There’s something special about dining outdoors in the summer and early fall, when the days are still warm and long, and fresh tomatoes and peaches are rolling in.

The definition of “view” is pretty broad, but for our purposes here, we’ll define view as something attractive or interesting to gaze upon while grazing, whether it be a city or skyline, a sparkling waterfront, an artsy cityscape, a relaxing water feature or a sweeping vista. 

Without a doubt, the King of the Hill dining spot is the Grand View on Mount Hamilton. With a garden, orchards and grazing cattle, it’s kind of hard to beat. But for anyone who’s not into making the circuitous trek up that somewhat heart-pounding road, we have other spots that offer a feast for the eyes.

Cityscapes

Right in the heart of Santana Row is Cielo, a rooftop bar that offers views of the sun setting over the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west. Enjoy dinner at Oveja Negra prior to cocktails, or just grab a light snack at Cielo and sip on a glass of wine while cozying up by the fireplace. While Cielo is generally open Tuesday through Sunday 5:30 to 9:30pm, they do offer private parties, so it”s prudent to check the event schedule or call ahead at 408.551.0010.

Eos & Nyx, a chic new two-story downtown San Jose hot spot, lies near the Hammer Theater and is right on the rail line. Outdoor seating is expansive, and the views of the city are very metro and at night, especially from the second floor, quite striking.

The food here is top-notch, brunch or dinner. Classics like loco moco get amped up by black garlic, while the veggie Benedict sports spinach, mushrooms and feta and Béarnaise. Large and in charge, the stack of chicken and waffles is served with kimchi butter, while moules frites are zhuzhed up with uni toast. A flatbread called Another One Bites the Dust is stuffed with mozzarella and mornay and topped with prosciutto and poached egg.

Dinner stuns with lasagna and duck Bolognese, a standard from Chef Nicko Moulinos, who used to helm the kitchen at Dio Deka. Wood-fired grill specialties include pork chop, branzino, dourade, lamb chops, ribeyes and porterhouse, with exquisite sides. Their cocktail scene is a step up, sourcing the mixology chops of the talent behind Paper Plane. Streetside or inside, the people-watching is outstanding.

RH Rooftop at the Stanford Mall is a showplace as much as a restaurant. Perched atop the Restoration Hardware store, it is massively white, light and bright, offering views of the hills to the west and the surrounding mall shops. It’s the perfect spot to be seen eating a signature summer salad of grilled shrimp and vegetables, including asparagus, corn, tomatoes and avocado. Or perhaps the Mulholland Drive Salad with iceberg, romaine, grilled chicken, egg, beets, tomatoes, cheddar, avocado, smoked bacon and balsamic vinaigrette. Sounds like a Cobb with an attitude. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner weekdays and for brunch and dinner on weekends.

Garden Spots

To conjure up the illusion of dining in a Roman trattoria, the massive fountain with huge metal figurines at Caffe Riace in Palo Alto can fit the bill. The food hasn’t changed in years, and is solid and very authentically Italian. The music of the fountains goes well with the Sicilian salad of sweet oranges and fennel and the penne Norma with eggplant, tomato and ricotta.

Nobu in Palo Alto recently unveiled two new reasons to dine in their lovely garden, endowed with relaxing water features and superb slabs of cool rock amidst the shrubbery. Brunch is served now on weekends, along with the full lunch menu, as well as a new tea service that begins at noon.

We loved the brunch/breakfast food, including the house-cured salmon lox with yuzu cream cheese on toasted levain topped with crispy capers, pumpkin seeds and microgreens, and the breakfast skillet of crispy potatoes, chicken apple sausage, sauteed miso spinach and poached heirloom cherry tomatoes topped with a free range fried egg.

Our favorite dish: the Bao Buns with spinach, yellow sriracha, crispy applewood-smoked bacon and sunny-side-up eggs and black sesame seeds. It was an adorable presentation with a watermelon radish and beet salad. For dessert, we indulged in the Suntory whiskey-soaked date cake, topped with vanilla sorbet and served with candied walnuts.

Waterfront Properties

In Redwood CIty, at the end of Seaport Boulevard off Highway 101, past scores of mostly empty tech and biotech buildings built before the pandemic, sits Hurrica, a restaurant awaiting discovery. Hurrica’s endearing nautical theme suits its location, next to a marina featuring some spectacularly modest yachts, including one that’s prominently for sale. The restaurant is sited to take in the water views, which can be enjoyed from the semi-covered outside deck or inside the marble bar, with its soaring ship sculpture. Spacious and accommodating to groups of all sizes, the menu is small, but competent (worth noting: a portion of featured oyster sales go to worthy local causes). The wine list is quite impressive. The seafood chowder was hearty, but not heavy, with clams and shrimp and finely diced vegetables. The burger looked immense. We’re going back.

Few dining establishments offer such unabashed luxury, world-class food, and service in a storybook setting as the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay. Surrounded by the deep turf of a top-rated golf course, and set right on a bluff above the surf, it offers three spots to quench thirst and feed the senses. Having recently dined at The Conservatory, the stylish, brightly lit and upbeat dining room, the food under the direction of Executive Chef Javier Arrebola was on point, with helpful and attentive service, wonderful cocktails and unbeatable views. The more secluded dining experience of Navio is ideal for special occasions (or expense accounts), while the Ocean Terraces, open daily from noon to 4:30, Monday through Thursday, and Friday through Sunday from 11am to 7pm, offers hearty and healthful fare. The bar is open until sunset on weekends. The lobster rolls, pork sandwiches, tacos and poke bowls and hamburgers aren’t cheap, but it’s worth it for the view. We especially love the Dungeness crab and artichoke dip and the little neck clam chowder with bacon. Score a room and make it an occasion to remember.

