Address: 1140 Lincoln Ave., San Jose CA 95125

Food: :-)
Atmosphere: Cute.
Price: $$


Review: One of our local Italian spots, Karin and I hit this place up about 2-3 times per year. Last time we were there we ordered only a Pie. It was very good. Your basic Italian American style pie with a tasty crust, served fresh (not reheated) with a sweet and herby sauce. The cheese was good too. Light white Mozzarella. Not too much.

Last time I was there I had the Potato Gnocci. I thought it was good. I don't think I have ever reviewed this dish as poor or spectacular at any restaurant. It's one of those dishes that always seems to come across "good". Still, I enjoyed it.

We never seem to catch this place busy, which makes the atmosphere seem relaxing. However if it were full, the room would be quite a handful. The service is pretty straight forward. Young people waiting tables. Nothing fancy but they always take care of us.

Recommended.

Kar and I stopped by Trials for some dinner and drinks and I have to say that I was so pleased with the place. Karin ordered a Pimms and I had a berry Aspic. (Hey, I switched to Guiness later on, so no 'girlie man' jokes, please.) We ordered a plate of Aussie fries which were HUGE and delicious. They came with a tasteful amount of gravy and a light cheese. I found this nice because I feel any food "smothered" with any other food usually ends up looking like some you'd feed the dog. Not very appetizing.

Dinner was bangers and mash for her, and shepards pie for me. The links were mild and not spicy. They really hit the spot. As did the potatoes, mashed with small chunks of pork. The shepards pie was a bit oily under the layer of potatoes, and I prefer my potato pies to have a bit of a broiled crust, which this one didn't have. However, I wasn't disapointed.

All in all a great spot. We'll be back!

173 W Santa Clara St. (Downtown) San Jose, CA 408-278-1400
Food: Guiness served up right, watery soup and "moderatly ok" wings
Price: FREE OF CHARGE

Want some free food and drink? Head over to Britannia Arms in San Jose during happy hour. Order up a Guiness and perhaps a bowl of soup then relax and watch some sports on the telly. Although not my favorite place, I stopped by there today becuase...ah what the hell...I needed a Guiness!

Anyway... Here's how to get some free food: If you are still hungry, flag down the waiter and ask him for some wings. Oh, you missed the fact that the restaurant has a tub of free wings tucked away to the left of the door when you walk in? No matter, the waiter won't mention it to you.

As you are casually munching on your wings, you notice that everyone else is also eating wings. In fact it is at this time that you notice the tub of wings near the door. You walk over to check it out. Indeed there is a tub of wings by the door. Walk back to the table and flag down your waiter:

Scottie: "Are you guys having a happy hour or something? I noticed free wings by the door."

Waiter: "Yes. We do have free wings."

Scottie: "Do you think it is kind of weird that I ordered wings?"

Waiter: "Well, yes."

Scottie: "Are you going to charge me for the wings?"

Waiter: "Well I have to. You ordered them."

Man from next table: "Maybe you should have told him that it was happy hour."

Waiter: [backing away] "Can I get you anything else?"

Scottie: "You can either get me my wings for free, or you can have the manager speak to me."

Manager: [voice booms in from a distance] "If you want to talk to me, you can come over here."

Scottie: [Doesn't get up - contines to eat wings.]

Manager: [Walks over.] "You ordered these wings."

Scottie: "Yes I know but..."

Man from next table: "The waiter should have told him it was free wing night."

Manager: "There's a sign by the door. He was sitting here for an hour."

Scottie: "I didn't see the sign. Don't you think it's weird that I ordered wings when you are giving them away for free? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Manager: "Look what do you want? Do you want me to give it to you for free."

Scottie: "Yes. I will gladly pay for my drink and soup. I was enjoying it."

Manager: "No way. You can pay for all of it."

Scottie: "I think you are making a mistake. I am going to walk out of here very upset. I'm going to tell everyone I know; I'm going to write about this in the paper."

