TASTE TRIPS 100 South Bay Accent cocktails, music and authentic Caribbean dishes quickly get diners in the island mood. $$ Island Grill (Clarion Hotel), 1355 N. Fourth St., San Jose. 408/392-2468. Ribs, steak and seafood are highlights in a Caribbean setting. $-$$ La Bodeguita del Medio, 463 California Ave., Palo Alto. 650/326-7762. Coastal cuisine enhanced with a flavorful Cuban influence and fantastic fish. $-$$ CHINESE Chef Chu’s, 1067 North San Antonio Road, Los Altos. 650/948-2696. Savor great food at this popular restaurant, such as the outstanding signature minced shrimp in lettuce cups. $$ Fey, 1368 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. 650/324- 8888. An expansive selection of traditional Chinese favorites as well as specialties featuring beef, lamb, chicken, duck and seafood. $-$$ Pagoda (Fairmont Hotel), 170 S. Market Street, San Jose. 408/998-3955. The traditional cuisine of Canton, Kwangtung and Szechuan, beautifully served at this popular restaurant. $$ Sino, 377 Santana Row, San Jose. 408/247-8880. Lunch specialties include dim sum and a la carte dishes. The dinner menu offers contemporary Chinese regional cuisines. $$$ Su Hong, 1039 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. 650/ 323-6852. Neighborhood restaurant featuring a lovely tea-smoked duck. $ Tai-Pan, 560 Waverley St., Palo Alto. 650/329- 9168. Hong Kong-style Cantonese cuisine served up in an airy, upscale setting. $$ Taiwan Restaurant, 1306 Lincoln Ave., San Jose. 408/289-8800. Started in 1982, this popular Willow Glen establishment serves a wide array of Chinese specialties. $$ CONTINENTAL Alexander’s Steakhouse, 10330 N. Wolfe Road, Cupertino. 408/446-2222. This upscale restaurant has redefined the traditional steakhouse experience by melding American and Japanese influences. $$$ LB Steak, 334 Santana Row, San Jose. 408/244- 1180. Sister restaurant of Left Bank Brasserie puts modern French twist on American steakhouse cuisine. Save room for luscious pastry desserts. $$$ Manresa, 320 Village Lane, Los Gatos. 408/354- 4330. Chef David Kinch amazes diners with his creative, award-winning cuisine. $$$ Mosaic Restaurant and Lounge (Four Points Hotel), 211 S. First St., San Jose. 408/282-8888. This stylish bar and restaurant offers an American/Asian twist on Continental cuisine. $$$ Viognier, 222 E. 4th Avenue, San Mateo. 650/685-3727. This Cal-French restaurant blends California’s bounty of fresh food with southern sensibilities. Features a world-class wine selection and seasonal dishes. $$$ ETHIOPIAN Zeni Ethiopian, 1320 Saratoga Ave., San Jose. 408/615-8282. Inviting spot serves up tantalizing variety of flavorful dishes, many vegetarian, with BEST BITES Just about everyone knows the Bay Area and its surrounding Wine Country is home to many of the world’s top celebrity chefs. Lucky for South Bay residents, the restaurants where the culinary masters craft their magic are just a short drive away. Expect the best at these top-rated establishments, but don’t forget the reservation. The starstudded status of the chefs keep the tables occupied year-round. Chefs Michael and Lindsay Tusk are the creative masters at Quince (470 Pacific Ave.), a fine dining spot located in downtown San Francisco. California Contemporary cuisine along with mouthwatering Italian and French creations fill the menu. Locally sourced ingredients are just one of the restaurant’s highlights; an impressive wine list is another. Choose a seat at the chef’s counter, in the champagne bar and lounge, or in one of the private dining rooms to enjoy dishes like Berkshire pork, Alaskan king crab or something from the extensive caviar menu. Head to Napa where Greg Cole, who also owns Celadon, is at the helm of Cole’s Chop House (1122 Main St.), a “Classic American Steak House.” Located in a cozy historic building, the restaurant is best known for its big, juicy steaks. Yet tasty sides such as creamed spinach, sautéed mushroom caps, and grilled asparagus with Hollandaise are also worthy of celebration, and creative cocktails, including seasonal specials, add to the fun. If you go, don’t leave without ordering dessert; from bananas foster to bourbon whiskey bread pudding, it’s hard to go wrong with Chef Cole’s delightful creations. Not far away, at The French Laundry (6640 Washington St.) in Yountville, Thomas Keller serves French-American dishes in his world-renowned farmhouse eatery. Two tasting menus are featured daily—a chef’s menu and a vegetable menu—that are nine courses each. No ingredient is duplicated during the meal, ensuring a truly unique dining experience. Before you go, make sure to plan accordingly— a meal at The French Laundry involves hours of gastronomical delight. Getting a reservation often takes time, too, though they may be made up to a year in advance. At Berkeley’s Chez Panisse (1517 Shattuck Ave.), Alice Waters—an advocate for producing the freshest seasonal ingredients both sustainably and locally—is in charge of the upscale Californian cuisine. Farm-to-table fare is offered on a rotating menu to ensure the best outcomes year round, and prices change to reflect the complexity of the meals served throughout the week. Meals are constantly changing, but popular favorites include apple and huckleberry galette with crème fraîche ice cream and spit-roasted Becker Lane pork loin with rosemary and quince. Upstairs, the Café offers moderately priced a la carte items. —Wendy Wall Sundance The Steakhouse Cascal
South Bay Accent - Dec 2015/Jan 2016
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