74 South Bay Accent
FROM TOP: ADAM JACOBS; ORIN ZEBEST/FLICKR; OPPOSITE: DON DEBOLD
boat to take in the sights from atop the cattail-fringed lake, or
stroll along the easy, almost 15-mile paved Los Gatos Creek Trail.
Families can enjoy more than 50 acres of picnic-perfect lawn. Kids
hop on board the miniature steam train at Billy Jones Wildcat
Railroad (bjwrr.org) for a nearly mile-long ride through Oak
Meadow and Vasona parks featuring an engine house, a depot,
and a bridge spanning Los Gatos Creek, or ride the nostalgiainducing
restored carousel, originally built for the 1915 Panama-
Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.
Stay: Hotel Los Gatos, hotellosgatos.com; Toll House Hotel,
tollhousehotel.com. Located at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains,
just a short drive from hyper-paced Silicon Valley, haute
Hotel Los Gatos blends Mediterranean sophistication with California
charisma to create an intimate enclave of luxury. Reminiscent
of a Tuscan villa, each room recreates an opulently appointed
master bedroom retreat.
Nearby is the Toll House Hotel, a small, quaint spot that blends
seamlessly with its surroundings. It’s a six-minute walk from
shops, galleries and restaurants in Old Los Gatos and a mere two
miles from Vasona Park.
Dine: Dio Deka, diodeka.com; The Bywater, Los Gatos,
thebywaterca.com. You’re in for a new and thoroughly satisfying
adventure in Greek dining when you enter Dio Deka through
the portal of Hotel Los Gatos. The dining room is quiet and stylish;
the menu features generous portions of deliciously inventive
approaches to classic Hellenic dishes. Starters like honey-glazed
Brussels sprouts and mesquite-grilled octopus lead
to prime cuts of tender, savory beef and lamb and
fresh fish options. Save some time to peruse the
extensive wine list, or just ask the attentive staff
for suggestions.
Winner of the Michelin Bib Gourmand rating
and a Wine Spectator award of excellence in 2017,
The Bywater is a Southern-style eatery from Chef
David Kinch and partner/Wine Director Andrew
Burnham. A salute to New Orleans, the place
serves up a slew of Crescent City classics, including
po’ boys, fried green tomatoes and “Oysters
Rock-a-Fella.” A raw bar and a bevy of Big Easy
cocktails, from juleps to Sazeracs, are also are on
offer. Reimagined Cajun variations include softshell
chili crab with okra and eggplant, and “rich
man’s” red beans and rice. Snag a leather booth
in the clubby dining room, snack in the bar, or
brunch on bubbly and beignets on weekends.
Dine: Dio Deka, diodeka.com; The Bywater,
Los Gatos, thebywaterca.com. You’re in for a new
and thoroughly satisfying adventure in Greek
dining when you enter Dio Deka through the
HOTEL LOS
GATOS
Craving aquatic adventure?
Catch a cool breeze and your dinner at the LOCH LOMOND
RECREATION AREA, a three-mile-long reservoir in a
hidden valley that is popular with fishermen.
ROARING
CAMP &
BIG TREES
NARROW
GAUGE
RAILROAD
