Sunday, October 18, 2015
Anthony Bourdain Visits San Jose's Japantown for an Episode of "Parts Unknown"
Parts Unknown is an emmy-award winning show hosted by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. Last June he swung by the Bay Area to learn more about our changing food scene and ended up at Japantown's Minato chomping on chicken katsu with curry sauce and cod cheek. The show airs tonight at 9pm on CNN. The San Jose segment appears just before the 30 minute mark.
The Chardonnay Run Comes to San Jose on October 24th
A 5K wine racing series called "The Chardonnay Run" is coming to Downtown San Jose on Sunday, October 24th. The untimed run will begin and end in the Arena Green near the SAP Center and the finish line has a festival featuring food, live music, and as the name implies--plenty of wine. For more information, check out the event website over here.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
San Jose Bike Share is Planning a Huge Expansion!
Two years ago, Bay Area Bike Share officially launched in San Jose. The program allows residents and visitors to rent bikes 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Membership is inexpensive, costing only $88/year or $9 for a 24-hour rental. The bikes are pretty nice and feature LED lights, a 7-speed grip shift, and drum brakes. You can pick up a bike at any station and drop that same bike off at any station, you do not have to return it to the original destination.
The program has been quite successful, especially in Downtown San Jose where there are 14 stations. There is also a station in Japantown and another near the Civic Center on First Street. Now the Bay Area Bike Share program is growing ten-fold and San Jose will have well over 100 stations by the end of 2017! Combined with dozens of miles of new bike lanes that are currently being planned, this will make San Jose one of the most bike-friendly cities in the nation.
Bay Area Bike Share is looking for suggestions on where to locate their new San Jose stations and bikes. To suggest a new station, just head over here. To learn more about the program or become a member, head over to the Bay Area Bike Share website.
The program has been quite successful, especially in Downtown San Jose where there are 14 stations. There is also a station in Japantown and another near the Civic Center on First Street. Now the Bay Area Bike Share program is growing ten-fold and San Jose will have well over 100 stations by the end of 2017! Combined with dozens of miles of new bike lanes that are currently being planned, this will make San Jose one of the most bike-friendly cities in the nation.
Bay Area Bike Share is looking for suggestions on where to locate their new San Jose stations and bikes. To suggest a new station, just head over here. To learn more about the program or become a member, head over to the Bay Area Bike Share website.
Friday, October 16, 2015
The 7th Annual San Jose International Short Film Festival
Next weekend the 2015 San Jose International Short Film Festival kicks off at Santana Row's CineArts Theater. This will be the largest event in the film festival's history. Over 180 short films will be screened over the four-day festival, grouped into 30 different categories. Film makers across 20 different countries will be represented this year.
Tickets range from $12 for a 90 minute collection of films to $125 for a VIP all-access plan (includes all screenings, special events, after-parties, access to the VIP lounge in Santana Row, and a T-shirt). The festival runs from October 22nd to October 25th.
For more information and to buy tickets, head over here.
Tickets range from $12 for a 90 minute collection of films to $125 for a VIP all-access plan (includes all screenings, special events, after-parties, access to the VIP lounge in Santana Row, and a T-shirt). The festival runs from October 22nd to October 25th.
For more information and to buy tickets, head over here.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
The 88 Interactive Art Codes - "Show Your Stripes" v2.0
My favorite art project Downtown is still the LED light installation at The 88. Few people realize that the lights are completely interactive and can be controlled by anyone. Where else can you completely change four stories of a high-rise facade with nothing but a cell phone?
All you need to do is dial (408) 287-0128, wait for the tone, then enter any 3 digits (including # or *), then press 0 and hang up. I recommend saving this number on your phone and impressing your friends whenever you walk by The 88.
Last month, the artist Jim Conti significantly expanded the number of codes available. When "Show Your Stripes" launched in 2008, there were only 129 possible combinations. Now there are 318!!! During SubZERO last June, Jim asked festival-goers for feedback and ideas. The new additions are a direct result of that feedback.
Below you can find a full list of all public codes and a rough description of the effect. There are also some secret codes that are not on the list such as *14, *25, *69, *88, ***, and my personal favorite *#*. If you find any other "Easter Egg" codes that are not on the list below, let me know and I'll add them to this post!
All you need to do is dial (408) 287-0128, wait for the tone, then enter any 3 digits (including # or *), then press 0 and hang up. I recommend saving this number on your phone and impressing your friends whenever you walk by The 88.
Last month, the artist Jim Conti significantly expanded the number of codes available. When "Show Your Stripes" launched in 2008, there were only 129 possible combinations. Now there are 318!!! During SubZERO last June, Jim asked festival-goers for feedback and ideas. The new additions are a direct result of that feedback.
Below you can find a full list of all public codes and a rough description of the effect. There are also some secret codes that are not on the list such as *14, *25, *69, *88, ***, and my personal favorite *#*. If you find any other "Easter Egg" codes that are not on the list below, let me know and I'll add them to this post!
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Content Magazine Pickup Party Today!
