E&O Trading Company is Being Replaced by a Mediterranean Restaurant

The owners of Flames in Downtown San Jose are bringing a 6,000 sqft Mediterranean/Greek restaurant to South First Street in the space that used to house E&O Trading Company. The plan is to launch the restaurant by late summer. When it opens, it will be the only Greek restaurant Downtown. There was one planned for Post Street, but plans feel through late last year. Click here for more info!

On an unrelated note, there is also a new Yogurt shop coming to Santa Clara Street.  It will have some big shoes to fill with Penguin Froyo gone.

The San Jose Blog Turns Two!!!

Today is our second year anniversary! What started out as a humble personal blog has become one of the largest online communities for people who love San Jose.

The original goal of this blog was to show people that San Jose is an amazing place to live, and I think we've achieved that. The goal for the next year will be to go beyond just showcasing and promoting what makes SJ great, and also try to highlight what makes San Jose unique from other cosmopolitan cities around the world. There is a unique culture here, and I don't think it gets enough recognition.

As for what is in store today, we have a lot of great content coming soon and that includes some exclusive info! So sit back, have a slice of cake, and enjoy the posts coming every 2 hours or so all day long.

The San Jose Blog's 2 Year Anniversary is Tomorrow!

We have a lot of content headed your way tomorrow, including some exclusive news.  Please stay tuned throughout Tuesday as we'll have posts coming to you morning through night!

Happy Mother's Day!

I have 2 quick plugs for this Mother's Day.  The first is Morocco's, which is having a really nice Mother's Day Dinner today:

Mother's Day at Morocco's & Belly Dancing With Sandra

Sunday May 8th | 12:00pm - 10:00pm
Join us for Family Style Dining all day! $29.95 gives you access to our unlimited 8 Course Family Style menu. View at www.moroccosrestaurant.com/moroccan-menu.html. $20 gets you unlimited Bloody Marys or Mimosas from 11am to 3pm. Belly Dancing performance will occur around 7PM with Sandra. Preview her at http://www.raks-sharki.com/ Enchant your friends and family today with beautiful dishes and a hearty time in the magical Morocco's Restaurant.

And the second is The Usuals, which is having a Mother's Day Sale:

 

The San Jose Blog Anniversary This Tuesday

Next week is The San Jose Blog's 2 year anniversary! This is just a quick heads up that you can expect many posts coming your way on Tuesday, May 10th as well as a few upgrades to the site itself!

SJ Eats 2.0 - Today!

More food trucks. 300% more space. Held at the Peralta Adobe in San Pedro Square, the historical heart of the city. We are bringing some of the best food trucks and carts in the Bay. Site of the soon to be open San Pedro Square Market. FREE admission.

LUNCH (11a-3p)

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

No Way Jose - Mexican

Seoul on Wheels - Nontraditional Korean

Tac-Gos - Mexican

Treatbot - Karaoke Ice Cream

Wow - Filipino Silogs

DINNER (5p-9p)

An The Go - Noodles

Curry Up Now - Indian Street Food

House of Siam - Thai

Kara's Cupcakes - Dessert

Little Green Cyclo - Vietnamese

Louisiana Territory - Cajun

MoGo BBQ - Korean Mexican

No Way Jose - Mexican

Southern Sandwich - Southern BBQ

Tikka Bytes - Custom Indian

Treatbot - Karaoke Ice Cream

Quick Dog - Hot Dogs

Wow - Filipino Silogs

LIVE MUSIC 1st Run(12pm-3pm)

12p-12:30p Christian Vela from Los Hot Boxers(Latin)

12:30p-1:00p TBA

1:00p-1:45p Native Brew(World)

1:45p-2:00p Musical Break

2:00p-2:30p Troy Curtis(Acoustic)

2:30p-3:00p Lani Grooves(R&B/Soul)

LIVE MUSIC 2nd Run(5pm-9pm)

5p-6p Jam session featuring local mc's and members of Panthelion, Citabria, Rebelskamp, and much more!

6p-6:30p Rebelskamp(Jam Band)

6:30p-7:00p Aivar(Reggae/Rock)

7:00p-7:30p My People's(Reggae)

7:30p-8:00p Cado(Latin)

8:00p-8:45p Paolos/Elias(Reggae)

At 5pm there will be a jam session with members of Panthelion, Citabria, Rebelskamp, and much more. We are going to create a drum circle cypher with some of the illest local mc's around! Make sure to come and watch this magic unfold.

