Introduction | Food & Drink | Music & Nightlife | Goods & Services | Art & Culture

OVERALL

Best Museum

San Jose Museum of Art
110 S Market St, San Jose

San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art
560 S First St, San Jose
MACLA
510 S First St, San Jose

Best Holiday Celebration

Christmas in the Park
Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose

Fantasy of Lights, Vasona Lake County Park
333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos

Obon Festival
Japantown, N 5th St, San Jose

Best Film Festival

Cinequest
cinequest.org

San Jose Short Film Festival
sjsff.com

Silicon Valley African Film Festival
svaff.org

Best Place to Learn an Iron Age Trade
School of Visual Philosophy
1065 The Alameda, San Jose
In an ecosystem where new and shiny products are constantly hatching with zippy and expensively conceived monikers like Fitbit or Slack, a name like the School of Visual Philosophy falls on the ear as positively 19th-century. And yet, the SVP fits as snugly into 2019 as any other Silicon Valley startup. It’s a bit like a WeWork for artists. The school rents out 32 small studios to painters, printmakers, sculptors and other visual artists, as well as larger spaces to a couple of small companies. And perhaps most aspirationally, the SVP is a school that provides instruction in a number of decidedly old-school art forms such as woodworking, bronze casting, painting and printmaking. And even in the midst of the world’s most prominent high-tech corridor, this new arts school is offering training in a technology that can be traced back to the iron age: blacksmithing. Yori and Dana Seeger, the husband-and-wife duo who run the School of Visual Philosophy, have built a place not just for skilled artists (the talented folks who rent studio spaces)—but for those who want to create something away from their keyboards and glowing monitors and put their backs into a passion project. Many enrolled in their analog classes have day jobs as engineers, and one of the school’s most popular draws is its bladesmithing class.

Best Historical Collection

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
1660 Park Ave, San Jose

Computer History Museum
1401 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View

Campbell Historical Museum
51 N Central Ave, Campbell

Best Dance Company

San Jose Dance Theatre
1756 Junction Ave, San Jose

Los Gatos Ballet
630 University Ave, Los Gatos

Dance Attack
Los Gatos & Sunnyvale

Best Free Film School
Celluloid Dreams
90.5 KSJS-FM, Mondays 5pm
Twenty-three years after they began programming at SJSU’s radio station, the cabal of Peter Canavese, Larry Jakubecz, Dennis Kwiatkowski and Tim Sika continue to provide thoughtful yet vivid commentary on the film scene. They’ve given help to innumerable local filmmakers. The collaborators have interviewed scads of directors and stars on the air, including Brie Larson, Julie Andrews, Martin Sheen and Francis Ford Coppola. Canavese (of the website grouchoreviews.com) provides learned commentary on the side. If you can’t pick up something about the state of the art, its history, the culture and the technique of film from Celluloid Dreams, you simply aren’t listening.

Best Theater Company

City Lights Theater Company
529 S 2nd St, San Jose
TIE

San Jose Stage Company
490 S 1st St, San Jose

El Teatro Campesino
705 4th St, San Juan Bautista

Tabard Theatre Company
29 N San Pedro St, San Jose

Best Musical Theater Company

Broadway San Jose
255 S Almaden Blvd, San Jose

CMT San Jose
271 S Market St San Jose

South Bay Musical Theatre
13777 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga

Best Escape Room

Best Place to Hotwire a Time Machine
Psychotronix Film Festival
7pm March 30, Room 5015, Foothill College
Oh, to be a chrononaut… to explore different time realms, punch dinosaurs and save Ol’ Honest Abe. (“Don’t go to Ford’s Theater tonight, Mr. President—I saw Our American Cousin already, and it stinks!” “Tarnation, Mrs. Lincoln loves John Wilkes Booth. She’ll be mad.” “Indeed she will, but that’s another story!”). Sadly, time travel and universe-ending paradoxes are still relegated to the realm of science fiction. However, anyone seeking to burrow into the past can show up for the semi-annual Psychotronix Film Festival at Foothill College. The next one is slated for March 30, when KFJC’s Robert Emmett hosts “The vinyl of video”—evocative 16mm reels capturing the matchless strangeness of yore in now-forbidden commercials, primordial music videos featuring long dead sex kittens, and other strange beguilements that the citizens of the past once enjoyed. Don’t judge them too harshly, and try not to step on any butterflies this time.

Beat the Lock
San Jose & Santa Clara

Castle
1967 O’Toole Wy, San Jose

Escape Game 911
20 Harold Ave, Santa Clara

PENINSULA

Best Local Festival

Mountain View Art & Wine Festival
Mountain View

Los Altos Art & Wine Festival
Los Altos

Palo Alto Festival of the Arts
Palo Alto

WEST VALLEY

Best Local Festival

Oktoberfest
Campbell

Boogie
Campbell

Music in the Park
Los Gatos

Best Way Visit Post-Apocalyptic L.A. on Your Lunch Break
Terminator Salvation
Century 20, Oakridge, 925 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose
Downtown L.A., which used to have a reputation for flophouses and wino bars, is really coming along, with museums, chic high-end restaurants, hotels and an army of metal murder machines with red-eyed chrome skulls for faces. Terminator Salvation: Fight for the Future takes you—via a VR headset and motion sensing accessories—on a time- and space-breaching journey to the City of Angels, sometime after Skynet became self-aware and took care of the cluttering meatbag humans who were failing to spark joy. After getting suited up and going through a five-minute drill, you and as many as three companions are temporarily disguised as killer droids, the better to infiltrate a hive of these cybernet demons. In between blasting the monsters to pieces, be sure to take in the many sights, including half-blown up buildings, tottering water towers and bullet riddled cars. You’ll see why people say, “I Love L.A.!”

CENTRAL VALLEY

Best Local Festival

Santa Clara Art and Wine
Santa Clara

Sunnyvale Art and Wine
Sunnyvale

Cherry Blossom Festival
Cupertino

SAN JOSE/SOUTH VALLEY

Best Local Festival

Gilroy Garlic Festival
Gilroy

San Jose Obon Festival
San Jose

San Jose Jazz Festival
San Jose

Best Place to Get Outside Your Comfort Zone
3Below Theaters & Lounge
288 S 2nd St, San Jose
San Jose’s only regularly scheduled downtown theater features some seriously downtown programming. Take, for instance, the new documentary on Robert Mapplethorpe currently screening, or the upcoming punk rock-based drama, Her Smell, with the amazing
Elisabeth Moss, who went all the way into David Lynch-like horror in Us. Coming soon is Molly Shannon’s take on the life and secret love of Emily Dickinson. 3Below’s brave picks have so far included the morbid, but in a good way, To Dust and the searing Lebanese drama Capernaum. 3Below is what an independent cinema ought to be. It’s risky, eclectic and surprising.

FREMONT & MILPITAS

Best Local Festival

Fremont Festival of the Arts
Fremont

Milpitas Backyard Boogie
Milpitas

Celebrate Milpitas
Milpitas

Best Torch-Bearing Dance Organization
New Ballet School
40 N 1st St, San Jose
After Silicon Valley Ballet threw in the tutu in the summer of 2016, Dalia Rawson, director of the ballet’s training school, didn’t despair. She saw an opportunity. Pulling together a team culled from the ashes of SV Ballet, she launched a new professional ballet training program with a focus on dancer health and child development. The New Ballet School was born. Since then, Rawson has grown the school and through the organization’s Studio Company, she’s worked to bring ballet into the 21st century. Her experiments have included beginning productions with tutorials that catch the audience up on the visual language of ballet, and providing a digital accompaniment—a livecast—to performances, which allows patrons to listen to real-time commentary about the performance they are watching on their personal handsets.

