102 South Bay Accent 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. $$ Willow Street Wood-Fired Pizza, San Jose (Willow Glen), 408/ 971-7080; San Jose (Westgate), 408/871-0400; Los Gatos, 408/354-5566. Outstanding pizzas, full bar and large menu with fun appetizers. $ JAPANESE Akane, 250 Third St., Los Altos. 650/941-8150. Authentic Japanese cuisine featuring an extensive selection of sushi, sashimi and tasty beef, chicken and seafood dinner entrees. $$ Azuma Japanese Cuisine, 19645 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino. 408/257-4057. A Cupertino institution, the menu at this popular family-friendly restaurant offers something delicious that everyone will enjoy. $$ Blowfish Sushi To Die For, 355 Santana Row, Suite 1010, San Jose. 408/345-3848. A hip dining spot serving both traditional and modern sushi, sashimi and teppan dishes. $$ Bluefin, 754 The Alameda, Suite 10, San Jose. 408/931-6875. Sushi, sashimi and more modern fare, with unique fish imported from Japan at the peak of its flavor. $$ Bushido, 156 Castro St., Mountain View. 650/ 386-6821. Offering Japanese izakaya dining, where people gather in a casual atmosphere to drink and enjoy small, unique plates. $$ Fuki-Sushi, 4119 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. 650/494-9383. Fresh seafood, vegetable and rice delectables, teriyaki and light, crispy tempura are the mainstays at this longtime local favorite gathering place. $$ Hachi Ju Hachi, 14480 Big Basin Way, Saratoga. 408/647-2258. Traditional Japanese cuisine featuring pure, simple, flavorful dishes. $$ House of Genji, 1335 N. First St., San Jose. 650/209-6958. Well-executed tableside cooking shows are the main draw at this family-friendly Japanese teppanyaki steakhouse. $$$ Katsu, 160 Main St., Los Gatos. 408/ 354-0712. Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine is carefully prepared with fresh, local ingredients. $$$ Kubota, 593 N. Fifth St., San Jose. 408/279-8440. An excellent upscale pan-Pacific menu featuring seasonal specials and year-round favorites. $-$$ Kyoto Palace, 1875 S. Bascom Ave. #2500 (The Pruneyard), Campbell. 408/426-4990. Japanese steakhouse featuring master teppan chefs preparing delicious sushi, grilled and fried Japanese dishes tableside. $$-$$$ Masa’s Sushi, 400 San Antonio Road, Mountain View. 650/941-2117. In addition to sushi, you’ll find tempura and chicken and beef teriyaki. $-$$ Kappo Nami Nami, 240 Castro St., Mountain View. 650/ 964-6990. Cutting-edge, kappo-style Japanese cuisine with fresh, seasonal ingredients. $$ Rokko, 190 S. Frances St., Sunnyvale. 408/773- 8225 (also located in San Jose). Full range of tasty fare, from fresh sushi to hot udon. $ MEDITERRANEAN Arya Global Cuisine, Cupertino, 408/996-9606; Redwood City, 650/367-4939. Enjoy Mediterranean, Italian and Persian tastes as well as belly dancing on weekends. $$ Cin-Cin Wine Bar and Restaurant, 368 Village Lane, Los Gatos. 408/354-8006. Tastefully appointed bistro offers a creative menu of bold flavors using organic and sustainable ingredients. $$ La Fontana (Hilton Santa Clara), 4949 Great BARGAIN BITES The most satisfying warm-weather meals are often quickly prepared, lightly filling, made with healthy ingredients and reasonably priced. Oh, and quite tasty, too. SAJJ Mediterranean, newly opened in San Jose (4140 N. First St.), fits the bill. Joining sister restaurants in Valley Fair, Mountain View and Menlo Park, this spot debuts an expanded menu of weekly specials and classic dishes featuring savory menu options like Pomegranate Chicken and a variety of flamebroiled chicken, lamb and steak kebabs. If you can’t decide between a great falafel and a shawarma (akin to a Greek gyro), try the “shawafel,” a yummy combo for less than $10. Another new and notable option for quality, late-summer ethnic cuisine is Rice + Noodles Asian Kitchen (930 W. Hamilton Ave., Campbell). The menu here is a mix of Chinese and Southeast Asian-inspired street foods prepared with seasonal, often locally sourced, ingredients. For light dining, the sausage and papaya salad and the soft-shell crab noodle salad are both refreshing choices. Try the lemongrass rice plate as a main dish and top off the meal with fried banana and ice cream. The restaurant also offers a California-focused wine list and several domestic and imported beers bottled and on draft. The fresh-squeezed strawberry lemonade is reason enough to stop in at Printers Café (320 S. California Ave., Palo Alto), but while you’re there, you might as well enjoy an excellent turkey pesto or tarragon chicken salad sandwich. All cold and hot sandwiches include a side salad at this cozy College Terrace spot, and breakfast is served all day. As a special plus, the café offers Marianne’s Ice Cream from Santa Cruz—recognized and loved by many fans. The outside patio is a favorite hangout for diners with laptops and tablets, while others enjoy admiring the artwork in a small adjoining gallery. Sakoon (357 Castro St., Mountain View) isn’t the least expensive Indian food around, but its lunch buffet is such a good deal there’s usually a line out the door at noon. The restaurant offers an expansive array—more than two dozen—traditional and contemporary dishes from various regions of India. Dig into mango salad, tender butter chicken, dum biryani, saag paneer, gobi fritters and lamb or vegetarian curry and you won’t need dinner. Top it all off with one of five different dessert choices. —D.K. The Counter 200 DINING HOT SPOTS Menara Moroccan
South Bay Accent - Aug/Sep 2014
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