SVDINING
NICK’S ON MAIN American. $$$. Nick’s on Main is a relaxed but elegant bistro full of neighborly charm and is a showcase for owner Nick Difu’s decadent and deeply satisfying style of cooking. 11:30am-3pm, 5-9:30pm Tue-Sat. 35 E. Main St. 408.399.6457.
PASTARIA & MARKET Italian. $$. Pastaria offers reasonably priced comfort food in an unpretentious but lively atmosphere. 5-9:30pm Mon-Thu, 5-10pm Fri-Sun. 49 E. Main St. 408.399.3477.
RESTAURANT JAMES RANDALL Californian. $$$. Chef and co-owner Ross Hanson takes his cues from the seasons and favors a simple, ingredient-driven approach that places it squarely in the California school of cooking. He favors big, robust flavors and large serving sizes to create a kind of California comfort food. 5:30-11pm Tue-Sat. 303 N. Santa Cruz Ave. 408.395.4441.
STEAMER’S New American. $$$. Styling itself as a grill house, Steamer’s includes rotisserie meats and fragrant grilled chops in addition to fresh fish. Quality control and service are excellent. Full bar. 11:30am-2:30pm, 5-9:30pm daily. 31 University Ave. 408.395.2722.
TANDOORI OVEN Indian. $. Tandoori Oven has quickly found its niche in Los Gatos among the burrito joints, sushi spots and upscale restaurants with its made-to-order curry dishes and spicy north Indian fare at good prices. 11:30am9:30pm daily. 133 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos, 408.395.1784; 1875 S. Bascom Ave., Campbell, 408.559.3885; and 109 S. First St., San Jose, 408.292.7222.
TAPESTRY Contemporary haute. $$$. Right on the main street, this cottagelike spot blends traditional French cooking with contemporary fusion: filet mignon with Mongolian-style brown sauce; crayfish chow mein. Elegant
and friendly. 11:30am-2pm, 5-10pm Tue-Sat, 5-9pm Sun. 11 College Ave. 408.395.2808.
THREE DEGREES Eclectic, California. $$$. Set inside the beautifully remodeled Toll House Hotel, Three Degrees delivers a mixed bag of big and small plates from an eclectic menu. Some dishes, like the New York steak, are great, but others fall flat. Full bar. Breakfast 6:30-11am Mon-Fri; dinner 3-10pm daily. 140 S. Santa Cruz Blvd. 408.884.1054.
VALERIANO’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT AND BAR
SANJOSE.COM
Menlo Park ¿book online at paloalto.net
ANGELO MIO Italian. $$. A small space with a large menu, sporting the traditionals that have been mainstays at local eateries. Appetizers and salads are the best bets. 11:30am-2:30pm, 4:30-10pm Mon-Sat, noon-2:30pm, 4:309pm Sun. 820 Santa Cruz Ave. 650.323.3665.
BACK A YARD CARIBBEAN AMERICAN GRILL Jamaican.
Contemporary Italian. $$$. While the kitchen exudes earthy aromas, the dining room’s soft terra-cotta walls glow with a sense of Mediterranean mission. Hands-on management makes each patron feel pampered. Full bar. 5pm-close daily. 160 W. Main St. 408.354.8108.
$. “Back a yard” is Jamaican slang for “the way things are done back home” and this is one of the few Jamaican restaurants around. Jerk pork and chicken shine. 11am-3pm, 5-8pm Mon-Thu, 11am3pm, 5-9pm Fri, noon-3pm, 5-8pm Sat. 1189 Willow Rd. 650.323.4244.
VIVA LOS GATOS NEIGHBORHOOD EATERY
BISTRO VIDA French $$.
California. $$$. This popular Los Gatos restaurant mixes it up with Italian-leaning Mediterranean food, fresh fish, grilled steaks and several Asian-inspired dishes. 11am-9:30pm Mon-Fri, 8am10:30pm Sat, 8am-9:30pm Sun. 15970 Los Gatos Blvd. 408.356.4902.
WILLOW STREET WOODFIRED PIZZA Pizza. $$. Silicon Valley’s three Willow Street pizza locations prepare the definitive upwardly mobile California pizza. Crispy, thin crusts breathe with accents of almond from the Italian wood-fired oven. Check out the new Neapolitan-style pizzas—delicate, light and satisfying. Hearty pastas, salads and sandwiches, too. 11:30am-10pm Sun-Thu, 11:30am-9:30pm Fri-Sat. 20 S. Santa Cruz Ave. 408.354.5566. For other locations see www. willowstreet.com.
WINE CELLAR New California. $$. This cozy dining spot offers an education in Old World charm and New World cuisine, from smoked salmon pizza to grilled ahi tuna to desserts as fresh as spring break. 11:30am9pm Mon-Thu, 11:30am-10pm Fri-Sat, 10:30am-9pm Sun. 50 University Ave. 408.354.4808.
Impeccably authentic bistro dishes and welcoming prices are spun through Bay Area culinary consciousness to create regional homey French cuisine. Brunch 11:30am2:30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2:30pm Sat-Sun; dinner 5-9:30pm Mon-Thu, 5-10pm Fri-Sat, 59pm Sun. 641 Santa Cruz Ave. 650.462.1686.
FLEA STREET CAFE New American. $$$$. Carefully crafted, impeccably chosen food featuring seasonal local produce and Niman Ranch meats. Atmosphere is casual and eclectic. Full bar. 5:309:30pm daily. 3607 Alameda de las Pulgas. 650.854.1226. IBERIA. Spanish. $$. Iberia’s cheap tapas menu is available at the bar anytime or in the dining room at lunch, but these nibbles alone are worth the trip. Lunch noon-2pm MonSat; dinner 5:30-10pm daily. 1026 Alma St. 650.325.8981.
KAYGETSU Japanese. $$$. Kaiseki is a rarefied Japanese cuisine born in Kyoto with impeccably seasonal ingredients and poetic presentations. Kaygetsu bills itself as “classic Japanese cuisine” but its kaiseki menu is like discovering a new galaxy of food. Closed Mon. 325 Sharon Park Dr. 650.234.1084.
39 M E T R O S I L I C O N VA L L E Y | F E B R UA R Y 2 2-2 8 , 2 0 1 2 | SA N J O S E . C O M | M E T R OAC T I V E . C O M
37 blazing a trail of high caliber cuisine that’s as daring as it is delicious. Expensive but worth it. 320 Village Lane. 408.354.4330.
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