Mountain Eyries

Madera at Rosewood on Sand Hill Road boasts a magnificent view of the Santa Cruz Mountains, for breakfast, lunch and dinner, featuring summer-fresh dishes like Early Girl gazpacho, Dungeness crab roll, heirloom tomato risotto with Di Stefano burrata, summer squash and basil, and Half Moon Bay halibut with Brentwood corn, chanterelle and cherry tomato. You can also make like Popeye here and eat a side of Bloomsdale spinach with garlic confit.

A South by Southwest salad at Sand Hill Kitchen with field greens, roasted corn, avocado, queso fresco, crispy tortilla strips and ancho Caesar dressing costs just a couple of dollars more than that side of Madera spinach, and you’ll enjoy the views from the top of the hill, just across Sand Hill Road from Rosewood. The outdoor setting, with beautiful old oaks, is relaxing. Get the hand-cut fries or spiced tater tots: just $5 each. Seriously, this place rocks. Open weekdays from 8am until 3pm. We love this spot for its all-day breakfast/brunch, especially the avocado tartine or SHK simple breakfast. Both run $15 each. The grilled cheese here is insane.

Perched in the hills above Santa Cruz, atop the challenging and recently completely restored golf course originally designed by Dr. Alister MacKenzie and Marion Hollins, with input from Bobby Jones, Pasatiempo dates to 1929. The MacKenzie House, on the ninth hole, serves breakfast and lunch from 8:30am until 7pm, with “Taco Tuesdays” and other specials, under the direction of Pasatiempo Executive Chef Anthony Kresge and Hollins House Chef de Cuisine Ryan Soden. The historic Hollins House is available for special events, including gourmet lunches or dinners, with a pretty sweet side of views to the ocean.

While concert season is in play at the Mountain Winery, this view-laden spot offers pre-performance dining at the historic Chateau La Cresta, with a three-course prix fixe for $125 per person. Recent menu items included appetizer choices of hamachi crudo, Brussels sprouts with bacon and capers, or a grilled peach and burrata salad with prosciutto, and entrée selections featuring Markegard short ribs with mushroom risotto; pan-seared za’atar halibut with with flageolet beans, spinach and romesco sauce; Mary’s half rotisserie chicken with potatoes and lemon cream; and pasta Amatriciana with pancetta, tomato cream sauce and Pecorino romano. Desserts include pistachio or triple chocolate mousse, or limoncello raspberry cake. Wine pairings are $30 additional per person and feature Mountain Winery wines. We can drink to that on a warm Bay Area night.

Caffe Riace—200 Sheridan Ave, Palo Alto. 650.328.0407. cafferiace.com

Chateau La Cresta, 14831 Pierce Rd, Saratoga. 408.741.2822. mountainwinery.com/dining

Cielo, Hotel Valencia, 355 Santana Row, San Jose. 408.551.0010. hotelvalencia-santanarow.com

Eos & Nyx, 201 S Second St, Suite 120, San Jose. 408.831.6880. eosnyxsj.com

Hurrica Restaurant & Bar, Westpoint Harbor, 150 Northpoint Court, Redwood City. 650.499.4858. hurrica.restaurant

Madera, Rosewood San Hill Hotel, 2825 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park. 650.561.1540 maderasandhill.com

Nobu Palo Alto—180 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto. 650.798.8396. noburestaurants.com/paloalto

Pasatiempo, 20 Clubhouse Road, Santa Cruz. MacKenzie Bar & Grill Clubhouse: 831.459.9162; Hollins House: 831.459.9177. pasatiempo.com

RH Rooftop, 180 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. 650.328.4004. rh.com/us/en/paloalto/restaurant

Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, 1 Miramontes Point Rd, Half Moon Bay. 888.293.0524. ritzcarlton.com

Sand Hill Kitchen, 2400 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park. 650.304.3966. thesandhillkitchen.com

Praise be to the gods of pizza and pasta, and wine. Fridays and Saturdays have already become legend at Little Uvas and DeRose Vineyards at the Garage on Fitzgerald Avenue in San Martin, where hospitality flows like wine and the woodfired pizza oven turns out pies for which people gladly stand in line.

As longtime sous chef at Rosy’s at the Beach in Morgan Hill, Chef Berto Breton established himself as a beloved member of the kitchen staff there. When former owners Rich and Rosy Bergin sold the place in 2023 to Pam Novak and Vanessa Bermudez, he transitioned over to Little Uvas, where he brings his skills to the pizza oven. He makes all the dough and the sauces, and cooks up special pastas every Thursday evening. 

Rosy and Rich purchased this sweet piece of dirt a few years back, knowing they eventually wanted to retire from the restaurant business. Turns out they haven’t fully managed to do so. 

It takes a special love of endlessly hard work to be in this game. The hospitality gene is hard to turn off. Like it or not, the Bergins are well and truly still in the food service business. Wine is just another gateway to food. They’re now in it with both feet. 

Consulting with other winemakers in the Santa Clara Valley on what varieties to plant on their parcel, they were encouraged to install cabernet sauvignon, which they did, and to avoid sauvignon blanc, merlot and syrah, which they also chose to plant. In retrospect, very wise choices. 

Gene Guglielmo, of Guglielmo Winery, also suggested barbera to the Bergins, who planted a quarter of an acre. For other varietals, like chardonnay, they turned to Regan Vineyards in Corralitos, owned by John Bargetto. 

Little Uvas just released a Fiano, a robust Italian varietal, from Michael Mann Vineyard. Rich Bergin knows there’s a dearth of whites in Santa Clara Valley, and is determined to broaden his selection.

When you visit Little Uvas, you are also visiting DeRose, as the two wineries share a garage filled with fun cars and tables for tasting. They also share a winemaker, Alphonse DeRose, who crafts all the reds and the chardonnay, for Little Uvas. Winemaker Jeff Fadness makes their sauvignon blanc. 

Tasting options here are many: Escape sun and wind inside the garage-turned-tasting lounge, complete with a walled-off area that feels like a little café, or enjoy the views of fields and hills to the west at one of the many picnic tables. And chillier days, try one of the adorable Airstream trailers.

