Category Archives: Restaurants

The Pressroom — Extra! Extra! Read All About It

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The ribeye -- worthy of page one -- at the new Pressroom.
The ribeye — worthy of page one — at the new Pressroom.

Although I was a reporter for 18 years at the San Jose Mercury News, I, like so many of my colleagues, regretted never having had the chance to work in its original downtown location instead of in the larger plant it eventually built on the outskirts of Ridder Park Drive.

However, I did have the chance recently to enjoy the newest incarnation of that historic 1884 building on W. Santa Clara Street, now aptly named The Pressroom, which opened in March.

Created by Nuvo Hospitality, the group behind San Jose’s Dr. Funk and Five Points cocktail bars, The Press Room not surprisingly also boasts the attached and equally on-point Bar Mercury.

The building was the original home of the San Jose Mercury News.
The building was the original home of the San Jose Mercury News.
The adjacent bar.
The adjacent bar.

I have to say I love the way they have paid homage to the building’s past. The 160-seat dining room has soaring ceilings with exposed ductwork, giving it the industrial feel like that of a printing press.

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Oregon Travels, Part III: Jory Restaurant

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Squab breast and confit fried leg at Jory restaurant.
Squab breast and confit fried leg at Jory restaurant.

Newberg, OR — A private dining room behind closed doors holds work colleagues relaxing at a sit-down, the terrace is occupied by high schoolers in tuxes and gowns posing for prom photos, and a large table by the floor-to-ceiling windows is celebrating a birthday. From the get-go, you know that the Jory at The Allison Inn & Spa in the Willamette Valley is the place that people flock to for special occasions.

As for me, it was an invitation by Travel Oregon do dine last month that brought me to this fine-dining establishment, where the tables are candle-lit and come with warm towels overlaid with a sprig of rosemary from its own garden for your hands.

Indeed, the bounty from the 1.5-acre chef’s garden and greenhouse on the property is featured in the restaurant’s dishes. That includes 300 pounds of honey produced annually by its bee hives.

The executive chef is Jack Strong, formerly of the Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, who co-authored the cookbook, “The New Native American Cuisine.” He grew up on the Oregon coast as a member of the Siletz tribe.

The entrance to Jory.
The entrance to Jory.
A view into the kitchen.
A view into the kitchen.

While his cooking at Jory can lean into modernist techniques at times, he also is a proponent of indigenous foods of the Pacific Northwest. Book a nine-course private Chef’s Table dinner and he’ll even prepare a special native foods tasting menu focused on indigenous culinary traditions.

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Oregon Travels, Part II: The Painted Lady Restaurant

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Pan-roasted ling cod at The Painted Lady Restaurant.
Pan-roasted ling cod at The Painted Lady Restaurant.

Newberg, OR — The stately Queen Anne-style Victorian on South College St. at East Second Street has endured a long while.

But it took husband and wife, Chef Allen Routt and General Manager Jessica Bagley-Routt to inject new life and spirit into this house that was built in 1895.

Last week, the couple celebrated the 20th anniversary of The Painted Lady Restaurant, the charming, fine-dining establishment they opened here after renovating this 130-year-old gem in Oregon Wine Country.

These days with so many increasing challenges, it gets harder and harder to maintain a business. That the Routts have managed to do so at such a high level is a true testament to their dedication to quality and standards.

Routt, who began cooking at age 16, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, and interned with Chef Bradley Ogden at San Francisco’s One Market. That led to cooking stints at such iconic establishments as the Inn at Chef Patrick O’Connell’s The Inn at Little Washington, Chef Jean-Louis Palladin’s Pesce, and Chef Mark Militello’s Mark’s South Beach (where he would meet his future wife), then becoming executive chef at Brannan’s Grill in Calistoga.

The Victorian turned fine-dining restaurant.
The Victorian turned fine-dining restaurant.

His wife, who was raised in Southern Oregon, graduated with top honors from the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, where she interned at acclaimed Higgins restaurant, before helping open Mark’s South Beach. She eventually took a job at Chef Hiro Sone’s Terra restaurant in St. Helena before becoming a sous chef at Brix restaurant in Napa.

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Late-Night Fried Chicken at Michelin-Starred Ssal

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Behold the glorious, late-night fried chicken at Ssal.
Behold the glorious, late-night fried chicken at Ssal.

There are times when fried chicken means a napkin tucked into your collar and Wet Ones at the ready as you dig your hand into a cardboard bucket of the stuff.

But there are other times when fried chicken is savored in a chic minimalist dining room with mood lighting, a glass of French Champagne, and a tin of osetra caviar with a mother-of-pearl spoon to complete the picture.

If an elevated fried chicken dinner, one with Korean flourishes, is what you crave, Michelin-starred Ssal in San Francisco has now got you covered.

Chef-Owner Junsoo Bae.
Chef-Owner Junsoo Bae.

Your appetite just has to hold out until after its usual tasting menu service concludes and its yasik or Korean late-night eating culture menu takes over afterwards on weeknights. Although in South Korea that usually means midnight, you won’t have to wait quite that long here, but just until about 9 p.m. or 9:30 p.m.

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Augustine Adds A Touch of Glitz to Santana Row

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The Augustine Burger.
The Augustine Burger.

One of the first restaurants to open in San Jose’s Santana Row in 2003, Pizza Antica is still drawing crowds and going strong.

On the heels of that impressive streak, it’s now been joined by its new sister restaurant Augustine with adjacent Augustine Bakery/Cafe, both of which opened in March.

All are owned by the Bacchus Management Group, which has a host of restaurants in the Bay Area, including Michelin-starred Selby’s in Redwood City and the Village Pub in Woodside.

The expansive, former Sino restaurant spot has been completely made over in tones of deep cobalt with custom light fixtures as luminous as contemporary jewelry, and a glittering marble u-shaped bar that commands attention steps from the entrance. A covered patio offers ample outdoor dining, too. The look is elegant and well-heeled.

The eye-catching bar.
The eye-catching bar.

And is the place ever attracting a crowd.

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