Manager: "I don't care what you do. I don't like your attitude."

Scottie: "You are giving away free fucking wings over there and you are going to make me pay for these? That is fucked up."

Manager: [takes Scottie's plate away, takes the wing from Scottie's hand - luckily Scottie had already finished his Guiness!] "You know what, you don't have to pay for anything. I don't like your language. You can get out of my restaurant."

Scottie's thinks to himself. "Well better get out while the goin's good!"

Grabs coat and cell phone.

Scottie: [to man at next table] "That was pretty weird, eh!?!"

39055 Cedar Blvd.
Newark CA 94560 (In the Lion Shopping Center)

Food: :-) Not bad.
Price: $ ($6-10 entrees)
Atmosphere: :) Very chic.

Appetizers consisted of flaky pancake which is kind of like a pastry pita bread. This is served with a curry sauce and is very delicious. You could probably eat a few orders of these for dinner and be quite happy. By the way, if you like this dish, they also serve it at Straits but it's twice as good (and twice as expensive).

We also ordered the prawn chips, which are a kind of light shrimp-flavored chip and a sweet-hot sauce. This sauce was simple, but it was very enjoyable.

We were impressed at how fast the entrees arrived. These cooks use some pretty HOT woks! Oxtail soup was served with a hearty scoop of steamed rice. The meat was tasty and fell right off the bone. Simply delicious.

We also ordered a few noodle dishes. The flat noodle with shrimp was prepared well. The color was wonderful, although we wished for a bit more flavor. Luckily, the table was well equipped with various spicy, tangy and salty sauces.

This restaurant is a very good bargain. The atmosphere is clean and chic; service was quick and efficient and the food was enjoyable and priced right.

71 N San Pedro St. (Downtown)
San Jose CA
408-971-8523

Food: :-)
Atmosphere: :-)
Price: $$$

The reviews said that this place was like a slice of Europe plunked down in the center of San Jose. Well, that caught my attention.

What also caught my attention was that the chef, Mark Tabac, was offering a summer tasting menu (10th in a series). I love multi-course tasting menus. It shows that the chef is responsible enough (and daring enough) to take on 100% responsibility for the success of the meal. Ordering the tasting menu is like taunting the chef: "Hey show me what you got!"

So we ordered two tasting menus and I also ordered the wine course, as well. The first course was a small capucino cup filled with a cold zesty tomato puree. Like Alice in the Looking Glass, we stared at these oddities and really we didn't know what to do with them. No spoons were served so we ended up sipping it. (Karin did not finish hers.)

The appetizer followed as a slice of crispy yet fluffy melba smothered in fruit preserves and smattered with goat cheese and fresh figs. It came arranged on a long and skinny plate. The goat cheese and figs were a great combination together. Something I would not normally pair up in my normal life! The wine served with this dish was a sweet and fuity white. (Sorry I do not normally remember wine names. I'm not really a wine freak...yet. Remember I just moved to Cali about 4 years ago. I'll remember to take some notes for you wine freaks later.)

The intermediate course was a good-sized shrimp served with cucumbers. This was Karin's favorite dish of the evening. I'm not a big fan of cooked shrimp.

The main course was introduced with a small dessert cup of sorbet.

Main course consisted of a firm white flaky fish, perfectly cooked. The sides were potatoes and a delightfully zesty tomato salsa with capers. It was really good, although by this point, I was getting a bit "frustrated" with the lack of "real food". Do you know what I'm talking about. That feeling sometimes occurs when you get several courses and each one is wackier than the last. You long for at least one "normal" dish. I had reached this point. Wine served with the main course was a very earthy white. And when I say earthy, I mean it tasted like someone has put a handful of earth into a perfectly good glass of wine. For some reason, though, I finished it. It seemed to pair well with the zesty salsa! Three cheers to the wine steward for figuring out how to get rid of that nasty reserve without anyone complaining!

Dessert was a ridiculously sized canolli stuffed with a pistacio creme. It was friggin huge.