On a recent visit to Little Uvas, Bergin poured an easy drinking 2023 sauvignon blanc from the property, with flavors ranging from lemon grass to ripe melon and tropical fruits. This is the kind of sauv blanc that has broad appeal. The Bergins paired this with a shrimp cocktail gazpacho. 

Bergin then served us lovely romaine Caesar salads with gigantic croutons, paired with the Little Uvas 2024 Rosé of Syrah, tangy but fruity with a big mouthfeel. 

Breton then got to work on the first of three pizzas, each based on his recipe for a three-day sourdough ferment. Paired with a salmon pizza was the sensational 2021 Little Uvas “Puppy Luv” Merlot, perfectly soft, smooth and lush velvety in the mouth without being overripe or green, too tannic, too oaky or just too overwrought.

Breton then served up the perfect slice of Santa Clara Valley, with garlic from Gilroy and mushrooms from Morgan Hill, plus pepperoni for the kind of savory meltiness that highlighted the earthy spiciness of the 2021 Little Uvas Estate Syrah.

Not one to skip dessert, Bergin and Breton surprised us with an apple pie (pizza) paired with the 2022 Little Uvas Chardonnay from Regan Vineyard, which proved an epic pairing, as the sweet and cream barrel toast made merry with the warm apple pie spices—emphasis on cinnamon and nutmeg. Bergin said he was pretty stoked about this wine, with bright acidity and coastal fruit which is nigh impossible to achieve in the Santa Clara Valley.

Thursday nights there is a “Corks & Pasta” event, 4–8pm, where guests can order a bottle of wine and two pastas for $50 (upcharge of $15 for the barbera). Pasta choices are spaghetti and meatballs, chicken and fettuccine Alfredo, and pesto penne prima vera.

Pizzas are offered Fridays 4–8pm, and Saturdays and Sundays noon–5pm. Bergin says that the Friday night “happy hour” is pretty popular, and has become a favorite hang. Be prepared for a crowd.

Who can blame people for wanting to relax in this fun little spot with the feel of a mini camping resort? Plus, with a classic car restoration shop on the premises, there’s plenty of chrome to ogle while contemplating the finer nuances of the sleek barbera and a faith-restoring merlot.

Little Uvas Vineyards, 255 Fitzgerald Ave, San Martin. 408.337.1329. Open Thu-Fri 4–8pm, Sat-Sun noon–5pm. littleuvasvineyards.com

Proprietor Billoo Rataul stands tall and proud as he surveys the vineyard land that gently slopes to the banks of Machado Creek outside Morgan Hill. Born and raised in northeast India, he grew up near jungles where beasts still roamed, and his childhood imagination was captured not just by the tales he read—but by the actual wild creatures in the forests of the night.

“Twice Tyger comes from William Blake’s famous poem,” he explains, referring to the name he bestowed on the vineyard and wine brand he is fashioning, along with the help of winemaker Bobby Graviano.

“Tyger, tyger burning bright, in the forests of the night,” Blake wrote in “The Tyger,” published as part of a collection by the English poet in 1794.

“It’s an homage to my roots and also to my connection with the land,” says Rataul, who still runs a global company as his day job.

“Tigers are the apex predator,” Rataul notes. “They exist only in a complete and holistic ecosystem.”

Sales of a prior venture enabled him to purchase this charming spot on the outskirts of Morgan Hill, in view of the old Machado Creek schoolhouse, flanked by steep hills on either side.

“I was running down the roads here in 2001 and 2002, and this piece of land caught my eye,” he explains. The property was part of a large farm that had been owned by the Ward family for generations.

Nearby, several large walnut orchards have resisted the relentless tug of development.

“I wanted to keep this land in agriculture forever,” says Rataul. “So in 2006, I made the family an offer.” He restored the crumbling farmhouse, and it became the home of the vineyard manager.

The vineyard, home to a mix of varieties—including roussanne, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, which are thriving—was planted in 2017. Rataul initially put in some Montepulciano, but says he could not find fans, so is grafting over to zinfandel.

He personally loves pinot noir, and planted some on the northernmost part of the property, choosing Mount Eden, Pommard and Dijon 115 clones. He purposely oriented his vinerows to run north to south.

With birds flitting about, and insects galore, the vines coexist in harmony with native grasses and wildflowers, birds, honey bees, olive trees, sheep and plenty of other wildlife.

One enormous walnut tree remains, under which Rataul envisions placing Adirondack chairs and tables, so people can enjoy its shade as they taste.

At Rataul’s home, a short distance away, a petit verdot vineyard makes up his entire front yard. Planted in 2010, he delights in caring for it.

Rataul has been busy replenishing the soil of the newer vineyard with compost and cover cropping. He’s attempting to farm the vineyard organically, despite the fact that other neighboring enterprises might not hold themselves to the same standards.

He also has 250 olive trees, mostly Italian cultivars, from which he makes a field blend. He tells me that one ton of olives yields about 140 liters of oil. He’s contemplating planting more olive trees.

As we watch sheep grazing on the spring cover crop in the vinerows, he tells me about his plans for a 5,500-square-foot tasting pavilion, set at the edge of the creek. He says the cantilevered structure will provide maximum shade and cooler temperatures during the hot summer, but will give visitors the sense of floating over the vines.

It sounds amazing, and futuristic, but not totally surprising coming from a man who drives a Cybertruck. He says the winery will run on solar and be net zero. He’s doing everything he can to minimize the impact on the environment.

“I love wine and being outdoors and farming in a natural way,” says Rataul. “I know the integrity of the wine is directly impacted by farming. We want to produce the best possible fruit to express the terroir.”

He notes that while other wineries are primarily event venues, that is not his aim at Twice Tyger.

“I want people to come and enjoy the place. Profit is not my main motive. Honoring the land and preserving it is,” Rataul says.

He also plans to have a vegetable farm stand on the property, and is exploring uses of wool from shearing the sheep.

“My grandmother used to spin,” he muses. “I would like to learn.” 