Introduction | Food & Drink | Music & Nightlife | Goods & Services | Art & Culture

Introduction | Food & Drink | Music & Nightlife | Goods & Services | Art & Culture

OVERALL

Best New Restaurant

Manresa Bread Cafe
195 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Cedar Room Pruneyard
1875 S Bascom Ave #100, Campbell

Achilles
2521 Newhall St, Santa Clara

Best Restaurant (Culinary Excellence)

Alexander’s Steakhouse
19379 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino

Orchard City Kitchen
1875 S Bascom Ave #190, Campbell

Adega
1614 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose

Best Chef

Jeffrey Stout, Orchard City Kitchen
1875 S Bascom Ave, Campbell

Andrew Welch, The Basin
14572 Big Basin Way, Saratoga

Jim Stump, The Table
1110 Willow St, San Jose

Best Dining Value

Aqui
Campbell, Cupertino & San Jose

Bill’s Cafe
Fremont, Palo Alto & San Jose

Angelou’s
21 N Second St, San Jose

Best Small Restaurant

Braise
1185 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

Zona Rosa
San Jose & Los Gatos

Yuki Sushi
Santa Clara & San Jose

Best Family Restaurant

Aqui
Campbell, Cupertino & San Jose

Bill’s Cafe
Fremont, Palo Alto & San Jose

Old Spaghetti Factory
51 N San Pedro St, San Jose

Best Romantic Restaurant

La Fondue
14550 Big Basin Way, Saratoga

Grandview Restaurant
15005 Mt Hamilton Rd, Mt Hamilton

Manresa
320 Village Ln, Los Gatos

Best Restaurant Patio

Jack Rose Libation House
18840 Los Gatos-Saratoga Rd, Los Gatos

San Pedro Square Market
87 N San Pedro St, San Jose

Andalé Patio
21 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Best Dessert Spot To Do It for the ‘Gram
Somi Somi
Cupertino & San Jose
A generation that grew up sharing photos of food has prompted more and more chefs to focus on feasting the eyes as much as pleasing the palate. There’s no shortage of Instagrammable fare in the South Bay, but few place as much premium on the optics as Asian dessert spots—many of which create designated nooks for customers to pose with their eye-popping treats for IG-worthy shares. Korean creamery Somi Somi serves up soft-serve ice cream nestled in adorably photogenic taiyaki, a goldfish-shaped waffle made fresh to order, and adorned with your choice of technicolor toppings, from Fruity Pebbles to ube-purple macarons, to make your sweet treat picture perfect.

Best Late-Night Eats

La Victoria
Hayward & San Jose

A Slice of New York
3443 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose

Original Joe’s
301 S 1st St, San Jose

Best French Restaurant

La Fondue
14550 Big Basin Way, Saratoga

Le Papillon
410 Saratoga Ave, San Jose

Left Bank
Santana Row & Menlo Park

Best German Restaurant

Teske’s Germania
255 N First St, San Jose

Naschmarkt Restaurant
384 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Ludwig’s German Table
261 N Second St, San Jose

Best Latin Restaurant

Zona Rosa
San Jose & Los Gatos

Cascal
400 Castro St, Mountain View

Mezcal
25 W San Fernando St, San Jose

Best Cuban/Caribbean Restaurant

Habana Cuba
387 S 1st St, San Jose

Back A Yard
80 N Market St, San Jose

La Bodeguita del Medio
463 California Ave, Palo Alto

Best Cajun Restaurant

Boiling Crab
Multiple locations in San Jose

Poor House Bistro
91 S Autumn St, San Jose

The Bywater
532 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Best Italian Restaurant

A Bellagio
33 S Central Ave, Campbell

Aldo’s Ristorante & Bar
14109 S Winchester Blvd, Los Gatos

Al Castello Ristorante
2083 Camden Ave, San Jose

Best Mediterranean/Greek Restaurant

Dio Deka
210 E Main St, Los Gatos

Dishdash
190 S Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale

Agape Grill
845 Stewart Dr, Sunnyvale

Best Middle Eastern Restaurant

Dishdash
190 S Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale

Arya Global Cuisine
19930 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino

Oren’s Hummus
Cupertino, Mountain View, Palo Alto & San Jose

Best Steakhouse

Alexander’s Steakhouse
19379 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino

Forbes Mill Steakhouse
206 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Dry Creek Grill
1580 Hamilton Ave, San Jose

Best Barbecue

Henry’s Hi-Life
301 W St John St, San Jose

Smoking Pig BBQ
Fremont & San Jose

Armadillo Willy’s
Los Altos, San Jose, Santa Clara & Sunnyvale

Best Vegetarian Restaurant

Good Karma
37 S 1st St, San Jose

Vegetarian House
520 E Santa Clara St, San Jose

Happy Hooligans
1711 Branham Ln, San Jose

Best Hawaiian

Hukilau
230 Jackson St, San Jose

Hawaiian Barbecue
6233 Santa Teresa Blvd, San Jose

Banana Crepe
248 Jackson St, San Jose

Best Ramen

Orenchi
3450 Homestead Rd, Santa Clara

Ramen Nagi
Santa Clara & Palo Alto

Hana Sushitomi
635 W Dana St, Mountain View

Best Pho

House of Pho
San Jose & Sunnyvale

Pho 24
747 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose

Pho Wagon
1712 Meridian Ave, San Jose

Best Poke Restaurant

Poki Bowl
4750 Almaden Expy, San Jose

Downtown Poki
96 E San Salvador St, San Jose

Hawaiian Poke Bowl
387 S 1st St, San Jose

Best Pearl Teas

Boba Bar
310 S 3rd St, San Jose

Gong Cha
Fremont, Milpitas, Palo Alto, San Jose & Sunnyvale

Fantasia Coffee & Tea
Cupertino, Milpitas, San Jose & Santa Clara

Best Vietnamese Restaurant

Anh Hong
1818 Tully Rd, San Jose
233 W Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas

Khanh’s Restaurant
335 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose

Com Tam Dat Thanh
1055 Tully Rd, San Jose

Best Korean Restaurant

Jang Su Jang
3561 El Camino Real, Santa Clara

Korean Palace
297 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose

Q Pot Korean BBQ & Hotpot
1610 E Capitol Expy, San Jose

TIE
HoM Korean Kitchen
76 E Santa Clara St, San Jose

Best Raw Bivalve Happy Hour
Forthright Oyster Bar
1700 W Campbell Ave, Campbell
There’s nothing quite like a fresh oyster. Crisp, creamy, with perhaps a little lemon tang and a drop of vinegary hot sauce. The only way to improve upon this delicacy is if you have a dozen, but that can get pricey. At Forthright Oyster Bar—cousin to The Table in Willow Glen—hungry patrons can choose from a large selection of oysters from all over the country. Some will run you around $3.50 a pop, but if you time it right and catch Forthright’s excellent happy hour, you can score the bivalve of the day for just $1.50 each. At that price, you might as well get two dozen. Oh, and bring a date. Oysters are an aphrodisiac, you know…

Best Thai Restaurant

Krungthai
642 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose

Amarin Thai
5205 Prospect Rd, San Jose

Blue Mango
635 Coleman Ave, San Jose

Best Seafood Restaurant

The Fish Market
Palo Alto, Santa Clara & San Jose

The Boiling Crab
Two San Jose locations

Scott’s Seafood
185Park Ave, San Jose

Best Sushi

Mizu Sushi
1035 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose

Cha Cha Sushi
547 W Capitol Expy, San Jose

Ariake
1008 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose

Best Burger

Brown Chicken Brown Cow
397 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Kirk’s Steakburgers
2388 S Bascom Ave, Campbell

Konjoe Burger Bar
San Pedro Square Market, San Jose

Best Hot Dog

Happy Hound
15899 Los Gatos Blvd, Los Gatos

Mark’s Hot Dogs
48 S Capitol Ave, San Jose

Original Gravity
66 S 1st St, San Jose

Best Pizza — Independent

4th St. Pizza Co.
150 E Santa Clara St, San Jose

Bibo’s NY Pizza
1431 Bird Ave, San Jose

Oak & Rye
303 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Best Pizza — Regional

