Category Archives: Restaurants

Layers and Layers to Admire at Strata

Posted on by One comment
Rockfish crudo -- one of the courses on the $75 prix fixe at the new Strata.
Rockfish crudo — one of the courses on the $75 prix fixe at the new Strata.

In these economic times, bargain bliss is hard to come by.

But look to the new downtown San Jose restaurant Strata, set to open on Wednesday, and you will unexpectedly find it.

Relatively speaking.

After all, when’s the last time you enjoyed an upscale 5-course prix fixe dinner for $75? With a wine pairing for all of $40 for four different pours?

It’s not merely food plopped on a dish, either, but thoughtfully executed and plated with intention.

I had the opportunity to enjoy a sneak peek and taste over the weekend when I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant.

The bar-lounge.
The bar-lounge.
The wine bottle display in the lounge.
The wine bottle display in the lounge.

Strata, pronounced “Stray-tuh,” is a geological term that refers to the layers of rock or sediment that form over time. It’s meant to evoke the layers of cuisine, hospitality, and experience that make up the restaurant, says co-owner Dan Phan.

It could also refer to the multi-faceted establishments that Phan, along with co-owners George Lahlou and Johnny Wang, have successfully launched in downtown San Jose over the past few years. Their MO Hospitality is the driving force behind bars Paper Plane, MINIBOSS, Still O.G. and Alter Ego, and the restaurant Eos & Nyx.

Like Eos & Nyx, Strata offers an upscale experience, but in this case, a bifurcated one.

Read more

Take A Seat At the Sensational Saison Wine Bar

Posted on by 2 comments
Caviar Parfait a la Mina at Saison Wine Bar.
Caviar Parfait a la Mina at Saison Wine Bar.

There are wine bars.

And then there is Saison Wine Bar.

Located in the South of Market neighborhood in San Francisco, it boasts not only exceptional wines by the glass, flight or bottle, but French fare that’s far more elegant and refined than you might expect.

But then again, it is from the same restaurant group that operates Michelin two-starred Saison and Michelin-starred Angler, both in San Francisco.

No wonder folks are willing to wait up to 3 hours to get in at times, according to its Wine Director Paul Carayas.

Saison co-founder Mark Bright obviously struck gold when he decided to open the wine bar in 2024, along with the Saison Wine Cellar, a members’-only space two doors down that provides private tastings and climate-controlled wine storage.

A helpful sign points the way.
A helpful sign points the way.
The entrance.
The entrance.

I had a chance to finally visit the wine bar last week with my husband. Even on a Tuesday, it was boisterous, with many patrons filling tables and bar seats for the Happy Hour wine and food specials, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Read more

Family Is First and Foremost at George + Kin

Posted on by Leave a comment
Fried chicken sandwich on house-made Japanese milk bread at George + Kin.
Fried chicken sandwich on house-made Japanese milk bread at George + Kin.

It’s easy to fall for a place where love of family is paramount in all that it does.

Such is the case at George + Kin, a new Japanese American-inflected diner in Napa.

When I found myself in the Napa Valley a few days after it opened, I knew I had to stop in. At 11:30 a.m. on a Friday, it was already humming with patrons.

Owner Ben Koenig named his restaurant in honor of his great aunt and uncle, Kinuko and George Sato, Japanese American farmers from Pocatello, Idaho, who helped raise his mother, Wendy, after she lost her own mother at a young age.

You order at the counter.
You order at the counter.
The dining room.
The dining room.

Although he partnered with hospitality professional Charles Whittaker and consulting chef Itamar Abramovitch to open the restaurant in the Bel Aire Plaza, Koenig is no stranger to opening businesses. He is already well known in the Napa Valley for his MOTHERS, Heritage Eats (now closed), Best Food Truck Ever, and Napa Valley Lobster Co.

Read more

A Tip of the Hat to La Toque

Posted on by Leave a comment
A portobello mushroom steak with black garlic bernaise on the vegetable tasting menu at La Toque.
A portobello mushroom steak with black garlic bernaise on the vegetable tasting menu at La Toque.

Last week, when I dined at Napa’s fine-dining La Toque, I did something uncharacteristic.

I ordered the vegetarian tasting menu.

Apparently, I’m in good company, too. Because as Chef-Owner Ken Frank explained, the restaurant’s vegetarian menu is especially popular on Sundays, particularly among South Asians, many of whom drive up from Fremont just for it.

I can see why. Dining in an elegant dining room on six opulent vegetable courses amid the splendor of Wine Country is the perfect way to top off the weekend before the workweek intrudes once again.

When Frank originally opened La Toque, he was all of 23. He’s now 70. And has no plans to retire anytime soon because he says he’s still having way too much fun.

A painting of Chef Ken Frank early in his career.
A painting of Chef Ken Frank early in his career.
A more recent oversized photograph of him.
A more recent oversized photograph of him.
And Chef Ken in the kitchen on the evening I dined.
And Chef Ken in the kitchen on the evening I dined.

La Toque first opened in Los Angeles in 1979, before Frank moved to the Napa Valley to open it in Rutherford in 1998. Finally, in 2008, he moved it to its current home in Napa at the Westin Verasa.

Read more

A Delicious Feast at Mazra

Posted on by Leave a comment
Our table overloweth at Mazra in Redwood City.
Our table overloweth at Mazra in Redwood City.

When a restaurant is packed at 5:15 p.m. on a Tuesday, you know it has it going on.

And when the Michelin Guide bestows upon it a Bib Gourmand, then you know it’s definitely worth a special trip to try.

That’s definitely the case when it comes to Mazra, the family-owned Mediterranean restaurant with locations in San Bruno and Redwood City.

I visited the latter one last week, and came away marveling at the food, service, and price point.

The dining room. There's also a sweet outdoor dining area, too.
The dining room. There’s also a sweet outdoor dining area, too.
Artwork.
Artwork.

The restaurants were founded by brothers, Jordan and Saif Makableh, after they managed to talk their father into letting them transform his Green Valley Market in San Bruno into the first location of Mazra.

Read more
« Older Entries