Twice Tyger launched their inaugural estate wines at Morgan Hill Downtown Association’s 2025 Wine Stroll in April, where they poured their inaugural bottlings, which include the 2023 Estate Roussanne and 2022 Estate Red Blend. For additional information on Twice Tyger, visit twicetyger.com. 

Finding a restaurant that welcomes, and doesn’t just grudgingly accommodate, the food preferences of vegan diners isn’t easy. Happily, Mayan Kitchen in Sunnyvale combines Chef Katie Voong’s desire to eat healthier with the amazing flavors of her Asian roots and those of the Yucatan.

It’s an unusual and remarkably successful combination that was birthed out of two existential challenges: one that predated her birth in Hong Kong to Vietnamese/Chinese refugees of the Vietnam War, and the other that virtually shut down the world economy. We’re talking about the Vietnam War and the Covid pandemic. 

“Just a few years ago I was gonna close the doors,” says Voong, who had opened her first restaurant, Ktea Café, in 2018, serving a variety of Chinese street foods. Demand for catering services expanded into Ktea Caters, and just prior to Covid, she was busily serving all the usual corporate clients, from Cisco to Google. She hired Chef Ed Correa to assist as the food grew in popularity.

Healthier Options

Then everything came to a halt. She and Correa, who hails from the Yucatan, knew they had to do something different. “I used the downtime to make better choices,” says Voong. “I am vegetarian and he is Mayan and we married our concepts together. We realized that people wanted to eat healthier.”

The two worked on their menus and decided to pivot the Mayan concept to the front of the house while keeping Ktea café going. Voong still operates Ktea as an online-only business with pickup and delivery, a challenge that her design partner, Deborah Armstrong of DBA Visual Team, met handily.

“People were always trying to support us. I could not let this go! Even if it meant running two operations at once. Honestly, we were in survival mode.” 

Somehow, she survived. “I am so blessed and I really don’t know how I did it,” Voong says. “It was so hard, even painting the walls, as I could find no laborers. I used recycled lumber and repurposed other restaurant booths. Recycling and upcycling is my habit! I have T-shirts I have had for years. I like to keep it humble. There is no need to waste!” 

The portion sizes are plenty big to satisfy, but small enough to encourage curiosity. “We use no filler food,” says Voong. “You are throwing away your profit! I use the whole lemon. Zero waste makes a lot of sense, as I would rather have less trash to pay to be hauled away!” Her advice to restaurants and home chefs is to buy only what you need. 

Flavors of the Yucatan

The Mayan cooking style uses no lard. Instead, fresh oranges and habanero are used for marinating. Citrus and a variety of chiles add flavor in vegan dishes like spiced cauliflower, eggplant rolls and pumpkin seed salsa pesto served with radishes and three different tortilla chips: crunchy yellow corn, hearty blue corn and spicy red achiote. Voong points out that radishes are very good for you. 

“There are lots of people with allergies in the Bay Area,” says Voong, pointing to her own son, who suffered from rashes and eczema for years. Turns out he has gluten allergies.

“We know we can make food flavorful with natural ingredients and that’s what we focus on. So far it has been wonderful,” Voong says. 

Yucatan staples like cochinita, slow corked pork in plantain leaves, and pollo pibil, achiote grilled chicken, are flavored with roasted tomato salsa, pickled red onions (pickled in sour orange, not vinegar) and micro cilantro. Fried bao bun combines many cultures with cochinita, pickled onions, cilantro, cheese sauce and mayo. The Cochinita Salbut—which tops a fluffy handmade corn tortilla with pork, black bean puree, cabbage, pickled onions, homemade salsa verde and cotija cheese—is a tasty twist on what you might think of as a glorified taco. 

Call it what you will. Both Voong and Correa love the chemistry and the artistry of cooking, and are always looking for novel ways to combine vegetables and spices to elevate vegan food. 

“There are not many Mayan or vegan restaurants,” Voong says. At the heart of the cuisine is healthy eating. She believes that food is medicine.

Embracing Hard Work

Although having a small restaurant as a single mom means she has very little family time, she feels she is setting an example of resilience and the success that comes from hard work. 

“The way I grew up, not being privileged, you learned to earn and save,” Voong says. “My dad worked in Chinese restaurants, and my mom stayed at home with me and my many siblings. We got so much love from my mom! My dad did the cooking. We didn’t have much, but it was delicious. He worked so hard, but he gave me $20 each week: that was so much money for back then!! It made me want to give back more.”

All that hard work has garnered her a chance to participate in the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium as one of only 200 applicants out of thousands. She hopes to be serving Mayan cuisine, including a vegan option, from a food truck or in the VIP section.

Dreaming big has certainly paid off. She was one of the suppliers at the SAP Center food court, and says it felt great to have the business name on the big screen. She credits her tight working relationship with Correa and Armstrong for their success. 

“I follow my heart and I’m doing what I love,” Voong says. “Truthfully, I want to promote this concept of healthy eating. I must be doing something right! Every year, I get a different reward.”

Mayan Kitchen is open for lunch Tue-Fri 11:30am-2pm and Sat-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm and for dinner Tue-Sun 5-8:45pm. 139 S Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale. 650.305.6595. mayankitchenfood.com

Thanks to two longtime friends, the joys of Korean food are finally available in the far West Valley. Danbi Korean BBQ, with two sister restaurants in San Jose—one on North First Street and the other on Snell Avenue—is now serving up spicy seared meat, kimchi and banchan on Montebello Way in Los Gatos.

The two friends—Janet Soh and Sunny Choi—met at De Anza College before they diverged to different schools. Soh went on to San Jose State University and immediately dove into the world of food after graduation. Her first franchise was a Baskin Robbins. She then purchased the first of her Togo franchises, which she says have been amazingly consistent performers, due to the quality of the food and strength of top management. “That fresh-baked bread comes in every morning. It’s what keeps people coming back.” And yes, pastrami is the number one seller.

