BEST BITES
DEALS ON MEALS
Quattro
Palermo Italian Restaurant, 791 Auzerais Ave.,
San Jose. 408/295-6459. On the banks of the Los
Gatos Creek in San Jose’s historical cannery district,
Palermo specializes in refined, modern Sicilian
cuisine. $$$
Pasta Moon, 315 Main St., Half Moon Bay. 650/
726-5125. Charming eatery serves only local, sustainable
ingredients, fresh from the first bite of
focaccia to the last spoonful of an artisan dessert. $$
102 South Bay Accent
Pausa, 223 E. Fourth Ave., San Mateo.
650/375-0818. Owners Steve Ugur and
Chef Andrea Giuliani serve up handcrafted
pastas, brick-oven pizzas and house-cured salami
paired with an all Italian wine list, craft cocktails
and spritzes. $$
Tigelleria Organic Restaurant, 76 E. Campbell
Ave., Campbell. 408/884-3808. Serving traditional
Northern Italian dishes prepared organically. Also
an extensive choice of a la carte antipasto. $$$
Vesta, 2022 Broadway, Redwood City. 650/362-
5052. This trendy indoor-outdoor venue draws
crowds with locally sourced ingredients, woodfired
pizza, small plates, beer and wine. $$
Vivace Ristorante, 1910 Ralston Ave., Belmont.
650/637-0611. “Vivace” means lively, and Executive
Chef Scott Cinfio’s Northern Italian creations
live up to the restaurant’s name. $$
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, a full bar and a 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. $$
Bushido, 156 Castro St., Mountain View. 650/
386-6821. Offering Japanese izakaya dining,
where people gather in a casual atmosphere to
drink and enjoy small, unique plates. $$
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 long-time local favorite gathering
place. $$
Hachi Ju Hachi, 14480 Big Basin Way, Saratoga.
408/647-2258. Traditional Japanese cuisine featuring
pure, simple, flavorful dishes. $$
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. $–$$
Kappo Nami Nami, 240 Castro St., Mountain
View. 650/964-6990. Cutting-edge, kappo-style
Japanese cuisine with fresh, seasonal ingredients. $$
Kubota, 593 N. Fifth St., San Jose. 408/279-8440.
An excellent upscale pan-Pacific menu featuring
seasonal specials and year-round favorites. $–$$
Kyoto Palace, 1875 S. Bascom Ave. #2500 (The
Pruneyard), Campbell. 408/389-0991. Authentic
Japanese cuisine with teppanyaki method of preparing
dishes tableside. $$–$$$
Masa’s Sushi, 400 San Antonio Road, Mountain
View. 650/941-2117. In addition to sushi, you’ll
find tempura and chicken and beef teriyaki. $–$$
Ozumo, 355 Santana Row #1010, San
Jose. 408/886-3090. This South Bay
incarnation of Jeremy Umland’s hit
San Francisco restaurant attracts
a hip crowd with sushi, small
plates, a Japanese beer garden
and a late-night lounge. $$
Rokko, 190 S. Frances St.,
Sunnyvale. 408/773-8225
(also located in San Jose). Full
range of tasty fare, from fresh
sushi to hot udon and more. $
LATIN
La Viga Restaurant, 1772 Broadway St.,
Redwood City. 650/679-8141. A seafood-focused
menu of contemporary Latin cuisine has diners
raving. $$
LV Mar, 2042 Broadway St., Redwood City.
650/241-3111. A casual modern restaurant with
a contemporary take on classic Latin cuisine. $$
When it gets hot something light and healthy feels just
right. These South Bay restaurants serve lighter meals that are lighter on the
wallet as well.
Going meatless is one way to eat lighter and Veggie Grill (San Antonio Center
in Mountain View, Westgate Center and Santana Row in San Jose) has got
that covered. The focus is on veggies, along with plant- and soy-based “meat”
dishes that will keep non-vegetarians/vegans satisfied. The Super Taco
Salad is a good example filled with al pastor “meat,” a mixture
of super greens and other ingredients. For zero meaty flavor
and loads of veggies try the Quinoa Power Salad.
Tofoo Com Chay (388 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose)
is the Vietnamese/Asian variation of Veggie Grill. It
uses meat alternatives for its satisfying dishes, like
the “chicken” salad, veggie Chinese sausage or the
pho with a choice of veggie meat or chicken, among
many other entrees and a la carte menu items. Fans
of Tofoo say they don’t miss the real thing.
Residents in the Cambrian area of San Jose know the
true heart of the neighborhood is at Heartbeat Café (14392
Union Ave., San Jose), currently celebrating 23 years in business. It’s
a friendly shop decorated with antiques and other knickknacks, where locals
like to drop in for coffee and conversation. Breakfast is served all day and at
lunchtime the café offers a variety of healthy salads, crepes, sandwiches and a
homemade soup of the day.
Erik’s DeliCafé (various locations) is a true hometown success story, having
opened in Scotts Valley in 1973 by founder Erik Johnson—today there are 25
stores decorated in barn wood and old-time bric-a-brac. Johnson and his family
members created the sandwiches, salads and soups still on the menu today. It
remains a dependable go-to spot for healthy lunch items.
For food that will feed both the body and the soul, Ada’s Café (3700 Middlefield
Rd., Palo Alto) is a good place to frequent. It’s a nonprofit organization
launched by the mom of a child with a developmental disability. First
started as a vocational program through the Palo Alto Unified School
District, it later morphed into a business that hires special needs
adults. The team creates breakfast and lunch dishes, including several
yummy salads, sandwiches and a house-made soup of the day. —P.M.
Pho Wagon