April 30, 2012

San Jose: San Jose Museum of Art; things to do

101 South

"Renegade Humor" by Walter Robinson at San Jose Museum of Art in San Jose, California

San Jose Museum of Art


Several current exhibits at the San Jose Museum of Art are worth a browse.  "Mexicanismo through Artists’ Eyes” runs through September 23 and will be exhibited only here.  Mixing folk arts and crafts with contemporary ideas, it begins in the lobby with “Endless Spiral”—five tires carved with Maya symbols by Mexico City artist Betsabee Romero.  Another, "Renegade Humor" by Walter Robinson will have you smiling, especially at the hippo and her twins--which made me very hungry for some frosted animals crackers.  

 
More things to do in San Jose.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

image ©2012 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
updated December 9, 2015

April 27, 2012

San Jose: Hotel Valencia; hotel review + restaurant review

101 South


Hotel Valencia 

355 Santana Row, (866) 842-0100, (408) 551-0010.  7 stories; 213 rooms; $$$-$$$+.  Heated pool; hot tub; fitness room; full-service spa.  Continental breakfast; restaurant; room service.  No pets.  Self-parking free, valet $24.

Rooms at sleek, sophisticated Hotel Valencia are appointed with a stainless steel bathroom sink, a faux fur bed cover, and stylish furnishings.  Mattresses are among the most comfortable ever, and a pillow menu allows for personal fine-tuning.  

The Indian-inspired Ayoma LifeSpa is colorful with rich Indian fabrics and antiques and offers pampering treatments (including traditional Indian Ayurveda treatments).  Hand and foot treatments include pressure point massage that makes it possible to once again carry shopping bags and walk the row.


salad at Citrus in Hotel Valencia in San Jose, California
Ultra-hip Vbar sports metal-bead doorway curtains and is the place to be each evening when it serves up a Red Hot Mama (Bacardi silver, cranberry juice, club soda) that is especially delicious with salmon and caviar on corn blinis.  

Cielo Wine Bar (On 7th floor.  M-Sat 5:30pm-9:30pm.) faces west for a great view of the Santa Cruz Mountains at sunset; cocktails, wine, and light food service are available.   

Citrus restaurant (B-L-D daily.) serves creative tapas that include Vietnamese-style caramel ribs and pulled pork sliders, and grassfed beef from Uraguay makes for a super-tasty main course of dry-aged rib-eye that only gets better with Absinthe sauce and a topping of onion rings.  Sweet consclusions come from the in-house pastry chef in the form of delicious signature beer-battered donut balls with dipping sauces.


More things to do in San Jose.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

image ©2012 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

April 26, 2012

Berkeley: Elmwood Cafe (CLOSED); restaurant review

80 North

breakfast at Elmwood Cafe in Berkeley, California

Elmwood Cafe  

CLOSED  2900 College Ave./Russell St., (510) 843-1300. Daily 7am-10pm; $. 

In the space formerly occupied by the beloved Ozzie’s Soda Fountain, this more refined cafe serves up a limited menu. Hot drinks at Elmwood Cafe include cafe au lait in a bowl, lattes, hot chocolate, chai, and apple cider, and cool drinks include fresh-squeezed lemonade and orange juice, seltzer water, and Ozzie’s soda with housemade syrup. Both a bank of 1920s wood banquettes and cafe tables offer a super view of the street, and sidewalk seating or counter seating on red vinyl-covered swivel stools are also an option. Breakfast choices include a whole-grain waffle, house-made granola, breakfast sandwiches, and a variety of pastries. Sandwiches and salads join the menu at 11 a.m.


More things to do in Berkeley.

Way more things to do in Berkeley. 

image ©2012 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

April 23, 2012

San Francisco: Hyatt Regency San Francisco; things to do

San Francisco

toothpick model of Golden Gate Bridge at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco

Hyatt Regency San Francisco


Boasting the Guinness Book of World Records’ largest atrium lobby, the Hyatt Regency San Francisco will be home to a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!Odditorium exhibit featuring several San Francisco-influenced displays. The free exhibit includes a model of the Golden Gate Bridge (which celebrates its 75th birthday this year) made of toothpicks, a model of San Francisco’s iconic cable car made from matchsticks; and sculptures of two of the City’s most prominent musicians--Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead and Carlos Santana--made of wire. They will remain on display through June 30.


April 18, 2012

Berkeley: Kabana Restaurant; restaurant review

1106 University Ave./San Pablo Ave., (510) 845-3355. L-D daily; $. No reservations.
(at new location; not so small any more)

Though cramped and lacking atmosphere, Kabana Restaurant turns out delicious Pakistani dishes that make these drawbacks seem minor. Especially delicious items include the don’t-miss house specialty--spicy tandoori fish—as well as aloo begun (potatoes and eggplant) and crispy garlic nan.


More things to do in Berkeley.

Way more things to do in Berkeley. 

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

image ©2012 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

April 16, 2012

San Francisco: La Mar Cebicheria Peruana; restaurant review

appetizer at La Mar Cebicheria Peruana in San Francisco
Executive Chef Diego Oka at La Mar Cebicheria Peruana in San Francisco
328 The Embarcadero/Washington St., at Pier 1½, (415) 397-8880. L-D daily; $$-$$$. Reservations advised. 