Choi headed to UC Irvine and then lived in southern California for 21 years. When Soh contacted her and said it was time to get into business together, they talked about it for a long time. So now, in addition to the Korean fried chicken restaurant she owns near Pioneer High School, Choi is proudly serving up her Korean heritage at Danbi.

Choi says Soh had long been scouting for a Los Gatos location but all the vacant spaces required the installation of a kitchen. Then, one night, Soh was scrolling through business listings and discovered the space that once housed Grocer+Goddess. She excitedly called Choi. The next day, Soh met with former lessee, Yvonne Khananis, saw the place and fell in love. The deal was done quickly, but the ABC license will take a little longer. They hope to be able to offer beer and wine soon.

First of all, yes, Danbi serves fried chicken (savory, spicy and soy glazed), and kalbi (grilled beef short ribs), grilled pork, mackerel and bulgogi (sliced soy marinated beef), accompanied by kimchi and vegetable or seafood pancakes. The menu also features ramen and soft tofu soups and several spins on fried rice.

We asked Soh what we should not miss. “The Japchae,” she said. This is a stir-fried dish of shiny glass noodles with spinach, fragrant bulgogi beef, sweet onion and crunchy cabbages. She also recommended the hot clay pot sizzling rice, a version of bi bim bap. “This is one of my favorite dishes,” she said. “The rice cooks on the bottom and gets really crispy.”

Bi bim bap comes in several permutations, but we chose the chicken. It came out, sizzling away in dramatic style, the rice covered by a pile of shredded carrots, bean sprouts, radish, spinach, diced chicken and a fried egg. Add a little gochujang to spice it up.

Accompanying any entrée dish is a set of little sides, called banchan, including spicy fish cake, pickled daikon radish, kimchee Napa cabbage, marinated bean sprouts and pickled jalapeños and carrots.

The Koreans are big on cabbage. They’re also very big on vegetables. Choi explains, “Korea has always been a poor country, and especially after the war. There was very little refrigeration. We had to survive through harsh winters by preserving food.”

She says her grandmother, like most homemakers, would bury a big ceramic pot in the ground into which she had submerged cabbage and other vegetables in a spicy brine. “I remember she would bring in icy, almost frozen, bowls of kimchi to have with our traditional meals.”

I asked Choi about the colorful woven and embroidered mats that are set atop each table at the restaurant. “These are from Korea,” Choi explained. “They were used to cover all the condiments to keep flies and dust out. They would be left on the kitchen table, ready to accompany the meal, so you would just have to cook rice, and dinner is ready.”

As for other items on the menu, there are many signature Korean soups and stews, and spicy stir fries, to which you can add rice cake or udon noodles.

I asked Choi the meaning of Danbi. “It’s a Korean word for sweet rain,” she said. “More like that wonderful first rain after a long drought.”

Danbi Korean BBQ is open daily 11:30am–2:30pm and 4:30–9pm. Located at 9 Montebello Way, Los Gatos, 669.240.4135. danbikoreansj.com

Two pieces of good news amidst all the insanity. First, there’s a new “it” place on Santana Row, called Augustine, which really delivers the goods on ambience and amazing food. Second, they also have a coffee and pastry shop next door called Café Augustine.

Both are reasons to be bullish in what feels like a bear market. And it’s an especially good thing for Santana Row, as it looks to increasingly compete with the ever upscaling mall across the street.

There’s some irony here. Valley Fair was once the bastion of a pretty mediocre food court, which made the Cheesecake Factory and Nordstrom’s Bazille look high end. No more. Now they’ve got King’s Fish House, Massimo’s, Eataly, Din Tai Fung and Mastro’s, with Asia Live and Joey on their way.

I’ll confess to having a soft spot for Santana Row. Before it was even built, it was on my radar, courtesy of my former stockbroker, whose office was on South Winchester. He was dating my best friend at the time and was planning to invest in a condo at The Row, thinking it would be ever so convenient for those late nights after dining out and catching a movie. The excitement around a place with lots of shops and chichi dining spots combined with high-end apartments, was electric. Everyone knew this would change the neighborhood and give Valley Fair a run for its money.

So many restaurants have come and gone, in both places, since then. When Sino on The Row went dark two years ago, I figured a similar restaurant would take its place. But Augustine is a step completely beyond the current trend at Santana Row, which has lately seemed to lean toward more casual food. The refresh of El Jardin and now the debut of Taqueria Parranga accentuates that.

But Augustine convincingly bucks the tide. Not surprisingly, it’s from the serious-about-dining folks from Bacchus Management Group, who most recently brought Selby’s to Atherton, and whose debut establishment was none other than the Village Pub in Woodside. It must be noted that Bacchus Management Group was very bullish on Santana Row and actually installed the first restaurant there in 2003, after the disastrous fire of 2002 that nearly extinguished momentum for The Row. Pizza Antica has been a beloved staple and standard of measure for casual, upscale dining for over two decades now.

Augustine not only brings next-level dining to Santana Row, it also offers a sanctuary for escape.

The oasis-like ambience feels intentional and well thought out, from the marble-topped cocktail bar to the crystal chandeliers and gold lighting elements poised over the white table cloth-draped tables. Blue velvet bench seating flanks the perimeters. The mood here, inside and out, is coastal vacation, as if you’d just stepped off the busy sidewalks of a bustling city and arrived at a beachfront resort, perhaps on the Riviera.

While there is no ocean in view, the menu clearly echoes seacoast inspiration, with items like crab donuts, fried chicken and caviar, fisherman’s mussels with Calabrian chiles, roasted branzino with anchovies and capers, and the stunning grilled whole Maine lobster. The small beet and tangerine salad with watercress and warm goat cheese was lovely, but the spring vegetable cocotte—a creamy polenta topped with roasted root vegetables, mushrooms and cauliflower—is a standout. The garlic shoestring fries are a huge hit. Land-raised proteins include duck leg cannelloni, spiced lamb sausage with minted yogurt, the Augustine burger and roasted half chicken with herb butter and lemon-Dijon. An order of grilled bread is served with an intriguing spread called muhammara, which brings a taste of the Middle East. It’s made of roasted red peppers, walnuts, sherry vinegar, cumin, olive oil and pomegranate molasses.

