, Joshua DeVincenzi Melander

2011 Michelin Restaurant Ratings

The Michelin Guide is one of the most renowned dining guides in the world. A restaurant getting a Michelin star is the equivalent to an athlete getting a medal in the Olympics. Last year I ranted about San Jose not claiming a single Michelin star restaurant, and it looks like this year the situation has not changed. At least in the 2011 Michelin Guide, they are recognizing that the South Bay is indeed an "Area" as last year they listed Silicon Valley restaurants as "South of San Francisco." You can see the full list below of the 44 Michelin Star recipients (6 of which are in Silicon Valley).

Instead of ranting this year I'll offer an idea and some encouragement. First up, the idea. Michelin star restaurants are huge draws for people. They usually book weeks if not months in advance and are a source of pride and international recognition for the neighborhoods they are in. Why not provide a monetary incentive for restaurants that receive a Michelin star that are located in San Jose (much the same way the USOC provides a monetary incentive for Olympic medalists)? This would encourage pioneering restaurateurs to open up shop in San Jose as well as drive existing restaurants to push their innovation and creativity in order to achieve the highest level of acclaim in their field.

Okay now for some encouragement. There are at least two restaurants in San Jose that are run by chefs that have already earned a Michelin star. This is at least a step in the right direction from last year. The first is Salvatore Calisi who was former head chef of Dio Deka and is now responsible for Ristorante Fratello on Meridian Ave. The second is Michael Miller, who was head chef at Traverse (closed because of dramatic rent hikes), and is now the executive chef at the Silicon Valley Capital Club downtown.

San Jose has achieved so much in the past few decades and already has a knack for innovation and a vibrant restaurant scene. Being known for cutting edge restaurants and have the stars to back that up as a fact (such as Napa does now), well... you can add that to my wishlist for San Jose in 2020.

Every restaurant listed in the MICHELIN Guide is recommended by our team of professional inspectors. The ones listed below have earned stars that reflect their exceptional culinary achievements, regardless of cuisine style. Stars represent only what is on the plate. They do not take into consideration interior decoration, service quality or table settings.

Read the release

Use the links below to make reservations at your favorite San Francisco restaurant, compliments of OpenTable.com.

	Restaurants	Area	Neighborhood	Reservations
Acquerello		San Francisco	Nob Hill	Reserve a table
Alexander's Steakhouse (New)*		South Bay	Cupertino	Reserve a table
Ame*		San Francisco	SoMa	Reserve a table
Applewood (New)		Wine Country	Sonoma County	Reserve a table
Auberge du Soleil		Wine Country	Napa Valley	Reserve a table
Aziza		San Francisco	Richmond & Sunset	Reserve a table
Baumé (New)*		South Bay	Palo Alto	Reserve a table
Bouchon		Wine Country	Napa Valley	Reserve a table
Boulevard		San Francisco	SoMa	Reserve a table
Campton Place (New)		San Francisco	Financial District	Reserve a table
Chez TJ*		South Bay	Mountain View	Reserve a table
Commis		East Bay	Oakland	Reserve a table
Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, The*		San Francisco	Nob Hill	Reserve a table
Dio Deka (New)		South Bay	Los Gatos	Reserve a table
étoile		Wine Country	Napa Valley	Reserve a table
Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant		Wine Country	Sonoma County	Reserve a table
Fleur de Lys		San Francisco	Financial District	Reserve a table
Frances (New)		San Francisco	Castro	Reserve a table
Gary Danko*		San Francisco	North Beach
La Folie		San Francisco	Nob Hill	Reserve a table
La Toque		Wine Country	Napa Valley	Reserve a table
Luce*		San Francisco	SoMa	Reserve a table
Madera (New)*		Peninsula	Menlo Park	Reserve a table
Madrona Manor		Wine Country	Sonoma County	Reserve a table
Masa's		San Francisco	Nob Hill	Reserve a table
Mirepoix (New)		Wine Country	Sonoma County
Murray Circle		Marin	Sausalito	Reserve a table
One Market		San Francisco	SoMa	Reserve a table
Plumed Horse*		South Bay	Saratoga	Reserve a table
Quince		San Francisco	North Beach	Reserve a table
Redd		Wine Country	Napa Valley	Reserve a table
Saison (New)*		San Francisco	Mission	Reserve a table
Santé		Wine Country	Sonoma County	Reserve a table
Solbar		Wine Country	Napa Valley	Reserve a table
Spruce (New)		San Francisco	Marina	Reserve a table
Terra		Wine Country	Napa Valley	Reserve a table
Ubuntu		Wine Country	Napa Valley	Reserve a table
Village Pub, The*		Peninsula	Woodside	Reserve a table
Wakuriya (New)		Peninsula	San Mateo

	Restaurants	City	Neighborhood	Reservations
Coi		San Francisco	North Beach	Reserve a table
Cyrus		Wine Country	Sonoma County	Reserve a table
Manresa*		South Bay	Los Gatos	Reserve a table

	Restaurants	City	Neighborhood	Reservations
French Laundry, The		Wine Country	Napa Valley	Reserve a table
Restaurant at Meadowood, The (New)		Wine Country	Napa Valley	Reserve a table

* Restaurants Josh has been to