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk Today!

from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

The South FIRST FRIDAYS art walk is an eclectic evening of Arts & Culture in
downtown San Jose's SoFA district (and beyond!) every First Friday of the month

JOIN US for the next South FIRST FRIDAYS art walk on MAY 6th!
7pm ’til 11pm — ART WALK venues are free and open to the public


KALEID Gallery – 88 South Fourth St.

Artist’s Reception: RENASCI by Emonic
RENASCI is the Latin word meaning rebirth or to be renewed. The body of work presented will deal with concepts and subject material based on human energy for an upcoming illustrated book called CRETUM due later next year.
On view through May 27th



Artist’s Reception: The Strip by Katie C. Gutierrez
Intrigued with the notion of distilling a place as visually overwhelming as Las Vegas down into simplified points of bleeding light, Gutierrez encaustically collages her own photos with iconic vintage Vegas imagery to create her own brilliant yet hazy version of this place she loves to hate.
On view through May 27th


Phantom Galleries – art exhibits in vacant storefronts and alternative spaces

66 South First St: Connections by Lacey Bryant
Bryant is interested in the disconnect between humans and nature and sets out to examine and reconcile that divide. The subjects of these paintings interact with creatures, sharing messages, fruit, freedom. The relationships they share are on equal footing. However, as with much of her work there are things left a mystery. We don’t know what message was shared or what the recipient’s reaction will be. Some of the questions left are more tenebrous-is the fruit being offered or stolen? This lingering tension encourages a dialogue, and a way to look at ourselves through a different lens.



386 South First St: The Palette Knife Dance… paintings by Ruthy Gold
A series of paintings (acrylic on canvas using a pallet knife only) capturing the movement and flow of real life moments.


Caffé Trieste – 315 South First St.

Opening Reception: Barbarians and Beauties by Sandi Billingsley
A series of work inspired by the conflict Billingsley has felt and witnessed in some women: the desire to be a hard competitor in the workplace and the desire to be a gentle object of desire. On view through June 25th.
First Fridays are Opera Night! at Caffé Trieste with some of the Bay Area’s best opera singers performing your favorite arias and duets.


Good Karma Vegan Café – 37 South First St.

Opening Reception: Alviso Slough photography Josh Marcotte
A forgotten portal to the bay perched on the edge of the city, once crowded with steamboats and stagecoaches, Alviso sits eclipsed in the sun. Forgotten waterways and abandoned buildings litter a town swallowed up by San Jose annexation. “Alone, I wander the streets with a camera in my hand, in a place that is truly lost in San Jose.”


Pho69 – 321 South First St.

On View: Janice Kirkpatrick (nee MEYER) Visionary Reflections
Kirkpatrick’s work combines strong colors with unique inner visions of universal symbolism. Her paintings and drawings often reflect dream imagery, with a lyrical musical influence. The imagery and forms she creates depict a strong sense of intuitive knowing and a deeper understanding of the magic in the natural world. She is able to transmit this to us in color, energy and form to change us on a deep inner level. Even though she had her start in Africa, she is heavily influenced by many world cultures and spirituality. She has a special affinity for the Native American culture, India, Hawaii and long gone cultures such as Atlantis and Lemuria.
Pho69 also features live contemporary music on First Fridays. Come check out local bands performing favorite covers and original music.

All this plus new exhibits at Anno Domini, MACLA, Higher Fire Clayspace, SLG Artboutiki, Downtown Yoga Shala, METRO, the Art Ark and San Jose Jazz at Eulipia.
For full listing of events and information: please visit www.SouthFirstFridays.com or call 408-271-5155


Media Sponsor: Metro Newspapers
Enjoy FREE PEDICAB RIDES between art venues courtesy of South First Fridays and Eco City Cycles!


The South FIRST FRIDAYS art walk event is produced by Two Fish Design with additional support provided by the San Jose Downtown Association, the San Jose Redevelopment Agency and 1st ACT Silicon Valley.

Cinco De Mayo Guide

SanJose.com has a handy guide about what's happening in Downtown San Jose tonight for Cinco de Mayo. To see the list, just click over here.