Brunch, available on weekends, stars fresh baked croissants and crullers, smoked salmon tartine, Croque Madame, pancakes with lemon butter, French toast with whipped ricotta and Tonka bean, and a simple but oh-so-tasty breakfast sandwich on a housemade tigelle, the Alpine version of a raised flatbread that is cut into rounds and cooked on a flat skillet or in a special tigelle pan. Here, it features scrambled egg, a sausage patty and melted cheddar cheese. The Augustine breakfast comes with toasted tigelle and potato rösti (a fried potato cake said to have originated in the Swiss Canton of Bern).

All the dishes, served on scallop shell plates, are modestly proportioned. The menus are foil-stamped with the logo and all the servers wear neatly embroidered aprons. “We have over 100 staff here so far. We are actively training more and looking for others,” GM Juan Barajas told us, as he explained that his hospitality background includes over a decade at Michelin-starred Village Pub in Woodside, the first of Bacchus Management Group’s many  success stories. This is bound to be another.

Options at Augustine include weekend brunch, weekday lunch, nightly dinner and private dining options, as well as a secret speakeasy. Fuel up for shopping with a coffee and a butter-laden pastry at Café Augustine, daily from 7am. The coffee cake is killer, and the Cowboy cookie, packed with oats, raisins, chocolate chips and coconut, is a marvel. They also serve lemon poppy seed bread, opera cake, Basque cheesecake and apple turnovers.

Augustine is open Mon–Thu 11:30am–10pm, Fri 11:30am–11pm, Sat 10am–11pm and Sun 10am–10pm. The cafe is open Sun–Thu 7am–10pm and Fri–Sat 7am–11pm. 377 Santana Row, No. 1000, San Jose. 408.785.7700. augustinerestaurant.com

For events or private parties, email ev****@*****************nt.com or phone 650.785.8800.

Many true lovers of pinot noir have made a pilgrimage to Calera Winery in Hollister, the place that firmly established North America’s ability to produce “the heartbreak grape.”

Calera Wine Company, established in 1975 in the remote hills of San Benito County, was the beautiful and exhausting dream of Josh Jensen, born in Seattle and raised in Orinda. His father, a dentist, had a good friend, Dr. George Selleck, who was a wine collector and connoisseur. The two had met during World War Two. It was Selleck who turned Jensen on to wine.

After graduating with a liberal arts degree from Yale, Jensen headed to Oxford for a master’s in social anthropology. Along the way, he discovered for himself the true pleasures of life in France, and fell in love with Burgundy, the wine and the place.

After two summers working at premier vineyard estates—Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Domaine Dujac—he set off to the New World in search of limestone soils. Geological maps guided him to potential sites up and down the West Coast, but his search yielded naught. 

Everyone thought he was tilting at invisible windmills, until that flash of white caught his eye in the Hollister hills. Limestone. Three million tons of it. And a quarry, along with an old lime kiln.

That was 1974, the year Jensen first purchased land on Mt. Harlan, with the help of three investors: Dr. Selleck, Bill Reed (another long-time friend) and Josh’s father, all of whom would have vineyards named for them.

Those vineyards and the brand that sprang forth from them—Calera, which is Spanish for lime kiln—created a legacy that has endured for 50 years.

The five-acre Selleck Vineyard is undergoing a replant, but the Reed Vineyard, also five acres, is hanging in there, as is the 14-acre Jensen Vineyard, named for Josh’s father. While those vineyards put down roots in the limestone soils at 2,200 to 2,400 feet, Jensen, in 1977, purchased a 100-acre parcel lower down the mountain where the winery and tasting room now sit.

Convinced he had found what he was looking for, Jensen purchased an additional 300 acres of limestone land on Mt. Harlan, where he planted viognier, in 1982. He subsequently planted chardonnay, in 1984, and four more vineyards, again named for people of significance in his life.

Planted in 1984, the Mills Vineyard was named for Everett Mills, a salty Cienega resident who became a friend of Jensen’s. It, too, was recently pulled out for replanting. The 16-acre DeVilliers Vineyard is the largest, and was planted on the eastern flank of Mt. Harlan in 1997.

It lies between the two original plantings, Jensen and Mills. DeVilliers is named for Marq DeVilliers, a South African born writer who chronicled the Calera story in The Heartbreak Grape.

The last vineyard to be planted, in 1998, is named for longtime vineyard manager Jim Ryan, and is the highest of the group at 2,500 feet. It faces west, and produces wines that are a bit more accessible early in their development.

For all the vineyards, Jensen used cuttings from vines in Chalone, Napa and suitcase clones he had smuggled in from his sources in France. Over the decades, these vines have morphed to become what is called the Calera clone: highly prized for their small clusters and intense flavors. They taste different in each vineyard in which they are planted, which is the point Jensen was making by bottling vineyard designates.

Calera winemaker Mike Waller says that all the wines are made the same way: whole cluster, native yeast and barrel fermentation. He uses 30% new French oak, mostly François Frère medium toast, three-year air dried, plus some Alliers and Vosges barrels.

Jensen sold Calera to Duckhorn in 2017, later moving to San Francisco to live with his daughter and grandchildren. He passed away in 2022, but his spirit lives on in those old vines he planted 50 years ago. 

The sun was low in the winter sky, making it difficult to get a clear shot of the front of the ancient ivy-covered rockwall face of the oldest winery in Santa Clara Valley. I could barely make out the words “E. Guglielmo & Son, Bonded Winery No. 3656,” in black lettering against a white background above the ancient doors to the entrance.

Those words have graced that edifice for 100 years.

Brothers Gene and George Guglielmo, along with their children and grandchildren, were surrounded Jan. 11 by their extended and loyal family of customers going back decades as they commemorated the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the winery that is now in its fourth generation of family ownership.