Pizza My Heart
Cupertino, Los Gatos, San Jose, Santa Clara & Sunnyvale

A Slice of New York
San Jose & Sunnyvale

Blue Line Pizza
Campbell, Los Gatos, Mountain View & San Jose

Best Deli/Sandwich Shop

La Villa
1319 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

Antipastos
3454 McKee Rd, San Jose

Los Gatos Meats & Smokehouse
575 University Ave, Los Gatos

Best Microbrewery Food

Campbell Brewing Company
200 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Uproar Brewing Company
439 S 1st St, San Jose

Tied House
954 Villa St, Mountain View

Best Desserts

Icing on the Cake
50 W Main St, Los Gatos

Peter’s Bakery
3108 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose

Frost Cupcake Factory
1305 N Bascom Ave, San Jose

Best Doughnuts

Stan’s Donut Shop
2628 Homestead Rd, Santa Clara

Psycho Donuts
Campbell & Santa Clara

Manley’s Donut Shop
Cupertino & San Jose

Best Bagel Shop

House of Bagels
Campbell, Cupertino, Los Gatos, San Jose, Santa Clara & Sunnyvale

Bagel Bar
519 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

City Bagels
52 W Santa Clara St, San Jose

Best Ice Cream/Gelato

Willow Glen Creamery
1100 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

Dolce Spazio Gelato
221 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Sweet Retreat
846 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose

Best Frozen Yogurt

Yumi Yogurt
3787 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara

PennyLane Frozen Yogurt & Candy
715 W Hamilton Ave, Campbell

Frozo’s Frozen Yogurt
1000 Lafayette St, Santa Clara

Best Fast-Casual Fine Dining
Pasta Armellano
14560 Big Basin Way, Saratoga
Saratoga’s Plumed Horse is no stranger to local fine dining best-of lists. Peter Armellino’s white tablecloth has been praised in Sunset and held a coveted Michelin star since 2009. While accolades like these tend to come with higher-priced menus, date night doesn’t need to break the bank. His recently opened Pasta Armellino—located across Big Basin Way from his flagship establishment, in the heart of downtown Saratoga’s gourmet gulch—offers a stripped-down, fast casual menu that doesn’t skimp on quality. Customers queue up and order like they might at a deli, circling the meals they desire in pencil, on clipboards. Pay at the counter, grab your tray with drinks along with a number, and wait just a few minutes to be served. Innovative salads, elegantly simple soups, and incredible pasta dishes arrive quickly. Even sampling a dish from each section of the menu, with drinks, a party of two can leave walk away—completely satisfied and satiated—for less than $100.

Best Food Truck

Grilled Cheese Bandits
@CheeseBandits

Sam’s Chowdermobile
@chowdermobile

Tacomania
@tacomaniainc

Best Caterer

Smoking Pig BBQ
Fremont & San Jose

A Catered Affair
1680 Martin Ave, Santa Clara

Blue Rock BBQ
3001 Meridian Ave, San Jose
TIE
Sushi Confidential
Campbell & San Jose

Best Tea Room

Lisa’s Tea Treasures
167 Main St, Los Altos

Fairmont Lobby Lounge
170 S Market St, San Jose

Satori Tea Company
14482 Big Basin Way, Saratoga

Best Ethnic Market International

Food Bazaar
2052 Curtner Ave, San Jose

Santo Market
245 E Taylor St, San Jose

Chaparral Supermarket
1001 E Santa Clara St, San Jose

PENINSULA

Best Business Lunch

Il Fornaio
520 Cowper St, Palo Alto

Buck’s of Woodside

3062 Woodside Rd, Woodside

Cascal
400 Castro St, Mountain View

Best American Restaurant

Los Altos Grill
233 Third St, Los Altos

Scratch
401 Castro St, Mountain View

Hobee’s
Palo Alto
4224 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

Best Chinese Restaurant

Chef Chu’s
1067 N San Antonio Rd, Los Altos

Fu Lam Mum
153 Castro St, Mountain View

Kirin
485 Castro St, Mountain View

Best Place to Skip the Brunch Line
Italian Brothers Bakery
1401 W San Carlos St, San Jose
Not to knock Midtown’s hottest new brunch spot, but there’s nothing at the end of the line that’s worth a two-hour wait, not even The Breakfast Club’s delectable blueberry-lemon short stack. Instead of standing awkwardly in the restaurant’s entryway counting the minutes and glaring at diners taking their sweet time to pay up, head over the crosswalk to Italian Brothers Bakery. It’s no brunch spot, but it’s a great Plan B that’ll inevitably become your Plan A. Run by the eponymous Sicilian siblings Marco and Giacomo Montevago, the place is more than a bakery; it’s also a rosticceria and gelateria. The Montevago brothers learned the family recipes as children working in their great-grandfather’s bakery in Palermo and decided to continue the tradition a world away in San Jose. After stints at a few other local Italian restaurants, the pair took over the spot last year at San Carlos Street and Meridian Avenue, where they serve up Sicily’s signature sweets and smoked meats.

Best Japanese Restaurant

Fuki Sushi
4119 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

Sushi Tomi
635 W Dana St, Mountain View

Jin Sho
454 California Ave, Palo Alto

Best Mexican Restaurant

Reposado
236 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto

Fiesta Del Mar Too
735 Villa St, Mountain View

Palo Alto Sol
408 N California Ave, Palo Alto

Best Indian Restaurant

Passage to India
1991 W El Camino Real, Mountain View

Darbar
129 Lytton Ave, Palo Alto

Chaat Paradise
165 E El Camino Real, Mountain View

Best Thai Restaurant

Krungthai
590 Showers Dr, Mountain View

Shana Thai
311 Moffett Blvd, Mountain View

Indochine
2710 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto

Best Taqueria

Los Altos Taqueria
2105 Old Middlefield Way E, Mountain View

Taqueria El Grullense
3636 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

Sancho’s Taqueria
Palo Alto & Redwood City

Best Breakfast

Buck’s of Woodside
3062 Woodside Rd, Woodside

Palo Alto Creamery
566 Emerson St, Palo Alto

Joanie’s Café
405 California Ave, Palo Alto

Best Independent Coffeehouse

Red Rock Coffee
201 Castro St, Mountain View

Cafe Borrone
1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park

Dana Street Roasting Company
744 W Dana St, Mountain View

Best Bakery

The Prolific Oven
550 Waverley St, Palo Alto

Esther’s German Bakery
987 N San Antonio Rd, Los Altos

Mayfield Bakery & Cafe
855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

Best Burrito

Sancho’s Taqueria
Palo Alto & Redwood City

La Costena
235 E Middlefield Rd, Mountain View

Rincon Sabroso
122 N Rengstorff Ave, Mountain View

WEST VALLEY

Best Business Lunch

Nick’s Next Door
11 College Ave, Los Gatos

Steamer’s Grillhouse
31 University Ave, Los Gatos

Aqui
201 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Best American Restaurant

Orchard City Kitchen
1875 S Bascom Ave, Campbell

Nick’s Next Door
11 College Ave, Los Gatos

Capers Eat & Drink
1710 W Campbell Ave, Campbell

Best Chinese Restaurant

Blue Sky
2028 Winchester Blvd, Campbell

Tsing Tao
104 San Tomas Aquino Rd, Campbell

Yeung Shing
14107 S Winchester Blvd, Los Gatos

Best Japanese Restaurant

Kyoto Palace
1875 S Bascom Ave, Campbell

Sushi Confidential
247 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Kamakura
135 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Best Mexican Restaurant

Andalé
6 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Casa Lupe
2169 Winchester Blvd, Campbell

Aqui
201 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Best Thai Restaurant

Thai Spice
337 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Thai Orchid
866 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Mint Leaf Cuisine
14420 Big Basin Way, Saratoga

Best Taqueria

Adelita’s Taqueria
1896 Curtner Ave, San Jose

Jalisco
525 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Taqueria Los Pericos #3
1581 W Campbell Ave, Campbell

Best Breakfast

Stacks
139 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Hash House
851 W Hamilton Ave, Campbell

Southern Kitchen
27 E Main St, Los Gatos

Best Independent Coffeehouse

Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Co.
101 W Main St, Los Gatos

