Ristorante Don Giovanni owner John Akkaya prepares for another free Thanksgiving dinner in Mountain View, complete with turkey, gravy, yams, corn and other holiday staples.
Restaurants News - page 48
What to get for the foodie who’s eaten everything? We’ve rounded up some of the best of what South Bay food artisans have to offer, all of which make excellent gifts. With everything from bacon-toffee chocolate to handmade red velvet macarons, there’s bound to be something exciting for even the Grinchiest food lover.
Is a pizza with Brussels sprouts and honey still an authentic pizza? Yes, according to Angelo Womack, one of the owners of Los Gatos’ new pizza-centric restaurant, Oak & Rye—so long, he says, as the concoction is fun and tastes good. SanJose.com talked with Womack about all things wood-fired.
HP Market opened in October after almost three years of renovations. The new owner, Henry Nguyen, did extensive research before deciding which local and international products to stock. Looking to Zanotto’s as a model, his market carries some local products such as fresh Sumano’s bread, a Watsonville-based bakery, and an array of Asian, Italian and Spanish specialties.
Going out to eat on Thanksgiving is already a tradition for some families, and a number of Silicon Valley restaurants have Thanksgiving menus at the ready, giving everyone a pass this year on eating turkey sandwiches for a week and a half after the holiday. Here’s a sampling of local eateries serving Thanksgiving dinner.
La Fontaine owner and chef Hasan Yildiz knows Northern Italian food: he should, after an eight-year run as head chef at downtown Mountain View’s beloved Vaso Azzuro, which specializes in the cuisine. As at Vaso Azzuro, Yildiz focuses on Northern Italian cuisine at La Fontaine, but mixes it up a little by adding French dishes to the menu.
Little Cheese Shoppe, one of the first retail spaces in downtown San Jose’s San Pedro Square Market, closed in mid-October. The shop sold a selection of artisan cheeses and accompaniments such as olives, crackers and honey, and also served soups, charcuterie and sandwiches. Recently, the vision of San Pedro Square Market has begun to shift, with more of a focus on eateries without a retail component.
In the land of fast-casual food, drive-thru coffee shops and online delivery, perhaps a new Italian-style café can help bring a refreshing pause to dining habits often governed by convenience and busy schedules. Owners Laura Mills and Edie Givens conducted research over a period of four years, studying 20-30 cafes in Italy before rolling out their own.
Located in San Jose, Misaka Grill embodies the Japanese “izakaya”, a concept that North America is just starting to wake up to. Like a Japanese tapas bar, izakayas serve small plate designed to be shared, along with a variety of liquor. We talk to owner James Culpepper about bringing an izakaya to the South Bay.