Gene welcomed the gathered crowd to celebrate the 100-year milestone of continually operating a family-owned business, a rarity these days. He reflected that the family had grown over the years to include all the many friends and customers, and people with whom they developed special relationships.

“We try to continue that philosophy of friendship to this day,” he said. “We have a lot to celebrate, and we pay homage to all the staff and workers who have been part of our success.”

Pointing to the old house that now contains the winery offices, he said that it had been a privilege to live in that home, growing up in an area that produces world-class wine.

He noted, with some irony, that the wine industry is facing some serious headwinds, as wine consumption has been steadily declining for the last two years. 

“People aren’t drinking wine like they used to,” he remarked. “When my grandparents started the winery, their customers were Italian, Basque and Irish. They considered wine part of a meal.”

The Guglielmo wines in the early days were delivered to customers in bulk, much as the milkman used to deliver milk. You had a choice of sauternes (white) and red burgundy.

George and Gene’s grandfather, Emilio, initially acquired about 10 acres on the homestead off Main Avenue, adding more acreage over time, some of which has been sold off as the city of Morgan Hill continues to grow. There was also a chicken coop where Guglielmo Winery’s event center now stands.

“We used to own 40 acres where the Target is now,” Gene said. “We now have about 85 acres left.”

They continue to grow petite sirah, zinfandel and merlot, and recently planted estate cabernet sauvignon and sagrantino, a grape that harks back to their family roots.

George reflected on the fact that Emilio emigrated from a small town north of Turin in Piemonte, Italy, in 1909, going through Ellis Island and making his way to San Francisco, where there was a vibrant Italian community.

Emilio spoke both French and Italian; in fact, George’s 23 and Me profile shows he is more French than Italian. Emilio then sent for his sweetheart, Emilia, and they lived in San Francisco while he worked in a tannery, among other businesses, eventually amassing enough money to purchase the first 10 acres of land in Morgan Hill. They built a home, planted vines and began making wine in the basement.

Ah, the basement. Like many root cellars, it is accessed by a trap door that takes you underground. This secret cellar happens to be underneath the former residence that now serves as the Guglielmo Winery main office.

Gene and George clearly delight in showing off the old redwood tanks, which were made in San Francisco, then disassembled so they could be moved into the cellar and be put together again. They are still used to age wine, and they are massive, but not nearly as massive as the ones that tower above visitors to the winery production facility. These are absolute monsters, dominating the enormous cellar from floor to ceiling.

Most modern wineries have only steel tanks these days for fermentation. Very few have these giant wooden vessels, which speak of Old World ways and New World ambition.

Today, the winery still makes wine the same way it always has, picking early to preserve brightness and to keep alcohols low. This is the way wine was made to be consumed with a meal, to enhance the flavors of the table, and to gladden the hearts of farmers and laborers, who cherished their daily glass of wine along with their daily bread. 

Los Gatos is a sweet town for those who love their sugar. It’s home to two of the best-known bakeries in the South Bay—Icing on the Cake and Manresa Bread—and arguably some of the best artisan chocolate shops, including Deux Cranes.

Now there’s a new place in Los Gatos to indulge a sweet tooth: Croissante Bakery, a fresh-baked arrival on North Santa Cruz Avenue. As the name suggests, Croissante offers savory and sweet flavors of perfectly buttery crescent pastries, plus its mammoth “Cube” croissants—which are more like a meal, and are also offered by the half as French toast.

Owned by a former accountant at Tesla, Croissante turns out a dizzying array of sweet French pastries daily, including canelés, scones, cinnamon rolls, eclairs, kouign amann and many permutations of pinwheels, aka snails.

The first location—on El Camino Real in Santa Clara—opened in June of 2023, and is the site of the bakery. The second store has been up and running for about a month, and it appears the plan is to open up in Palo Alto as well.

The Los Gatos shop is at the site of the original Manresa Bread, which more recently was occupied by OY!, the gluten-free bakery that can now be found at the Pastaria on Victory Lane.

Their lineup of winter desserts includes a chestnut-filled Mont Blanc tart, a classic apple tarte tatin, and a galette des rois (king cake), made of buttery puff pastry and stuffed with almond cream. And fans of Basque cheesecake will be in luck. Croissanté also makes custom cakes that look absolutely showstopping. 

While I’ve not scored a baguette, the country French loaf is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed as wonderful morning toast, a nice accompaniment with soup, and a great base for sandwiches (if you don’t mind condiments leaking through the holes). Other savory selections include pepper bacon fougasse and mushroom danish.

Croissanté is located at 276 N Santa Cruz Ave. in Los Gatos. Open daily, 8am–4pm. Order online in advance from a selection of more than 80 options that rotate monthly. croissantebakery.com

Thanksgiving is about sharing gratitude, for everything and everyone in our lives. It’s impossible to ignore the fact that the world’s richest economy derives from the bounty of the North American continent, a land that has nurtured and sustained wave after wave of immigration from the time humans settled here.

In the spirit of community that we seek to preserve, give generously to others that have little, and tip and appreciate those who work so hard to keep restaurants open on Thanksgiving and other holidays. Here are some last-minute gobbling options that are also worth considering for festive dinners throughout the holiday season.

Foodie friends raved about Dry Creek Grill in San Jose for their traditional Thanksgiving feast last year and are booking it again this year. They might be onto something.

Signia by Hilton in San Jose is offering Thanksgiving Brunch at Fountain Restaurant, including citrus-brined turkey with chorizo cornbread stuffing, slow-cooked prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, maple-glazed pork loin with roasted squash, and crab-stuffed salmon, plus seasonal side dishes. Seafood, sushi, artisanal cheeses, grilled vegetables, fresh omelets, and pasta stations, plus indulgent desserts. Kids’ Corner and complimentary dining for children 4 and under. Pricing is $100 per adult and $55 for children ages 5-12, exclusive of tax, gratuity and alcoholic beverages. Reserve on OpenTable.

