Wednesday Wishlist: For SJ to Host the Best Food Truck Events Ever

While it may have started out as some sort of fad, I think it's pretty clear that gourmet food trucks are here to stay. These trucks allows restauranteurs to keep their overhead low and bring their food to any location with street access. By removing many of the price and location barriers of setting up a restaurant, what you essentially get are true entrepreneurs putting out some of the most creative food experiences out there... all on wheels. Entrepreneurship and creativity is what San Jose thrives on, so what better place to host the ultimate food truck experience?

Thankfully, this is one wish that I think will happen in 2011. SJ Eats 1.0 last month was a learning experience that proved there is a market for food truck events in San Jose. This Saturday, brace yourself for SJ Eats 2.0. More trucks, more space, local music, and maybe even a sneak peak at what San Pedro Square will be like after the Urban Market opens up. Below is the list of food trucks that have been announced so far:

LUNCH (11a-3p) More to come!
Babaloo - Organic Cuban
Bill's Beer Steamed Hot Dog Cart
Cabana Dave's - Globally Inspired
Curry Up Now - Indian Street Food
Hapa SF - Organic Filipino
Iz It - Hawaiianese
Louisiana Territory - Cajun
MoBowl - Rice Bowls
MoGo BBQ - Korean Mexican
Rib Whip
Seoul on Wheels - Nontraditional Korean
Treatbot - Karaoke Ice Cream
Wow - Filipino Silogs

DINNER (5p-9p) More to come!
Curry Up Now - Indian Street Food
Kara's Cupcakes - Dessert
Little Green Cyclo - Vietnamese
Louisiana Territory - Cajun
MoGo BBQ - Korean Mexican
No Way Jose - Mexican
Senor Sisig - Filipino Fusion
Southern Sandwich - Southern BBQ
Tikka Bytes - Custom Indian
Treatbot - Karaoke Ice Cream
Quick Dog - Hot Dogs
Wow - Filipino Silogs
House of Siam
Toasty Melts

For more info, check out their Facebook page right over here. 

Guadalupe River Park Expansion!

Great news today. Yves from the Department of Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services wants to share information regarding an expansion to the Guadalupe River Trail. I'm hoping that one day this will become our Central Park, and it's already off to a great start. If you haven't walked it lately, now is a great time to check it out. Full info on the improvements below.

Hi Josh,

I wanted to share some good downtown news with you and your readers.

The City of San Jose has been developing an extension to the Guadalupe River Trail over the past year.  The project starts at the Woz Way, near the Children’s Discovery Museum and follows the west bank of the river along the parking lot, beneath the freeway interchange and leads to Virginia Street.  The 0.4 mile extension provides views of the river and busy urban scene.  Along the way, trail users can stop to enjoy two interpretive signs; one discusses “Goosetown” (Italian immigrant neighborhood) and the other shares information about the Ohlone tribes that lived along the river.  Decorative pavement at both Woz Way and Virginia Street greet visitors and helps to draw attention to this new recreational and bike commuting resource.  This project came together because of collaboration between the City of San Jose, Caltrans, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Army Corps of Engineers and the State Resources Agency. 

Information about the Guadalupe River Trail including maps and photos can be found at:

http://www.sjparks.org/Trails/GRiver/index.asp

Information about San Jose’s trails can be found at:

http://www.sjparks.org/Trails/

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the project or trail development throughout the City.  I enjoy reading your blog every morning and am happy to finally be able to share a contribution.

Thanks

- Yves Zsutty, Trail Manager

History of Veggielution Video

Great video detailing the history of Emma Prusch Park and the Veggielution community. It's crazy to think we have an organic farm in the middle of San Jose. This is as local as you can possibly get with your produce!

ArtHouse Event at the San Jose ICA Today

The Silicon Valley Lofts & Condos blog has info on a really interesting event happening today. This is a great way to support local art!