Orchard Valley Coffee
349 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Great Bear Coffee
19 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Best Bakery

Icing on the Cake
50 W Main St, Los Gatos

Manresa Bread
276 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Fleur De Cocoa
39 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Best Burrito

Andalé
6 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Adelita’s Taqueria
1896 Curtner Ave, San Jose

Aqui
201 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Best Anime-Themed Dumplings
Mingle’s Mango
5278 Monterey Hwy, San Jose
If you’ve never been to Mingle’s Mango, a word of advice: Ignore your first impression. Tucked between a Catholic church and a $7-a-chop barber shop in a drab Monterey Highway strip mall, it’s easy to miss. And if you do manage to find it, the facade—featuring a haphazardly hand-painted sign and red-curtained windows—looks so much like a rub-and-tug hub that you might want to take a hard pass anyway. We happen to think the fly-by-night exterior is part of the charm here. Venture past those dingy glass doors to discover a sanctuary to Chef Mingle Wang’s two great loves in life: Dragon Ball Z and xiaolongbao. The hole-in-the-wall purveyor of dim sum and hand-pulled noodles is dimly lit and lovingly decorated with anime murals on all but one side of the restaurant, where projected anime flickers on a pair of drawn white curtains. According to Wang, he launched the restaurant in 2017 in part to raise money to produce a Dragon Ball Z movie in homage to his passion for the cartoon that he says “never fades away with age.” Then there’s the menu, which besides Wang’s signature dumplings offers a tempting array of dishes well worth trying, from family-recipe staples—soups, noodles and steamed buns—to quirky one-offs like the swirled-potato-on-a-stick Pornado, pastry-wrapped sausage Spicy Dick and chocolate-filled dessert dumplings.

CENTRAL VALLEY

Best Business Lunch

Pedro’s
3935 Freedom Cir, Santa Clara

Alexander’s Steakhouse
19379 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino

Birk’s
3955 Freedom Cir, Santa Clara

Best American Restaurant

St. John’s Bar & Grill
510 Lawrence Expy, Sunnyvale

Sara’s Kitchen
1595 Franklin St, Santa Clara

Parcel 104
2700 Mission College Blvd, Santa Clara

Best Chinese Restaurant

China Stix
2110 El Camino Real, Santa Clara

Tao Tao Cafe
175 S Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale

Mandarin Gourmet
10145 N De Anza Blvd, Cupertino

Best Japanese Restaurant

Yuki Sushi
1827 Pruneridge Ave, Santa Clara

Kobe Japanese Restaurant
2086 El Camino Real, Santa Clara

Gombei
3533 Homestead Rd, Santa Clara

Best Mexican Restaurant

Pedro’s
3935 Freedom Circle, Santa Clara
2280 El Camino Real, Santa Clara

Aqui
10630 S De Anza Blvd, Cupertino

La Paloma
2280 El Camino Real, Santa Clara

Best Indian Restaurant

Kabab & Curry’s
1498 Isabella St, Santa Clara

Peacock Indian Cuisine
2798 El Camino Real, Santa Clara

Madras Cafe
1177 W El Camino Real, Sunnyvale

Best Thai Restaurant

Jasmine Fine Thai
1211 Franklin Mall, Santa Clara

Pad Thai Cuisine
500 Lawrence Expy B, Sunnyvale

The Old Siam
1111 W El Camino Real, Sunnyvale

Best Taqueria

Chavez Supermarket
666 N Fair Oaks Ave, Sunnyvale

Taqueria La Veracruzana
1510 Jackson St, Santa Clara

Garcia’s Taqueria
738 S Fair Oaks Ave, Sunnyvale

Best Breakfast

Sara’s Kitchen
1595 Franklin St, Santa Clara

Country Gourmet
1314 S Mary Ave, Sunnyvale

Old Ironsides Cafe
4655 Old Ironsides Dr, Santa Clara

Best Independent Coffeehouse

Bean Scene Cafe
186 S Murphy St, Sunnyvale

The Prolific Oven
Santa Clara & Sunnyvale

Miaos Cafe Deli
19110 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino

Best Bakery

Sugar Butter Flour
669 S Bernardo Ave, Sunnyvale

La Patisserie
19758 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino

Copenhagen Crown
2079 El Camino Real, Santa Clara

Best Burrito

Aqui
10630 S De Anza Blvd, Cupertino

Ruby’s
821 Borregas Ave, Sunnyvale

Chavez Market
666 N Fair Oaks Ave, Sunnyvale

Best Place to Order Noodles on a Tablet
Taro San Japanese Noodle Bar
717 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto
Like most trendy eating establishments, Taro San Japanese Noodle Bar has plenty of nods to the mid-century modern aesthetic. But in a gesture to our future robot overlords, patrons at this buzzed-about Stanford Shopping Center restaurant order their dishes from one of the tablet computers at every table. One might worry that a restaurant that gives customers the option to order from a touch screen might be lacking a human touch. Not so at Taro San. The place is bustling with helpful servers, and it’s quite clear that the food is made with love—an emotion that the machines have yet to master (we think). For starters, the Brussels sprouts and crab sunomono salad are a solid choice. And while the seared salmon toro sashimi and chicken karaage appear on the “to share” menu, they are substantial enough to nearly qualify as entrees. But the reason people are lining up outside of Taro San Japanese Noodle Bar is for the noodles. And these certainly do not disappoint. On a recent trip, we ordered the tori paitan udon (chicken in a creamy broth), which gave a whole new meaning to chicken soup for the soul, warming us up and lifting our spirits on a cold February evening.

SAN JOSE/SOUTH VALLEY

Best Business Lunch

Henry’s World Famous Hi-LIfe
301 W. St. John St., San Jose

Original Joe’s
301 S First St, San Jose

Il Fornaio
302 S Market St, San Jose

Best American Restaurant

Dry Creek Grill
1580 Hamilton Ave, San Jose

The Table
1110 Willow St, San Jose

The Farmers Union
151 W Santa Clara St, San Jose

Best Chinese Restaurant

Mandarin Gourmet
5560 Santa Teresa Blvd, San Jose

Taiwan Restaurant
1306 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

Sweet Mango
1040 Willow St, San Jose

Best Japanese Restaurant

House of Genji
1335 N First St, San Jose

Minato Japanese Cuisine
617 N 6th St, San Jose

Mizu Sushi Bar & Grill
1035 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose

Best Mexican Restaurant

Luna Mexican Kitchen
1495 The Alameda, San Jose

Mezcal
25 W San Fernando St, San Jose

Zona Rosa
1411 The Alameda, San Jose

Best Indian Restaurant

Amber India
377 Santana Row, San Jose

Tandoori Oven
150 S First St, San Jose

Punjab Cafe
322 E Santa Clara St, San Jose

Best Thai Restaurant

Blue Mango
635 Coleman Ave, San Jose

Thai Spice
1102 Bird Ave, San Jose

Sa-By Thai Cuisine
404 S 2nd St, San Jose
346 E William St, San Jose

Best Taqueria

Angelou’s Mexican Grill
21 N 2nd St, San Jose

Taqueria Tlaquepaque
721 Willow St, San Jose
699 Curtner Ave, San Jose

Jalisco Taqueria
401 S King Rd, San Jose

Best Breakfast

The Breakfast Club
1432 W San Carlos St, San Jose

The Table
1110 Willow St, San Jose

Bill’s Café
Fremont, Palo Alto & San Jose

Best Independent Coffeehouse

Roy’s Station
197 Jackson St, San Jose

Chromatic Coffee
17 N 2nd St, San Jose

Crema Coffee Roasting Co.
The Alameda, San Jose

Best Bakery

Peter’s Bakery
3108 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose

Greenlee’s Bakery
1081 The Alameda, San Jose

Flower Flour
896 Willow St, San Jose

Best Burrito

La Victoria
Hayward & San Jose

Iguanas
San Jose & Santa Clara

Burrito Factory
Multiple San Jose Locations

FREMONT & MILPITAS

Best Business Lunch

Sen Dai Sushi
224 N Abel St, Milpitas

Zahir’s Bistro
579 S Main St, Milpitas

Tirupathi Bhimas
1208 S Abel St, Milpitas

Best American Restaurant

Country Way
5325 Mowry Ave, Fremont

Jack’s Brewing Co.
39176 Argonaut Way, Fremont

Mil’s Diner
36 S Abbott Ave, Milpitas

Best Chinese Restaurant

Mayflower Seafood Restaurant
428 Barber Ln, Milpitas

Ho Chow
47966 Warm Springs Blvd, Fremont

New Yong Kang Seafood Restaurant
40900 Fremont Blvd, Fremont

Best Piece of Hunan History Hiding in San Jose
Hunan Taste
998 N 4th St, San Jose
Henry Chung, the man credited with bringing the spicy Hunan style of Chinese cooking to the United States, died in 2017. His spirit and recipes live on in the many eateries that still bear his name throughout San Francisco. His cooking caused quite a sensation when American diners, then more familiar with Cantonese styles of Chinese food, discovered Henry’s Hunan. Back in 1976, when Chung’s flagship kitchen was fairly new, the New Yorker food critic Tony Hiss dubbed it “the best Chinese restaurant in the world.” Many familiar with Hunanese cuisine are aware of this history. Many still may be unaware that Henry’s legacy lives on in the South Bay as well—in a small diner, located next to a laundromat on Fourth Street in the Hyde Park neighborhood of San Jose. Hunan Taste was founded by Joanne Song, a chef and niece of Chung. Delicious, savory and most importantly, spicy (there are more items on the menu that appear next to a tiny chili pepper than not), Hunan Taste is a great place to break a sweat and bust a cold. Must-trys are their hot and sour soup, dumplings and mu shi pork.

Best Japanese Restaurant

Sen Dai Sushi
224 N Abel St, Milpitas

Satomi Sushi
3655 Thornton Ave, Fremont
5026 Mowry Ave, Fremont

Mioki Sushi
3924 Decoto Rd, Fremont

Best Mexican Restaurant

La Milpa
107 N Milpitas Blvd, Milpitas

La Piñata
39136 Paseo Padre Pkwy, Fremont

Casa Azteca Restaurant
20 N Abel St, Milpitas

Best Indian Restaurant

Shalimar Restaurant
3325 Walnut Ave, Fremont

Dosa Place
41043 Fremont Blvd, Fremont

Chaat Bhavan
5355 Mowry Ave, Fremont

Best Thai Restaurant

Banana Leaf Milpitas
182 Ranch Dr, Milpitas

Sala Thai Restaurant
Multiple Fremont Locations

Banh Thai Restaurant
39060 Fremont Blvd, Fremont

Best Taqueria

Taqueria Las Vegas
Fremont & Milpitas

Casa Azteca Restaurant
20 N Abel St, Milpitas

El Mex-Cal Taqueria
34169 Fremont Blvd, Fremont

Best Breakfast

Country Way
5325 Mowry Ave, Fremont

Mil’s Diner
36 S Abbott Ave, Milpitas

Minerva’s
37463 Fremont Blvd, Fremont

Best Independent Coffeehouse

Mission Coffee Roasting Company
151 Washington Blvd, Fremont

Community Coffee
1000 S Park Victoria Dr, Milpitas

Devout Coffee
37323 Niles Blvd, Fremont

Best Bakery

Valerio’s Tropical Bake Shop
1535 Landess Ave, Milpitas

Amia Bakery
39095 Fremont Hub, Fremont

Sogo Bakery
37600 Filbert St, Newark

Best Burrito

Super Taco
40798 Fremont Blvd, Fremont

Los Cabos
3283 Walnut Ave, Fremont

El Taco de Oro
5220 N First St, Alviso

Introduction | Food & Drink | Music & Nightlife | Goods & Services | Art & Culture

Introduction | Food & Drink | Music & Nightlife | Goods & Services | Art & Culture

Rising rents and wrecking balls are transforming the valley at a pace we haven’t seen. As owner-operated institutions exit to make way for the latest and greatest—ramen from Tokyo, shirtings from across the Atlantic—and modest mid-century buildings give up their seats to accommodate another cluster of rectangles with big numbers on them, we can take comfort in knowing that some traditions persist.

Since starting the valley’s first and longest-running reader-chosen “best of” list more than a third of a century ago, Metro has provided a yearly snapshot of a dynamic region’s perpetual evolution.

Here in the South Bay we have home-grown mixologists, shaking up innovative cocktails and mad-genius hop-heads, brewing all shades and flavors of craft beer. There are entrepreneurial hair stylists and internationally recognized tattoo artists, who look to the local population as their walking canvases.

Some of the most prestigious chefs in the world work just down the road from scrappy, up-and-coming restaurateurs with true culinary vision. And even in Silicon Valley, where disruption of traditional business models is considered a virtue, we still have brick and mortar record shops, book stores and tinkerers with dirt under their nails—men and women who will gladly teach you how to tune up your bicycle, wield a welding torch or plant an edible (or perhaps smokeable) garden.

We colluded with the smartest readers any publication could be blessed with, and the results exonerate themselves. Silicon Valley is more than a place where Oprah shows up to endorse technology products. It’s where we go to work every morning, enjoy dinner every night and where we live out our colorful lives. So let’s make the best of it.

Introduction | Food & Drink | Music & Nightlife | Goods & Services | Art & Culture

Introduction | Food & Drink | Music & Nightlife | Goods & Services | Art & Culture

OVERALL

Best Comedy Venue

San Jose Improv
62 S 2nd St, San Jose

Rooster T. Feathers
157 W El Camino Real, Sunnyvale

ComedySportz
288 S 2nd St, San Jose

Best Large Concert Venue

Mountain Winery
14831 Pierce Rd, Saratoga

Shoreline Amphitheatre
1 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View

SAP Center
525 W Santa Clara St, San Jose

Best Small Music Venue

Cafe Stritch
374 S 1st St, San Jose

Poor House Bistro
91 S Autumn St, San Jose

The Ritz
400 S 1st St, San Jose

Best Dance Club

The Cardiff
260 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Charley’s LG
15 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

The Ritz
400 S 1st St, San Jose

Best Jazz/Blues Club

Cafe Stritch
374 S 1st St, San Jose

Poor House Bistro
91 S Autumn St, San Jose

Fairmont’s Lobby Lounge
170 S Market St, San Jose

Best Place to Sip Manhattans with Ms. Pac Man
Mini Boss
52 E Santa Clara St, San Jose
Opened in early February, Miniboss is downtown San Jose’s first proper video game bar. Featuring some of your favorite old-school cabinet games, like The Simpsons and Bust-a-Move, and a solid selection of pinball machines, the 21+ main floor also serves craft cocktails and draught beer. Miniboss is run by the same team behind Original Gravity and Paper Plane, so the beer and cocktail menus are on point. The attached SuperGood Kitchen admits all ages and cooks up Asian fusion dishes designed to wow discerning foodies as well as late-night imbibers.