Scott’s Seafood Ballroom at The Rotary Summit Center, three blocks from the Scott’s Seafood main restaurant in downtown San Jose, offers spectacular views of Silicon Valley. Thanksgiving Day brunch and dinner buffets are offered, both from $55 to $95/pp. Brunch, from 10:30 until 2pm, offers a bountiful buffet featuring various favorites, including brunch classics, prime rib carving station, made-to-order omelets, fresh shellfish station, and Scott’s signature seafood dishes. From 5pm until 8pm, Scott’s will serve a dinner buffet with classic Thanksgiving dishes, like roasted turkey and mashed potatoes, along with seafood favorites like fresh oysters and Scott’s signature seafood selections. ScottsSeafoodBallroom

Heading up the road to Santana Row, LB Steak will be open from 11:30am to 7:30pm on Thanksgiving Day, serving autumn-inspired menu additions, like Turkey Roulade with accompaniments ($45), apple crisp tart with ice cream ($15) and cinnamon rum pumpkin pie with vanilla crème Chantilly ($15), alongside their regular menus. LBSteakReserve

Left Bank Brasseries serves a four-course prix fixe Thanksgiving meal on Nov. 28, from noon to 8pm. Prices start at $79/pp. All items also available à la carte, including turkey, salmon and butternut squash ravioli. 

Hotel Valencia on Santana Row will offer a Thanksgiving Harvest Luncheon at Oveja Negra from 11 until 3pm. Adults $100 and children $60, including taxes and gratuities. Book Oveja Negra Restaurant on Opentable.

Meso Modern Mediterranean will serve a Mediterranean-inspired holiday menu prix fix, from noon–8pm. Choices include falafel bites, hummus, meatballs, leg of lamb, turkey, vegetarian moussaka, vegan gnocchi, pumpkin cheesecake and baklava. Kids menu also available, 12 and under. Four course prix fixe starts at $85; three-course limited menu, $24.

Please note that Santana Row staples Suspiro, Zazil and El Jardin are all closed on Thanksgiving. But at Valley Fair Mall, there are various options: Eataly (7:30am–8pm), Baekjeong Koren BBQ (11am–10pm), Bowlero (noon–midnight) and Kings Fish House (11am–10pm).

Around the Valley and Peninsula

In Saratoga, La Mere Michelle offers traditional French cuisine, and The Plumed Horse is offering a five-course Thanksgiving dinner with seating beginning at 3 PM, priced at $185 per guest. A 22% service charge will be applied to all purchases in lieu of gratuity.

Mastro’s Steakhouse and Morton’s are also good options in San Jose.

If Italian is what you seek, try Il Fornaio or Rollati Ristorante in San Jose. Cucina Venti in Mountain View offers excellent Italian dining.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ in downtown San Jose, offers a prix-fixe Japanese BBQ designed for beginners and fans alike, starting at $40/pp. 

If seafood floats your boat, try Pacific Catch in Santa Clara, Campbell, Sunnyvale, Cupertino and Mountain View. 

Fleming’s Steak House in Santa Clara and Palo Alto, will serve a 3-course menu with turkey, Filet Mignon or prime bone-in ribeye, including a starter, all the fixings, and dessert, for $65/pp. Open at 11am. 

In Mountain View, try Sushi Jim or Benihana, or Scratch. For French flair, try La Fontaine. 

Menlo Tavern in Menlo Park is open for lunch and dinner, but you’d best call ahead. Also in the Menlo Park and Palo Alto area, Anatolian Kitchen, Bistro Vida, British Bankers Club, Buca Di Peppo, Cetrella, Il Fornaio, Iron Gate, Naschmarkt, Nobu, Meyhouse, Porta Blu, Reposada, and The Mandarin are great options.

Madera at Rosewood at Sand Hill offers a four-course menu, for $198 per person. Firehouse Bistro in Woodside.

At the Four Seasons Hotel in Palo Alto, try Quattro.

Nearby Getaways

Chaminade in Santa Cruz offers a Thanksgiving Day Buffet, from 9am until 7pm, featuring holiday favorites, including an omelet bar, poke bar, carving station with turkey and prime rib, traditional holiday accompaniments and desserts, all accompanied by beautiful views of Monterey Bay. Gluten-free and vegan selections will be available. $85++ per person (ages 13+), and $25++ per person (ages 3–12). Tax and gratuity additional. Reservations required: ReserveChaminade

Lucia at Bernardus in Carmel Valley is offering a Thanksgiving Day Buffet from 11am to 3pm, with turkey, grilled pacific salmon and a seafood station. Tickets here are $165 for adults and $65 for children. An autumnal four-course Thanksgiving dinner will be served from 5 to 8pm, with sugar pie pumpkin and sweet potato gnocchi, roasted turkey, and a salad of delicata squash and beets, accompanied by selected wines from Bernardus Winery. Tickets are $165 per person here. 

Who needs turkey when duck delivers lots more flavor? In San Francisco, check out Z&Y Restaurant & Z&Y Peking Duck from 11:30am to 3pm for lunch, and dinner from 4:30–9pm.

Recently renovated, ANZU at the Union Square Hotel in San Francisco offers a Thanksgiving Day Buffet, 1 to 8pm. Along with traditional fare, you’ll find sushi, dim sum, a raw bar, and delicious desserts.

Mendocino’s MacCallum House offers a three-course wine-paired meal on Nov. 28, beginning with wild mushroom soup paired with Roederer Brut, and it just gets better from there. $145 with wine, $100 without alcohol. Two seatings: 3 pm or 6pm. For reservations, call 707.937.0289.

Stanford By The Sea Inn in Mendocino offers dining at one of the most creative vegan restaurants on the West Coast, with items like seared maitake and radicchio salad, chestnut stuffed portobello with all the fixings, mushroom Wellington with pesto drizzle, grilled apple pizzetta with Shiitake “bacon,” and Candy Cap Brûlée with locally foraged, maple-scented mushrooms. Price: $79 per adult, $35 per child (ages 4-12).