ArtHouse at San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art This Weekend

Posted by Eric

Another fantastic event happening this weekend is ArtHouse at the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1. ArtHouse is a weekend long event at the ICA in downtown San Jose’s SoFA District (SoFA) filled with art, art-making workshops, exhibitions, speakers, food, and art tours. There will be plenty of creativity flowing at ICA with all of the art to view and art to purchase as well. ArtHouse is a free event that will showcase the exhibits, activities, and events happening at the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art. The ArtHouse event will benefit the artists, members, and community of ICA.

Some of the fantastic events at ArtHouse that you will not want to miss are:

The Print Fair: an open portfolio sale by more than 35 Bay Area printmakers
11:00am - 4:00pm on Saturday and Sunday

Printapalooza!
Morning and afternoon art-making workshops at the ICA Print Center

AIR Print Exhibition
Original art work by current ICA Artists in Residence

Talking Art
A lunchtime speaking series and demonstrations with visiting artists

Exhibition Tours
Guided tours with ICA curators and exhibiting artists

Food
Available for purchase by gourmet food trucks The Louisiana Territory and No Way Jose

ArtHouse is funded in part by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Endowment, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

ArtHouse
Saturday, April 30 - Sunday, May 1
9:00am - 5:00pm
San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA)
560 S. First Street
Downtown San Jose
(408) 283-8155

Free Admission

For additional information about ArtHouse or ICA, please check out the website here.

How was Game 1 against the Red Wings?

You tell us, Sharks fans.

An adrenaline-pumped Shark Tank was ready to roll. From the onset, the Sharks played well, although a sneaky goal by Red Wing defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom in the first period kept the score 1-0 for the majority of the game. Until the third period, the Sharks were able to keep the Red Wings from scoring again, but had not been able to score themselves.

The Sharks peppered Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard with shots, as evidenced by the Sharks' shot tally of 46, compared to the Red Wings' 25. Unfortunately, without much screening the goalie and without having players open in good positions in front of the net, the Sharks were unable to score. Fortunes changed when the Sharks' own Joe "Pavs" Pavelski tapped in a Joe Thornton shot to tie the game on a third period power play.

Until the very end, the crowd was going wild, with intermittent cheers and jeering directed at Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard (mostly in retaliation for his sucker punch on Joe Pavelski earlier in the game). It only escalated from there as the eventual OT goal by birthday boy Benn Ferriero sealed the Sharks' victory.

The Sharks now lead the series 1-0.

Haley Goodlett's Closing Reception Today

from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

You're invited to join the artist for her closing reception. In addition to a broad series of paintings, Haley will have new jewelery on display for your enjoyment.

Saturday, April 30th 12-5pm.

Gallery TEN10
1010 East Taylor St
San Jose

San Jose Rap Group Releases New Album

San Jose based Laid Back Music has just released their latest album and you can listen to it online for free right over here.

Round Two Begins Tonight!

That's right, Sharks fans, a repeat of last year's second round of the playoffs: the San Jose Sharks versus the Detroit Red Wings! As it had been last year, this will not be an easy road for the Sharks. Although the Sharks, as expected, beat the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference quarterfinals, it took six games to do it. (Granted, the Kings had the hot Jonathan Quick in net to impede their progress.)

The Red Wings, on the other hand, dispatched the Phoenix Coyotes in four straight games, ending their first series of games rather quickly and setting a tone they hope to continue during their nineteenth consecutive playoff run.

In the past, the Sharks have proven to be formidable Red Wing slayers, especially in the most clutch of situations. Judging by the way coach Todd McLellan has been playing his team, the Sharks are more than ready to take on the Red Wings yet again to make their way to the Conference Finals. It was evident in the Sharks' series versus the Kings that the Sharks continued their high puck control in the offensive zone and shot output, but lacked in effective shot percentages for essential goals. In the Sharks' 3-1 loss in Game 5, they managed to get 52 shots on net, as opposed to the Kings' 22. Unleashing over twice the number of shots on net as one's opponent yet still managing that kind of loss may be the sign of a hot goalie, but in playoff hockey, that is to be expected, and shots are necessary to be more lethal as a result.

Sharks fans alike, we all are in for quite a series, especially since it is the Red Wings we face. As the Sharks were seeded higher during the regular season, there will be home ice advantage. It is up to you, the fans, to represent, and show your support!

GO SHARKS!