At La Mar Cebicheria Peruana, authentic Peruvian cuisine is the focus and small plates-sharing is the format. You’ll do well to order a selection of plates from the cebiches (Peru’s national dish of marinated seafood), causas (assorted kinds of potatoes, whipped and topped with something tasty), ensaladas (Peruvian-inspired salads), empanadas (delectable little pie turnovers with various fillings and dipping sauces), and anticuchos (traditional grilled skewers of fish or meat). Larger main courses and vegetarian and glutton-free items are also available. My favorites are the complimentary “bread” course of fried plantain, sweet potato, and regular potato chips served with two dipping sauces, and anything with the big kernels of chewy Peruvian corn in it (the crispy-crusted crescent empanadas filled with a mashed sweet corn-cilantro mix are to-die for). A dessert trio is perfect if you can’t make up your mind, but the word is the traditional picarones consisting of warm pumpkin and sweet potato fritters with spiced honey is a winner. A full bar serves an impressive selection of pisco cocktails (it is Peru’s national drink), and I can vouch for the punch packed by both the Pisco Sour and the tasty and beautiful passion fruit-based Maracuya Sour. A few Peruvian vintages are among the wine offerings, and beer and sake are also options. The best water view is available on the tent-enclosed dockside patio, but the vast interior room with its high ceiling, banquettes, attractive minimalist décor, and exhibition kitchen (you might get to see Executive Chef cutie Diego Oka in action) has its own charms. 






April 11, 2012

San Francisco: Sanraku; restaurant review

San Francisco 

gyoza at Sanraku in San Francisco

Sanraku

704 Sutter St./Taylor St., near Union Square, (415) 771-0803.

I'm happy to report the food at Sanraku is as delicious as ever. It is a great spot for a pre-theater dinner, usually with at the worst just a short wait. Gyoza (like Chinese potstickers) are illustrated in the image.  


More things to do in San Francisco.

Way more things to do in San Francisco.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

image ©2012 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

April 9, 2012

El Cerrito, Nong Thon (CLOSED); restaurant review

interior of Nong Thon in El Cerrito, California
80 North

Nong Thon 

CLOSED  10086 San Pablo Ave., by Cerrito movie theater, (510) 647-8038.  L-D W-M; $-$$.  Reservations accepted.

The perfect spot for a pre-movie meal, the spacious, clean, and quiet Nong Thon Vietnamese restaurant features a rustic natural-wood interior with high ceilings and comfy booth seating under overhanging thatched "roofs."  The decor is meant to resemble a Vietnamese country farm, complete with a model water buffalo in one corner.  Should there be a wait, children and adults alike are entertained by an indoor turtle pond and children’s play area.  Lunch specials come with rice and soup and include a tasty bo luc lac shaking beef-style salad.  Stir-frys, clay pots, and rice plates are always good choices, and many people praise the shrimp cake (shrimp paste is spread on bean curd skin then deep-fried) and egg noodles with grilled beef.  More exotic items include banana flower salad (shredded banana flower with chicken and mint), wild boar grilled at the table and served with sides to wrap in rice paper, and morning glory stems stir-fried with garlic and ginger.  Thai ice tea is a primo drink, but durian, avocado, and jack fruit milkshakes are also options. 




More things to do in El Cerrito.

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image ©2012 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
update 10-31-14; 9-6-19

April 2, 2012

Berkeley: Revival Bar & Kitchen; restaurant review

sticky toffee pudding at Revival Bar & Kitchen in Berkeley, California
80 North

Revival Bar & Kitchen   

21021 Shattuck Ave./Addison St., (510) 549-9950. D Tu-Sun; $$$.

Situated inside a vintage 1901 building, this classy spot serves up dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients. Chef-owner Amy Murray says, “We butcher our own goats, pigs, 1/4 hinds of beef, produce our own charcuterie, sausage and bacon, make our own jams and ketchup and may soon be able to keep bees on our roof to harvest our own honey.”

Perhaps the best way to fully enjoy the varied menu at Revival Bar & Kitchen is to share. Especially tasty options include tender goat meatballs amid chickpeas and mint, flatbread topped with a veritable salad of romanesco broccoli and olives, and a grilled pork chop with roasted fingerling potatoes and baby artichoke hearts. Desserts—perhaps a Meyer lemon-and-chocolate mousse cake or a rich, rich sticky toffee pudding—and cocktails—maybe a Port au Prince (rum, pineapple, pomegranate) or Silk Road Sour (tea, bourbon, orange, lemon)—are highlights, making this a popular after-theater destination. The large open dining room has a high ceiling and oversize windows yet exudes a romantic atmosphere with plenty of reclaimed wood, antique mirror panels, and zinc-topped tables. Banquettes add comfort. Live music is a complimentary enhancement on Thursday nights from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m.


More things to do in Berkeley.

Way more things to do in Berkeley. 

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

image ©2012 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

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