Best Latin Music Club

Miami Beach/Beso
417 S 1st St, San Jose

Monte Carlo
228 Castro St, Mountain View

Club Rodeo Rio
610 Coleman Ave, San Jose

Best Microbrewery/Taproom

Hapa’s
460 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

Campbell Brewing Co.
200 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Faultline
1235 Oakmead Pkwy, Sunnyvale

Best Wine Bar

Tessora’s Barra di Vino
416 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Enoteca La Storia
416 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

20Twenty Cheese Bar
1389 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

Best Local Winery

Testarossa Winery
300 College Ave, Los Gatos

J.Lohr
1000 Lenzen Ave, San Jose

Ridge Vineyards
17100 Montebello Rd, Cupertino

Best Taproom Run by a Social Justice Warrior
Camino Brewing
718 S 1st St, San Jose
When we caught up with Allen Korenstein on a Tuesday afternoon last summer, he was rushing from one office to another. Earlier that morning, he had been navigating the emotional labyrinth of foster care, handling five cases in his role as a juvenile law attorney. Half an hour after leaving the courthouse, he’d made it to the other side of downtown and was putting on his brewers cap. Korenstein and his partner Nathan Poulos have been brewing beer for a decade. Beginning as most brewers do, in a garage, they eventually gained some notoriety for their collaboration with Chromatic Coffee; the Cafe con Leche is a smooth coffee milk stout that gives imbibers a double buzz of alcohol and caffeine. Since opening up their brick-and-mortar location on South First Street in the spring of 2018 they’ve gained a reputation as one of downtown’s best places to grab a craft brew. Furthermore, their beautiful, spartan taproom—located just south of the Interstate 280 overpass—has activated a long-vacant space, right next door to the old Faber’s Cyclery. In this way Korenstein is continuing his work in the community by bringing a cultural hub to a part of town littered with empty storefronts and neglected historic properties. Here’s hoping that more follow suit; the old Faber’s building, which has been refurbished by Garden City Construction, is awaiting a new tenant, and many more structures in the Martha’s Gardens neighborhood, from beautiful mid-century neon signs to Victorian, Craftsman and Art Deco homes, could all benefit from repairs and a fresh coat of paint.

Best New Bar/Club

Cedar Room
1875 S Bascom Ave, Campbell

LVL Up
400 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Social Lady
73 E San Fernando St, San Jose

Best Sports Bar

Double D’s
354 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Rookies Sports Lodge
1535 Meridian Ave, San Jose

4th St. Pizza Co.
150 E Santa Clara St, San Jose

Best British Pub

Britannia Arms
Downtown San Jose, Almaden

Duke of Edinburgh
10801 N Wolfe Rd, Cupertino

The Rose & Crown
547 Emerson St, Palo Alto

Best Irish Pub

O’Flaherty’s
25 N San Pedro St, San Jose

Rosie McCann’s
355 Santana Row, San Jose

Katie Bloom’s
369 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Best Gay or Lesbian Bar

Splash
65 Post St, San Jose

Mac’s Club
39 Post St, San Jose

Renegades
501 W Taylor St, San Jose

Best Dinner and a Movie for the Uber-Efficient
Pruneyard Cinema
1875 S. Bascom Ave, San Jose
It’s a strangely intimate thing to sit next to a person in the dark. It adds a little bit of tantalizing danger to a first date. At the same time, watching a movie in tandem is a great way to size up a person’s level of empathy. Perhaps they have none; or maybe too much. (Do you really want to spend your time with someone who wails every time they see a sad kitty?) And then there’s sharing a meal with a potential mate. (How much hot sauce does this person consume? You must know!) Feed two birds with one hand at this luxurious theater, which features an in-house restaurant, craft cocktail bar—The Cedar Room—and seven screens. Between the expert mixology, reclining seats and regularly scheduled events, it’s a great place to figure out whether to swipe left or swipe right. On Tuesdays the bar focuses on tiki drinks and the theater offers an $8 all-day admission; Drag Queen Bingo is on Wednesdays; and once a month they host their Culinary Cinema event, featuring a food-themed film and a menu to match.

Best Hotel or Restaurant Bar

Fairmont Lobby
170 S Market St, San Jose

Rosewood
2825 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park

Dio Deka
210 E Main St, Los Gatos

Best Craft Cocktails

Jack Rose Libation House
La Hacienda Inn, 18840 Saratoga Los Gatos Rd, Los Gatos

Paper Plane
72 S 1st, San Jose

Haberdasher
43 W San Salvador, San Jose

Best Martinis

Jack Rose Libation House
La Hacienda Inn, 18840 Saratoga Los Gatos Rd, Los Gatos

Dry Creek Grill
1580 Hamilton Ave, San Jose

The Cedar Room
1875 Bascom Ave, Campbell

Best Mojitos

Mezcal
25 W San Fernando St, San Jose

Dry Creek Grill
1580 Hamilton Ave, San Jose

Cascal
400 Castro St, Mountain View

Best Margarita

Aqui
Campbell, Cupertino & San Jose

Olla Cocina
17 N San Pedro St, San Jose

El Jardin
368 Santana Row, San Jose

Best Bowling Alley

4th Street Bowl
1441 N Fourth St, San Jose

Bowlero
5420 Thornwood Dr, San Jose

Bass Pro Shops
5160 Cherry Ave, San Jose

Best Standup Outside a Comedy Club
Super Stacked
Studio by Terra Amico, 460 Lincoln Ave, San Jose
Despite the presence of a major midsize comedy club, plenty of open mics and a vast, diverse population of prospective audience members to draw from, the South Bay has long had a reputation as flyover country for standup. But San Jose’s seeing something of a comedy revival thanks to a crop of young performers who’ve been carving a space between bar mics and big clubs. Case in point: Super Stacked, a twice-monthly showcase that routinely draws an audience of about 100, give or take, to a woodshop on Lincoln Avenue for a night of free comedy. Produced by comedians Ryan Sudhakaran, Grayson Garcia, Tyler Stannard and Austin Baylock, the show kickstarted a trend of curated comedy outside the usual venues. If you’ve never been, catch the next one this weekend. Grab a beer to go at Hapa’s Brewing Company, then walk a few doors down for the 6pm show at Studio by Terra Amico for a lineup that features the producers themselves. To stay in the loop about future shows, follow them on Facebook and IG @SuperStacked.

Best Pre-Sharks Game Spot

Henry’s Hi-Life
301 W St John St, San Jose

San Pedro Square Market
87 N San Pedro St, San Jose

Poor House Bistro
91 S Autumn St, San Jose

PENINSULA

Best Happy Hour

The Old Pro
541 Ramona St, Palo Alto

St. Stephen’s Green
223 Castro St, Mountain View

Scotty’s Palo Alto
548 Emerson, Palo Alto

Best Dive Bar

Dutch Goose
3567 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park

Antonio’s Nut House
321 California Ave, Palo Alto

Fred’s Place
2534 Old Middlefield Way, Mountain View

WEST VALLEY

Best Happy Hour

Sushi Confidential
247 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Orchard City Kitchen
1875 S Bascom Ave, Campbell

Jack Rose Libation House
18840 Saratoga Los Gatos Rd, Los Gatos

Best Karaoke

Khartoum
300 Orchard City Dr, Campbell

Effie’s Restaurant
331 Hacienda Ave, Campbell

Britannia Arms
5027 Almaden Expy, San Jose

Best Dive Bar

Black Watch
141 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Cardiff Lounge
260 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

The Bank
14421 Big Basin Way, Saratoga

CENTRAL VALLEY

Best Happy Hour

St. John’s Bar and Grill
510 Lawrence Expwy, Sunnyvale

Grub Burger Bar
785 Lawrence Expy, Santa Clara

Duke of Edinburgh
10801 N Wolfe Rd, Cupertino

Best Karaoke

Woodham Sports Lounge
4475 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara

Blue Max
828 W El Camino, Sunnyvale

Blue Pheasant
22100 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino

Best Dive Bar

Woodham’s Lounge
4475 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara

Normandy House
30 Washington St, Santa Clara

The Hut
3200 The Alameda, Santa Clara

Best King of the Stage
Donny Mirassou
While drag kings have a long, rich history, they’ve never quite received the kind of broader recognition enjoyed by their femme counterparts, who feature into the latter-day pop cultural landscape thanks to shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race. Jean Batt, who spent the better part of her/his/their life bending the rules of masculinity by way of the darkly debonair onstage persona Donny Mirassou, is part of a growing number of performers hoping to change that. The South Bay artist began experimenting with the art as a preteen tomboy to explore her masculine traits before going on to master impersonations of male rock stars as a student at a parochial all-girls high school, where Batt was cast as a boy in plays. Over the ensuing decades, Batt’s sense of self has increasingly intertwined with Mirassou’s. “We have blended,” Batt reflects. “Similar aesthetics, tastes in music, style, nerdiness and cosplay—even his sexuality has blended with mine. I used to play him as a straight man, but he so isn’t anymore.” The flamboyantly male alter-ego has helped Batt come to terms with their own body, inspiring their foray into burlesque and their incorporating into the act other aspects of their identity as a goth, furry and kinkster. “He has given me a lot more confidence in myself in a lot of ways,” Batt says. “But the one thing he helped me do is deal with my gender issues head-on and to come out.” Batt-as-Mirassou has taken their singularly multifaceted act to stages throughout the nation, from the Circus of Sin at San Jose’s Caravan to the Stud Bar in San Francisco, where on April 13 you can celebrate his 30-year drag-iversary with a host of other fans.

