BEST BITES
DEALS ON MEALS
ASA
Doppio Zero, 10088 N Wolfe Rd #120, Cupertino.
408/863-0308. This family-friendly dining
spot prepares pastas, pies and handcrafted cocktails
with stylish ease. $$
Enoteca La Storia, 416 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los
Gatos. 408/ 625-7272. Italian wine bar featuring
traditional small plates along with an extensive
selection of fine wines. $$
ll Fornaio, Santa Clara, 408/217-8844; San Jose.
94 South Bay Accent
Shadowbrook
408/271-3366; Palo Alto. 650/853-3888. Il Fornaio
stays true to authentic Italian recipes and timehonored
cooking methods. $$$
Italico, 341 California Ave., Palo Alto. 650/473-
9616. This pasta-centric bistro is popular for
meatballs and other classic dishes along with its
extensive variety of Italian wines. $$
Pasta Moon, 315 Main St., Half Moon Bay. 650/
726-5125. Charming eatery serves only local, sustainable
ingredients, fresh from the first bite of
focaccia to the last spoonful of an artisan dessert. $$
Ristorante Don Giovanni, 235 Castro St.,
Mountain View. 650/961-9749. Relaxed atmosphere
and large Italian menu ranges from charcoal
broiled steaks to assorted pastas. $$
Tigelleria Organic Restaurant, 76 E. Campbell
Ave., Campbell. 408/884-3808. Serving traditional
Northern Italian dishes prepared organically.
Also an extensive choice of a la carte antipasto. $$$
Vesta, Redwood City, 650/362-5052. The art of
the slice is elevated with the infusion of Old World
mastery of wood-fired pizza preparation. Other
delicacies include burrata and gelato. $
Vin Santo, 1346 Lincoln Ave., San Jose, 408/920-
2508. Authentic Italian pastas, meats and seafood
dishes uniquely crafted and prepared to mouthwatering
perfection. $$$
Vivace Ristorante, 1910 Ralston Ave., Belmont.
650/637-0611. “Vivace” means lively, and Executive
Chef Scott Cinfio’s Northern Italian creations
live up to the restaurant’s name. $$
JAPANESE
Akane, 250 Third St., Los Altos. 650/941-8150.
Authentic Japanese cuisine featuring an extensive
selection of sushi, sashimi and tasty beef, chicken
and seafood dinner entrees. $$
Bluefin, 754 The Alameda, Suite 10, San Jose.
408/931-6875. Sushi, sashimi and more modern
fare, with unique fish imported imported at the
peak of its flavor from Japan. $$
Bushido, 156 Castro St., Mountain View. 650/
386-6821. Offering Japanese izakaya dining,
where people gather in a casual atmosphere to
drink and enjoy small, unique plates. $$
Kaizen Japanese Bar & Grill, 330 E Hamilton
Ave #7, Campbell. 408/370-1600. This modern
spot features a wrap-around sushi bar and Japanese
mains such as teriyaki and bento. $–$$
Kappo Nami Nami, 240 Castro St.,
Mountain View. 650/964-6990. Cuttingedge,
kappo-style Japanese cuisine with
fresh, seasonal ingredients. $$
Kubota, 593 N. Fifth St., San
Jose. 408/279-8440. An excellent
upscale pan-Pacific menu featuring
seasonal specials and year-round
favorites. $–$$
Kumino, Mountain View, 650/964-
3300. High-end gourmet meets casual
cuisine at this innovative pan-Asian
eatery. With dim-sum-inspired specialties
like crawfish buns and yucca fries, the categorydefying
eatery has earned a reputation as a favored
foodie destination. $
Leichi, 246 Saratoga Ave., Santa Clara. 408/824-
9052. Specializing in izakaya, Japanese small
plates, this casual eatery is a popular lunch
destination. $–$$
Sawa, 1042 E. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale. 408/
241-7292. Fresh fish and seafood, including
delightful prix fixe sushi-focused entrees. $$$
LATIN
La Viga Restaurant, 1772 Broadway St., Redwood
City. 650/679-8141. A seafood-focused
menu of contemporary Latin cuisine has diners
raving. $$
There’s no need to break the bank during lunchtime in the
South Bay. These restaurants serve up satisfying lunches at good prices.
Palo Alto and Menlo Park locals are flocking to Phil’s Kitchen (625 Grove Ave.,
Unit B, Menlo Park) for the hearty Chinese and Hawaiian barbecue
offerings, with a few other staple dishes thrown in,
including burgers. The steam table combos are less
than $8 and come with your choice of rice, chow
mein, chow fun or Chinese chicken salad. The Hawaiian
BBQ combos are slightly more and come
with rice and macaroni salad. Barbecue dishes
include chicken, loco moco, Kalua pig and pork
lau lau. Burgers are less than $5, and a combo
with fries and soda is only slightly more.
One of the best places for good cheap tacos on
the Peninsula is Sancho’s Taqueria (In Palo Alto
at 491 Lytton Ave. and 2723 Middlefield Road; and
in Redwood City at 3205 Oak Knoll Drive). Regular soft
tacos with choice of meat are just $2.35, crispy tacos are
$3.65 and super tacos with cheese are just $3.85. There are also
filling burritos well under $10, and well-priced enchiladas and tamales. There’s
also a selection of meal-sized salads to choose from.
The small, family-owned Shiki Japanese Restaurant (6229 Santa Teresa Blvd.,
San Jose) does brisk business serving hungry patrons who appreciate the plentiful
portions and affordable prices. The menu includes sushi, ramen, teriyaki
and other popular dishes. Lunch specials include an entrée, miso soup, salad
and rice. Also well priced are the chicken teriyaki combo plates, with
an added second entrée. The chicken teriyaki served on a bed of
spaghetti noodles is a favorite among diners.
Cubamex (325 S. First St., Suite 120, San Jose) may be small,
but its reputation as a great place for tasty sandwiches and
wonderful service is mighty. The star of the shop is the Cubamex
BBQ Pork Sandwich, which puts a twist on the classic Cuban
sandwich. Besides pulled pork, the sandwich comes with ham,
aged salami, Canadian bacon, cheddar cheese, sweet pickles, Spanish
olives and a house sauce. The friendly owners can make any type of
sandwich to order. Fans of the shop say the salsa that comes with tortilla chips
is also top notch. —P. M.