Halloween falls on a Thursday this year, but plenty of local venues are celebrating a bit early. Check out this list of haunted houses, masquerade balls, raging parties and spooky shows.
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While some local winemakers may operate a tasting room in San Jose, or one of its more densely populated suburbs, most of the grape-growing goes down in the Santa Cruz mountains or out in the spread-out exurbs to the south. Stefania and her husband, Paul—proprietors…
As the economic engine of Silicon Valley continues to draw college graduates and older entrepreneurial dreamers, the region’s swelling population is as hungry as ever. Bay Area-bred locals enjoy their old haunts and yearn for novel edible experiences, while transplants from smaller towns and faraway…
When Paul Kermoyan and his wife Vicki purchased the 2.5-acre parcel in Coyote Valley that would become the P&V Winery estate vineyard, they really were just looking to make wine for themselves. Kermoyan grew up in Fresno, the son of Armenian parents, and has always…
The Hawaiian word “poke” (rhymes with “OK” and not “spoke”) means “to cut into chunks.” More popularly, poke is a native Hawaiian pupu (appetizer)—traditionally prepared simply, with freshly caught island fish, sea salt, seaweed and ground kukui nuts. It’s akin to Hawaiian soul food, and…
Germany’s official Oktoberfest draws nearly 8 million visitors every year. Together these revelers consume a half-million chickens, a quarter-million pairs of sausages—and a whopping 1,822,787 gallons of beer. While the 16-day festival was traditionally held exclusively in the month of October, it was moved up…
Sofia Fedotova never imagined she’d own a California winery. Growing up in the Ural region of Russia, she worked for a consulting firm specializing in seminars for CPAs. In a tale of internet matchmaking gone right, Sofia’s online profile caught the eye of one John…
The Alhambra Irish House serves a portion of fish and chips ($22) large enough to elicit a “Yabba Dabba Doo!” from the brontosaurus burger-loving Fred Flintstone. My serving of the Icelandic haddock wasn’t that much smaller than a handheld Celtic harp. The tender white flesh…
When I first checked out Chef Ron Levi’s Funny Farm last May, I was impressed with his elevated bar bites and playful takes on classic comfort food. But I was more than a bit puzzled by the location—inside the Sideline Sports Bar off Santa Teresa Boulevard in South San Jose. While…
In a parking lot near the former Memorex campus, deep inside one of Santa Clara’s sprawling industrial compounds, a crew is dramatically backlit against a red setting sun. As a graffiti-covered train rumbles past, three large, tattooed men—sporting black chef coats, aprons and backward, impeccably…
