Admittedly, when I was invited to dine as a guest of a new downtown San Jose restaurant, one established by the building’s developer who had never opened a restaurant before, I arrived skeptical.

By the time I left, though, I was an avowed convert, because Poppy & Claro far exceeded expectations.

Housed on the ground floor of the former KQED office building (and former Knight Ridder building before that), it’s very much designed for the weekday work crowd, as it’s open only Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. However, it’s available for private events on Sundays and Mondays.

Created by the Jay Paul Company, a Silicon Valley real estate firm, it’s centrally located right next to the San Jose Museum of Art and the winter ice skating rink. There’s even outdoor seating right by the Circle of Palms Plaza.

The restaurant name pays homage to California’s state flower and the wood from the state’s native walnut tree.

The interior, designed by acclaimed restaurant architect Cass Calder Smith, leans into the California theme with a communal table in the shape of the state. Collage artist Jay Kelly created the arresting bear mural out of vintage magazine pages and cereal boxes.

In the morning, the restaurant offers a selection of Manresa Bread pastries, specialty coffee drinks, and fresh hot and cold breakfast items.

In this day and age of eye-popping prices, the menu items on the all-day menu are almost shockingly moderate, especially given the size of the portions and the thoughtful details that go the extra mile. Indeed, the most expensive entree tops out at $24 for New York strip steak with Bernaise sauce and charred broccolini.

The restaurant is operated by The Good Eating Company, which is part of Sodexo food services. Yet, it has its own dedicated full-time executive chef, New York-native Christopher Littman, a former chef de partie at Michelin three-starred Eleven Madison Park in Manhattan and a former chef at Emeryville’s Componere Culinary & Events, a fine-dining catering company. The general manager is Adam Jed, a hospitality consultant who many will remember as the owner for more than a decade of Bluestem Brasserie in downtown San Francisco with his wife Stacy Jed.

One reason that Poppy & Claro can hold the line on prices is because it relies on a QR system for ordering, so that a server doesn’t have to drop by your table to jot down your choices. Just scan the code at the table with your phone’s camera to start your order.

With more folks opting for alcohol-free sips, the spirit-free Marmalade Refresher ($7) will quench your thirst without being too sweet. It’s a blend of organic green tea, orange marmalade, and orange zest. It’s tangy and bright, with that wonderful little edge of bitter orange rind taste.

Black walnuts are an accent in many dishes in a nod to the restaurant’s name and theme. They get blended into a sweet peppery romesco sauce for nicely charred cauliflower ($8). Crispy on the edges, the florets have a smoky taste that melds well with the sweetness of golden raisins.

Wings are oven-fired ($14), and glazed with sweet, sticky chili sauce that possesses a tickle of heat. Mint and Thai basil add a lift of freshness to these moist chicken wings.

The dough for the pizzas is made and fermented in-house. You can tell from the impressive burnished air holes on the rim of the crust of the Hot Rossa ($22).

The crust is cracker-crisp with good flavor all on its own. Add in the red sauce, draped slices of Fra’mani Salami Rosa, Calabrian chili oil, drizzle of hot honey, toasted pistachios, and a ball of creamy burrata at the center, and you have a winning combination. Break apart the cheese and spread it out onto every slice. You get the rush of the oozy, milky cheese with the fruitiness of tomatoes, the porky taste of salami, the floral note of honey, and the warmth of chili. It’s every taste in one perfect bite.

If I worked downtown, the Avocado Caesar ($13) is a salad I would eat on the regular for lunch. You can even add chicken breast, New York strip, seared salmon or hummus to it for an extra cost to bulk it up more.

The Little Gem leaves are not overly dressed, which is a misstep that too many Caesars fall victim to. It’s finished with Parmesan cheese, avocado slices, and preserved lemon-hemp dressing. Here’s where it gets really interesting, though: It also includes tiny bits of battered, fried anchovies and nori sheets fried to a big crunch. This is one example of how the kitchen dials it up. It could have easily presented a standard Caesar salad with traditional bread croutons. Instead, it took the nervy approach to fry anchovies and chop them up, and to fry seaweed to drape over the leaves. It is one of the most inspired Caesar salads I’ve had in a long time.

For my entree, I had the seared salmon seasoned with dill and Dijon. See that plentiful plate in the very top photo of this post? That was all of $21. You’d be hard pressed to find something similar at other restaurants these days for less than $32.

The fish was moist and sported a very crisp skin. Alongside was a mix of crisp-tender broccolini and cauliflower. Atop them were what appeared on first quick glance to be yellow carrots, but were really fried green beans. Don’t think tempura, but rather a cornmeal coating, soft and tender like the outside of a corn dog. The kitchen could have simply plated the brassicas and be done with it. Instead, it added those cornmeal green beans for an extra touch. If you really dig those fried green beans, you’ll be glad to know you can order them as an appetizer ($8), too, with garlic aioli.

My husband opted for the house-baked pita sandwich with za’atar spiced chicken ($17) with a choice of fries or green salad. Of course, he went with the fries, which were thin and nicely crisp. One bite of the puffy, toasty pita will tell you immediately that it’s surprisingly made in-house. It’s filled plentifully with tender chicken breast slices, lettuce, tomato, garlicky toum sauce, and pickled radish, making for a thoroughly pleasing sandwich.

For dessert, you can’t go wrong with the black walnut cheesecake ($8). The filling is thick and creamy yet not so dense as to weigh on you after a big meal. The crust really shines with its toasty, nutty taste.

If you work downtown, you can walk to the restaurant easily. There are nearby parking lots, too. Or for utmost convenience, park in the building’s underground parking lot. Just be aware that the restaurant does not offer parking validation. So, plan on paying about $12 for parking for a 90-minute meal. It may not be cheap, but the very reasonable menu prices will more than make up for that.