Tag Archives: downtown San Jose restaurant

Layers and Layers to Admire at Strata

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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.

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San Jose’s New Poppy & Claro Outperforms

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Seared salmon with cauliflower, broccolini, and cornmeal-battered green beans. Would you believe this is all of $21 at Poppy & Claro?
Seared salmon with cauliflower, broccolini, and cornmeal-battered green beans. Would you believe this is all of $21 at Poppy & Claro?

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 communal table in the shape of the state.
The communal table in the shape of the state.
The bar.
The bar.

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

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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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The Showy New Eos & Nyx Electrifies Downtown San Jose

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An amuse of teeny tuna tartare cones greets every diner at the new Eos & Nyx.
An amuse of teeny tuna tartare cones greets every diner at the new Eos & Nyx.

These days, when you hear of a splashy new restaurant opening its doors, you’ll be forgiven if your thoughts automatically go to San Francisco, Wine Country, or even Palo Alto.

Eos & Nyx, however, is not in any of those places, but rather in downtown San Jose.

Previously a movie theater, the soaring space has been transformed into a glitzy, two-story, 4,000-square-foot Mediterranean restaurant. Fifteen months in the making, it was designed by San Diego’s Basile Studio, which also did California’s Puesto restaurants, including the one in Santa Clara.

The entrance in downtown San Jose.
The entrance in downtown San Jose.
The stylish dining room.
The stylish dining room.
The view from the second floor.
The view from the second floor.

Appropriately named for the Greek goddesses of day and night, Eos & Nyx takes on a different personality from brunch (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) to dinner (Tuesday through Saturday). During the day, when the weather is warm, the floor-to-ceiling, garage-door front windows can be raised to bring the outdoors in, bathing the leafy dining room adorned with lifelike fake trees and even river rocks underneath the booths with tons of natural light. At night, the vibe is more Vegas-like with moodier lighting that makes the copper accents glimmer and the back-lighted bar stand out.

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Your Chance To Win A $50 Gift Card to La Pastaia in San Jose

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Cassarece pasta at La Pastaia. (Photo courtesy of La Pastaia, Hotel De Anza)

Cassarece pasta at La Pastaia. (Photo courtesy of La Pastaia, Hotel De Anza)

 

Located in the historic Hotel De Anza in downtown San Jose, La Pastaia was always one of my favorite restaurants when I worked in that city.

After all, I unabashedly love my carbs. And La Pastaia’s pastas always had a way of winning me over. Executive Chef Juan Zaragoza, who has been at the restaurant for a decade, turns out Italian favorites such as spaghetti vongole ($22) and cacio e pepe ($16), and standards such as a pork chop with warm farro salad ($27) and pan-seared salmon with toasted orzo ($25).

The hotel’s Headley Club Lounge, which features live jazz, has a sophisticated yet laid-back vibe that’s perfect for enjoying a cocktail or glass of wine. I’ve had many a reunion or good-bye party there with friends and colleagues.

Salmon at La Pastaia. (Photo courtesy of La Pastaia, Hotel De Anza)

Salmon at La Pastaia. (Photo courtesy of La Pastaia, Hotel De Anza)

CONTEST: One lucky Food Gal reader will win a $50 gift card to La Pastaia.

Entries, open only to those who can actually use the gift card within a year, will be accepted through midnight PST June 18. Winner will be announced June 20.

How to win?

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