SAN JOSE/SOUTH VALLEY

Best Happy Hour

Chacho’s
87 E San Fernando St, San Jose

4th Street Pizza
150 E Santa Clara, San Jose

Britannia Arms
5027 Almaden Expwy, San Jose

Best Karaoke

7 Bamboo
162 Jackson St, San Jose

4th Street Bowl
1441 N 4th St, San Jose

Goosetown Lounge
11072 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

Best Dive Bar

The Branham Lounge
1116 Branham Ln, San Jose

Dive Bar
78 E Santa Clara Ave, San Jose

The Caravan
78 E Santa Clara Ave, San Jose

FREMONT & MILPITAS

Best Happy Hour

Coach’s
40968 Fremont Blvd, Fremont

Jack’s Brewing Co.
39176 Argonaut Way, Fremont

Tequila Shots Bar & Grill
38 N Main St, Milpitas

Best Dive Bar

Coach’s
40968 Fremont Blvd, Fremont

Tequila Shots
38 N Main St, Milpitas

The Florence
37349 Niles Blvd, Fremont

Introduction | Food & Drink | Music & Nightlife | Goods & Services | Art & Culture

Introduction | Food & Drink | Music & Nightlife | Goods & Services | Art & Culture

OVERALL

Best Bicycle Shop

Good Karma Bikes
460 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

Hyland Family Bicycles
1515 Meridian Ave, San Jose

Bicycle Express
131 E William St, San Jose

Best Antique Shop

Not Too Shabby
481 S Bascom Ave, San Jose

Whatnots & Doodads
1330 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

Antiques Colony
1881 W San Carlos St, San Jose

Best Motorcycle Shop

Slabsides
2100 Winchester Blvd, Campbell

House of Thunder
16175 Condit Rd, Morgan Hill

Fastline Cycles
45405 Industrial Pl, Fremont

Best Car Wash/Detailing

Pacific Hand Car Wash
1667 S Bascom Ave, Campbell

AJ Professional Detailing
702 Coleman Ave, San Jose

Lozano Brushless Car Wash
2690 W El Camino Real, Mountain View

Best Clothing Boutique

BellaJames Women’s Boutique
1371 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

Black and Brown
751 W San Carlos St, San Jose

Leaf & Petal
439 California Ave, Palo Alto

Best Large Thrift Shop

Crossroads Trading Co
San Jose & Santa Cruz

Savers
Redwood City & San Jose

Goodwill
Campbell, Milpitas, San Jose & Santa Clara

Best Small Thrift Shop

The Thrift Box
1362 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

Happy Dragon Thrift Shop
245 W Main St, Los Gatos

Our Secret
1115 Minnesota Ave, San Jose

Best Vintage Clothing Shop

Moon Zooom
1630 W San Carlos St, San Jose

23 Skidoo
2082 S Winchester Blvd, Campbell

Black and Brown
751 W San Carlos St, San Jose

Best Outdoor Gear — Independent

Stevens Creek Surplus
3449 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose

Helm of Sun Valley
1111 Saratoga Ave, San Jose

Redwood City Trading Post
1455 Veterans Blvd, Redwood City

Best Lingerie Store

Cupid’s Corner
408 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose

Romantiques
51 University Ave, Los Gatos

Pleasures From the Heart
1565 Winchester Blvd, Campbell

Best Jewelry Store

Joe Escobar Diamonds
450 E Hamilton Ave, Campbell

Vardy’s Jewelers
10227 S De Anza Blvd, Cupertino

Teel’s Jewelry
16006 Los Gatos Blvd, Los Gatos

Best Bridal Shop

Trudys Brides
1875 S Bascom Ave, Campbell

Just My Size
2395 S Bascom Ave, Campbell

Elegant Lace Bridal
1061 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose

Best Way to Fix Your Bike and Help Folks, Too
Community Cycles of California
35 Wilson Ave, San Jose
Like Good Karma Bikes, the full-service bike shop that reinvests revenue to train young adults aging out of the foster care system, Community Cycles of California has a higher calling. The brainchild of Good Karma alumna Cindy Ahola and Collin Bruce, Community Cycles is both a bike shop and public-benefit enterprise. After a year offering fix-it services at the Rose Garden Farmers Market, the pair opened their retail spot last month behind Babe’s Muffler’s on The Alameda. The goal is to build up enough support to offer small-business training for the chronically underemployed by 2020, and to launch service centers at low-income housing complexes where bicycles are often residents’ only mode of transportation.

Best Wedding Venue

Grandview Restaurant
15005 Mt Hamilton Rd, Mt Hamilton

Clos La Chance Winery
1 Hummingbird Lane, San Martin

Nestldown
22420 Old Santa Cruz Highway, Los Gatos

Best Pet Store

Andy’s Pet Shop
51 Notre Dame Ave, San Jose

An-Jan Feed & Pet Supply
Add locations

Sam’s Downtown Feed & Pet Supply
759 W San Carlos St, San Jose

Best Pet Trainer

California K9 Solutions
2123 S 10th St, San Jose

Bay Area K9 Association
1089 Memorex Dr, Santa Clara

A Dog’s Life
885 Commercial St, Palo Alto

Best Art Supply Store

University Art
2550 El Camino Real, Redwood City

The Arsenal
208 Jackson St, San Jose

Accent Arts
421 Jacaranda Ln, Palo Alto

Best Record Store-Regional

Rasputin
1820 S Bascom Ave, Campbell

Streetlight Records
980 S Bascom Ave, San Jose

Needle to the Groove
San Jose & Fremont

Best Independent Record Store

On The Corner
530 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

The Analog Room
3185 S Bascom Ave, Campbell

The Record Man
1322 El Camino Real, Redwood City

Best Toy Store

The Wooden Horse
796 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos

Affordable Treasures
15795 Los Gatos Blvd, Los Gatos

Lakeshore Learning Store
1099 S Bascom Ave, San Jose

Best Skate Shop

NC Boardshop
16203 Los Gatos Blvd, Los Gatos

Skateworks
379 State St, Los Altos

Circle A
108 Paseo De San Antonio, San Jose

Best Independent Bookstore

Hicklebee’s
1378 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

Kepler’s Books
1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park

East West Bookshop
324 Castro St, Mountain View

Best Comics Store

Heroes Comic Books
24 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Black Cat Comics
176 S Main St, Milpitas

Illusive Comics & Games
1270 Franklin Mall, Santa Clara

Best Independent Hardware Store

Hassett Hardware
2253 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

Dale Hardware
3700 Thornton Ave, Fremont

Dale Hardware
110 S Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Best Garden Store

Yamagami’s Nursery
1361 S De Anza Blvd, Cupertino

Almaden Valley Nursery
15800 Almaden Expy, San Jose

God’s Little Acre Nursery
19810 Almaden Rd, San Jose

Best Way to Kill a Hangover the (Semi) Healthy Way
Beer Yoga
Downward Drinking Dog
The hair of the dog is certainly effective, but boy is it dangerous. And not just for your liver. Brunch mimosas and bloody Mary’s have a way of snowballing into the kind of epic day-drinking marathon that can swallow an entire Saturday, ruin any chance of productivity on Sunday and send you into the work week on your back foot. How about a compromise? Drag yourself out of bed at a reasonable hour, grab your yoga mat and head to a (slightly) boozy yoga class. This May, Downward Drinking Dog hosts an entire month of Saturday classes at Hotel Nia in Menlo Park. Tickets include a 60-minute yogic flow led by one of DDD’s expert instructors and a glass of champagne. Downward Drinking Dog isn’t the only game in town when it comes to sudsy sun salutations. Camino Brewing, Hapa’s, Santa Clara Valley Brewing and other local taprooms have been known to host their own yoga events.