Content is celebrating the release of Issue 7.4 "Phase" tonight with its readers and contributors. This time around the party will be at the Rockbar Theater (360 Saratoga Avenue) and run from 7pm to 10pm. Subscribers and a +1 get in for free and will even receive a drink ticket and appetizer on the house at the Vodka Lounge Bar (random fact, they have over 100 vodkas here). Non-subscribers can still get in by paying $15 at the door per person, and that includes the latest issue.
To subscribe to Content Magazine and get invite to great events like this one, head over here. This is truly the best magazine out there for San Joseans.
To subscribe to Content Magazine and get invite to great events like this one, head over here. This is truly the best magazine out there for San Joseans.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Silicon Valley Sign Art Contest
Silicon Valley needs more landmarks. We live in the most innovative place on earth, yet there is a severe lack of branding for the region. A while back, Hafid Alfonso proposed a dynamic sign on the hillside that would serve as a beacon for the Valley. Now to keep the conversation going, he has partnered with the SJSU Engineering Honors Society to discover who has the best idea for a Silicon Valley sign.
The Silicon Valley Sign Art Contest runs until October 25th and the winner will be published on local media (including this site) and presented to a local Chamber of Commerce.
You can find more details below. To participate or learn more about the contest, click here.
The Silicon Valley Sign Art Contest runs until October 25th and the winner will be published on local media (including this site) and presented to a local Chamber of Commerce.
You can find more details below. To participate or learn more about the contest, click here.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Downtown San Jose Restaurant List Updates! (2015 Q4 Edition)
Today we get to discuss the latest changes to Downtown San Jose Restaurants. First off, the good news. We are up to a grand total of 260 eateries! This is yet another record-breaking number for Downtown San Jose! Our little database had 206 eateries in 2011.
As always there were some significant closures as well. The ones that stood out to me were Sonoma Chicken Coup and South First Billiards (which was a cool place, but I'll be the first to say the food was not great). On the other hand, quite a few places opened up in the last few months. Here are some notable additions to the Downtown restaurant scene as well as a look into the future:
- Lou's Beachshack - The third incarnation of Lou's Village, located at the San Pedro Square Market. I love their fish sandwiches, popcorn shrimp, and abalone sliders. This is a solid addition to Downtown and a great nostalgic return of one of San Jose's most famous establishments.
- Oni Mexicantessan - Killer Mexican sandwiches, also at the San Pedro Square Market. This is a sister restaurant to Loteira Taco Bar down the hall.
- Deluxe Eatery & Drinkery - New American restaurant on San Fernando with a notable chef (Chad Ferry: The Plumed Horse, Paolo's, Spagos). Have not been here yet, but I can't wait to try their short rib tater tots.
- Voltaire Coffee House - New boutique coffee shop at the base of 360 Residences. Downtown San Jose has a lot of great coffee shops, and this already ranks among the best.
- Aura Kitchen - New restaurant/nightclub replacing Motif in SoFA. They landed the chef from Nobu London. I've heard great things about this place even though it just opened.
- HOM Korean Kitchen - The Chipotle of Korean Food comes to Santa Clara St. and is open very late!
- Williams St. Restaurants: Added 6 restaurants that are technically within the boarder of Downtown San Jose: Sonia's Kitchen, SA-By Thai, Da Lat Cafe, Pho Cong Ly, Mi Chalateca, and Creasian. Highly recommend trying out Creasian.
- COMING SOON (Now you can find all "Coming Soon" restaurants at the top of the list)
- Hawaiian Poke Bowl (SoFA Market)
- Milk and Wood (SoFA Market)
- Vitamina Juices & Blends (SoFA Market)
- Origins Juicery (1st St., former Discovery Store)
- San Jose Pizza Co. (Santa Clara Street near San Pedro)
- Uproar Brewery (SoFA, former Zer01 Garage)
Below is the change log from the Downtown San Jose Restaurants Database:
| 7/31/2015 | Chef Monalisa closed |
| 7/31/2015 | Added Uproar Brewery in SoFA |
| 8/1/2015 | Added Oni Mexicantessan and Lou's Beach Shack, both in the San Pedro Square Market |
| 8/23/2015 | Changed the formatting so that restaurants "COMING SOON" will always appear at the top of the list |
| 9/8/2015 | Sonoma Chicken Coop and South First Billiards closed |
| 9/9/2015 | Added Deluxe Eatery & Drinkery at 71 E. San Fernando |
| 9/13/2015 | Added 6 restaurants on Williams St. near SJSU: Sonia's Kitchen, SA-By Thai Cuisine, Creasian, Pho Cong Ly, Dalat Cafe, and Mi Chalateca |
| 9/14/2015 | Added Voltaire Coffee House in SoFA |
| 9/21/2015 | Motif has been replaced with Aura Kitchen and Bar on South First Street |
| 10/4/2015 | Replace Cheese Steak Shop on Santa Clara Street with HOM Korean Kitchen |
| 10/4/2015 | Added Origins Juicery, coming soon to 150 S. 1st Street |
If you haven't bookmarked it yet, here's the link to the spreadsheet! There is also a permanent link over to the right entitled Downtown San Jose Restaurants.
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