This week marked the first under the region’s new, restrictive stay-at-home order that has re-shuttered businesses and outlawed gatherings of basically any size if it includes people from outside a single household. But restaurants can still offer takeout and delivery, and after eight months of limited dining due to the stealthy coronavirus, they’ll need orders more than ever during the wait for the pandemic to turn a corner—which could be early next year, if politicians are to be believed.
Newly Open
Chika
300 Santana Row STE 110, San Jose; 408.320.4366
Chika, which considers itself a “gourmet Mexican rosticeria,” is named after a matriarch who dominated home cooking with flair in 1960’s Mexico City. It’s open 11am to 10pm Monday to Thursday; 11am to midnight Friday; 10am to midnight Saturday and 10am to 10pm Sunday.
MOHI Social
yelp.com/biz/mohi-social-morgan-hill
17440 Monterey Rd, Morgan Hill; 408.612.8805
MOHI Social, in the Granada Theater, is the newest South Bay popup to serve California-inspired dishes. Soon it will source ingredients from its own farm and former event catering operation, MOHI Farm. Open 11am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 8pm on Sunday.
Date Night
Crouching Tiger Restaurant & Bar
2644 Broadway St, Redwood City; 650.298.8881
Crouching Tiger Restaurant & Bar offers an authentic mix of Sichuan, Hunan and Mandarin dishes and a variety of specialty “dragon” cocktails, including a lychee martini. Open 11am to 9pm Monday to Thursday; until 9:30pm Friday and Saturday and from 11:30am to 9pm Sunday.
Flowers Saratoga
14577 Big Basin Way, Saratoga; 408.647.2727
Flowers Saratoga is the newest South Bay fine dining concept launched in the Covid era from the people behind Hero Ranch Kitchen. It’s open 5pm to 10pm Wednesday to Saturday and until 9pm on Sunday. Brunch is from 11am to 1:30pm Saturday and Sunday.
Orchestria Palm Court
27 E William St, San Jose; 408.288.5606
Orchestria Palm Court, situated in the heart of San Jose, is known for its century-old self-playing instruments playing the same jazz, show tunes and operettas they played 100 years ago. They even offer a sampling on the website. Open 6 to 8:30pm Friday and Saturday.
Enchante Hotel
1 Main St, Los Altos; 650.946.2000
Campagne One Main Bistro, the Enchante’s Hotel’s restaurant, offers guests and locals staple French-American fare. It’s open for lunch from 7am to 2:30pm Monday to Friday and for dinner daily from 4 to 10pm. Brunch is served between 10:30am and 2pm on Saturdays.
Black Sheep Brasserie
1202 Lincoln Ave STE 30, San Jose; 408.816.7251
One of Willow Glen’s premier cocktail bars, Black Sheep Brasserie offers classic and creatively named cocktails crafted from local ingredients alongside entrees of lamb chops, filet mignon and gnocchi. Open 5 to 8pm Tuesday to Thursday and until 8:30pm Friday and Saturday.
Town
716 Laurel St, San Carlos; 650.598.0119
Known for its steaks, Town was born from the ashes of the former restaurant Tavola after it went ablaze more than 15 years ago. Open 11:30am to 10pm Monday to Friday; 10am to 10pm Saturday; and 10am to 9:30pm Sunday. Brunch is from 10am to 2:30pm Saturday and Sunday.
Casual Dining
Asian Street Eatery
1146 W. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale; 408.685.2598
Simple street food is an everyday go-to in Asia, where dishes like pork siu mai, ha gao and flavorful steamed buns line the streets. Now it’s ready to pick up in Sunnyvale. Open daily from 10:30am to 8:30pm Monday to Thursday and from 9am to 8:30pm Friday to Sunday.
Epic Dumpling
673 Grape Ave, Sunnyvale; 408.685.2118
Craving dim sum in the South Bay? Epic Dumpling is open for lunch and dinner daily, from 11am to 2:30pm and 5pm to 9pm Monday to Friday and 11am to 3pm and 5pm to 9pm Friday to Sunday. Those who pick up their own food can get 10 percent off any order worth at least $30.
Bevri
530 Bryant St, Palo Alto; 650.384.6500
Bevri, which means “a lot” in Georgian, is a true gem situated in the heart of the Bay Area as the only restaurant to offer khachapuri, a hot gooey traditional bread staple from the Balkans. It’s open from noon to 9pm Monday to Wednesday and until 10pm Thursday to Saturday.
Curry Up Now
3250 Zanker Rd #30, San Jose; 408.770.3541
Renowned around the Bay Area for its Indian style street food, Curry Up Now has become a favorite for Southeast Asians in the South Bay. Open from daily from 11:30am to 9pm.
Must Be Thai
3143 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose; 408.816.7179
Must Be Thai is all about traditional Thai dishes served up with a twist. Open for lunch and dinner (closed for about an hour in between) daily from 11am to 9 or 9:30pm.
LVL Up
400 E Campbell Ave, Campbell; 408.429.8472
The guys behind LVL Up were inspired by memories of playing Candyland and eating pizza rolls for their barcade, which serves game-inspired cocktails (like the Princess Peach sangria), fully loaded mac and cheeses and wings to-go. Open 5 to 10pm Sunday to Thursday and until 11pm Friday and Saturday.
Woof’s Bar
2255 The Alameda, Santa Clara; 408.638.7925
During the day, Woof’s Bar serves boba drinks, and a mix of fresh cocktails by night. Open daily from 12pm to 8pm. To celebrate its one-year anniversary, Woof’s is offering buy-one-get-one free drinks on Dec. 12 and 13.
Taro
717 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto; 650.815.2700
Chef Jerome Ito elevates his noodle-making by using a traditional method of making udon noodles in the Shinuchi style, one of the first to be used in Silicon Valley. It’s open daily from 11am to 8pm.
Tacomania
150 S First St STE 117, San Jose; 408.459.7667
5292 Monterey Hwy, San Jose; 408.225.8353
2915 Monterey Hwy, San Jose 888.997.5486
2455 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose; 408.858.8903
672 Coleman Ave, San Jose; 408.703.6805
1384 Lincoln Ave, Willow Glen; 408.769.4990
2070 Old Middlefield Rd, Mountain View; 650.242.0222
565 First St, Gilroy; 408.842.5720
Tacomania’s Mexican food is so synonymous with Silicon Valley, it even has its own app. Customers can order ahead, drive to their nearest shop and make a sign to hang in their car window to get curbside service. Open daily at 10am, but exact hours vary by location.
Halal Gyro Express
yelp.com/biz/halal-gyro-express-san-jose
3730 N First St, San Jose; 408.526.0444
This classic middle-eastern spot, offering lamb and chicken gyros, falafel and plates filled with a delicious yogurt spread is open daily from 11am to 10pm.
Icing on the Cake
50 W Main St, Los Gatos; 408.354.2464
Icing on the Cake offers a rotating menu, updated every Saturday of sweets, including cakes, pies, bread pudding, cookies and even treats ready to bake at home. The bakery is open for takeout from 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Saturday.
Pizza Flora
78 S 1st St, San Jose; 408.560.5065
Pizza Flora may specialize in vegan and vegetarian dishes, but it still has all the classics, including cheese, pepperoni and margherita, alongside some speciality ‘za. It’s open for takeout from 11am to 9pm Monday to Saturday and from 12pm to 8pm Sunday.
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