Best Flower Shop

Bloomster’s
5945 Almaden Expy, San Jose

Bunches
14 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Apis Floral
460 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

Best Hydroponic Store

San Jose Hydroponics
1999 Monterey Hwy, San Jose

The GrowBiz
1185 S Bascom Ave, San Jose

RASA Hydroponics & Organics
5725 Winfield Blvd, San Jose

Best Pilates Studio

Misha Patel Studio
750 Miller St, San Jose

Los Gatos Ballet & Pilates
630 University Ave, Los Gatos

Addison-Penzak JCC of Silicon Valley
14855 Oka Rd, Los Gatos

Best Yoga Studio

Bikram Yoga San Jose
Westgate West, 5289 Prospect Rd, San Jose

Breathe Together Yoga
14107-H Winchester Blvd, Los Gatos

Yoga Source
Palo Alto & Los Gatos

Best Martial Arts Studio

Academy of Self Defense
3475 Woodward Ave, Santa Clara

Ernie Reyes West Coast Martial Arts
140 San Tomas Aquino Rd, Campbell

American Kickboxing Academy
San Jose & Sunnyvale

Best Health Club

Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center
14855 Oka Rd, Los Gatos

FNS Training Center
2342 Walsh Ave, Santa Clara

City Sports Club
Fremont, Mountain View, San Jose & Sunnyvale

Best Spa & Massage

Burke Williams Day Spa
355 Santana Row, San Jose

Watercourse Way
165 Channing Ave, Palo Alto

The Spa – Los Gatos
100 S Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Best Dentist

Willow Glen Dentistry
1245 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

Dr. Stephanie Loller
San Jose & Saratoga

Smiles Dental Care
100 W El Camino Real, Mountain View

Best Organization Making a Difference

Second Harvest Food Bank
San Jose & San Carlos

Planned Parenthood
Mountain View, Redwood City, San Jose

13th St. Cat Rescue
San Jose

Best Luxury or Boutique Hotel

Hotel De Anza
233 W Santa Clara St, San Jose

Hotel Los Gatos
210 E Main St, Los Gatos

Hotel Valencia
355 Santana Row, San Jose

Best Plastic Surgeon/ Beautification

Dr. Craig Creasman
2400 Samaritan Dr, San Jose

Rejuvenis Skincare
478 E Santa Clara St, San Jose

R. Laurence Berkowitz, MD
3803 S Bascom Ave, Campbell

Best Barber/Men’s Salon

The Barbers Inc.
San Jose – Two Locations

Frank De Barber
134 E Santa Clara St, San Jose

Bedlam Beauty & Barber
200 S First St, San Jose

Best Gentlemen’s Club

Pink Poodle
328 S Bascom Ave, San Jose

Cheetahs
907 E Arques Ave, Sunnyvale

Spearmint Rhino
81 W Santa Clara St, San Jose

Best Tattoo Parlor

Marks of Art
3014 Union Ave, San Jose

Humble Beginnings Tattoo
982 The Alameda, San Jose

Players Ink
518 W San Carlos St, San Jose
TIE

State of Grace
221 Jackson St, San Jose

Best Place to Shop for Classy Man Cave Decór
Mantiques
37671 Niles Blvd, Fremont
Those who have had the pleasure of visiting Niles might very well describe it as quaint. Before it was incorporated into the sprawling suburbia that is Fremont, Niles was known as a train town and home to a film production house by the name of Essanay Studios. Charlie Chaplin shot a number of films in and around the town in the early days of the 20th century, before Hollywood became the film capital of the world. These days, the main drag in Niles is perhaps best known as an antiquer’s paradise. It’s a great place to pick up stained glass lampshades, porcelain dolls and solid oak furniture. But for those whose aesthetic skews toward neon beer signs, bobble heads and vintage comic books, there is Mantiques. Classic action figures, lava lamps and a bust of Darth Vader are just a few of the items one might here.

Best Piercing Place

Pierced Out
3014 Union Ave, San Jose

Make Me Holey Body Piercing
497 S 2nd St, San Jose

Body Exotic
957 W San Carlos St, San Jose

Best Hookah Bar

The Swinging Hookah
2220 Business Cir, San Jose

Shisha Hookah Lounge
84 N Market St, San Jose

Hookah Castle Lounge
1920 Camden Ave, San Jose

Best Smoke Shop

420 Smoke Shop
428 E Santa Clara St, San Jose

420lifestyles
San Jose & Santa Clara

Fatty Zone
1398 W El Camino Real, Mountain View

Best Place to Get a Medical Cannabis Recommendation

San Jose 420 Evaluations
115 N 4th St, San Jose

6 Harmonies Traditional Medicine
1848 Saratoga Ave, Saratoga

SF Bay THC
636 E Santa Clara St, San Jose

Best Cannabis Delivery

Caliva
1695 S 7th St, San Jose

Airfield Supply Co.
1190 Coleman Ave, San Jose

Elemental Wellness Center
985 Timothy Dr, San Jose

Best Discount for MMJ Cardholders

Harborside
1365 N 10th St, San Jose

Airfield Supply
1190 Coleman Ave, San Jose

Caliva
1695 S 7th St, San Jose

Best Cannabis Dispensary

Airfield Supply Co.
1190 Coleman Ave, San Jose

Caliva
1695 S 7th St, San Jose

Harborside
1365 N 10th St, San Jose

Best Golf Course

Cinnabar Hills Golf Club
23600 McKean Rd, San Jose

San Jose Municipal Golf Course
1560 Oakland Rd, San Jose

Almaden Golf & Country Club
6663 Hampton Dr, San Jose
TIE

Coyote Creek Golf Club
1 Coyote Creek Golf Dr, Morgan Hill

PENINSULA

Best Wine Shop

Savvy Cellar Wine Bar & Wine Shop
750 W Evelyn Ave, Mountain View

Artisan Wine Depot
2495 Old Middlefield Way, Mountain View

Vin Vino Wine
437 California Ave, Palo Alto

Best Hair Salon

Allure Salon
888 Villa St, Mountain View

diPietro Todd Salon
2307 Birch St, Palo Alto

Edge Hair Salon
250 University Ave, Palo Alto

WEST VALLEY

Best Wine Shop

Enoteca La Storia
416 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Tessora’s Barra di Vino
234 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Rootstock Wine Bar
Cupertino & Los Gatos

Best Hair Salon

Rage
565 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Salon Amnesia
529 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Sorelle Salon & Spa
18 N 1st St, Campbell

CENTRAL VALLEY

Best Wine Shop

Coach House Wine & Spirits
1655 S De Anza Blvd, Cupertino

Prestige Wine & Liquors
490 N Mathilda Ave, Sunnyvale

Bobby’s Liquor
2327 El Camino Real, Santa Clara

Best Hair Salon

Z Salon
3977 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara

Sanctuary Salon
790 Lincoln St, Santa Clara

Wilson’s Salon
198 S Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale

SAN JOSE/SOUTH VALLEY

Best Wine Shop

Wine Affairs
1435 The Alameda, Santa Clara

Maplewood Market & Liquors
2620 Union Ave, San Jose

Imperio Liquors & Groceries
203 S King Rd, San Jose

Best Hair Salon

Bigsby House
1070 Park Ave, San Jose

Limón Salon
3410 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose

Oz A Salon Inc.
1355 Lincoln Ave, San Jose

FREMONT & MILPITAS

Best Wine Shop

The Bottle Shop
40919 Fremont Blvd, Fremont

Milpitas Liquors
190 S Main St, Milpitas

Cork ‘n Bottle Liquors
5200 Mowry Ave, Fremont

Best Hair Salon

Excellent Hair
5745 Stevenson Blvd, Fremont

Hair Plus Service, Inc.
495 E Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas

Savvy Hair Salon
5647 Auto Mall Pkwy, Fremont

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