The evening wound down to a calm buzz after a cup of espresso and a small glass of port.

71 Saint Peter is a restaurant that wants you to offer you a new perspective. It wants you to stop and take notice of flavors, textures and shapes that you have never noticed before. Make sure you are not too hungry when you visit this place for dinner.

I really could have gone for a beer and NY slice afterwards.

420 Emerson St.
Palo Alto CA
650-326-0983

Food: :-)
Atmosphere: :-)
Price: $$$ (Dinner for two was $90)


"Contemporary Hellenic Cuisine" says the advertisement. I had to look up Hellenic to determine exactly what kind of cuisine they were referring to. As it turns out, this place serves Greek food. We're talking Ouzo, Olives and Oregano. And they do a damn good job at it!

I started off the evening with an Ouzo on ice. And Karin ordered us some appetizers: tomato salad with feta cheese and zuchinni cakes. Both were excellent. The side sauce on the zuchinni cakes was incredible. It was a minced garlic flavor with lemon and had a very sesame - tahinni kind of flavor. Accompanying the appetizers and drinks was an endless supply of sour dough bread that was hearty and delicious. We dipped it in virgin olive oil laced with salt and pepper. Had we ordered some oven-warmed olives for dipping, the night would have been perfect and we could have stopped right there!

But we didn't.

We ordered the lemon-egg soup for two. This very Greek chicken based soup comes flavored with zesty lemon and is whipped into a froth with egg whites. It is luscious and airy, with just a hint of rice and chicken at the bottom of the bowl to keep your teeth occupied.

At this point, Karin just gave out. But your truly still wanted to taste more.

So I ordered the lamb chops. I asked for them rare and that's they way they came. Caked in herbs and pepper, and broiled to perfection. I can admit that Karin and I could only eat one each. They were a meat-eaters dream. Nearly better than any filet migion. They had a wonderful gamy flavor that I'd never tasted from any lamb I have ever bought at the market. These came piled on top of some long-sliced deep-fried potato quarters that were also delicious. Karin said that they were some of the best potatoes she had ever tasted.

Desert was simply silly. A baklava the size of my wrist served with a creamy lemon ice cream. My Greek coffee served super sweet in an espresso cup was delectable and gritty. Simply coffee-tacious!

Our leftovers were treated with respect and packaged in a cute takeout box and substantial paper bag with handles, perfect for clinging on to it while spending an hour or so puffing on a cigar and walking hand-in-hand with my lovely wife through downtown Palo Alto. A perfect end to a perfect evening!

117 E San Carlos St.

(Also in Downtown Los Gatos and Downtown Santa Cruz)

Since I moved to CA, I've been on a quest to find a good pizza joint. This place serves the acceptable pies....still not great pizza. But they do a respectable job.

Great atmosphere and good prices.

86 N Market St. (Downtown)
San Jose CA

Great mexican food in downtown San Jose. This is a regular lunch spot for me. All the platters come highly recommended by me! I especially like the shrimp mordita, and the burito supreme platter will put you to sleep by 2pm.

A variety of beverages are on hand, house drinks and Jaritos.

Price: ~$10 platter
Atmosphere: Fine.
Food: Great mexican fare.

72 E Santa Clara (Downtown)
San Jose CA

Style: Mexican
Food: Scrumptious!
Atmosphere: Southwestern, noisy and bustling but comfy.
Price: $

There is one word to describe Mucho's: YUMBO! From the handmade burritos to the rotisserie chicken, this restaurant is made for food lovers. Mucho's features all your Mexican food favorites, reasonably priced. But their specialty is their wood-flavored rotisserie chicken, served quartered, halved, whole, or in burritos and salads.

Beer is kept on ice all day, along with Jarritos and bottled teas.

If you are hankering for a tasty meal in downtown San Jose, look no further than Mucho's.

Corner of Bascom and Naglee
San Jose CA

Food: :-) OK, for a diner.
Atmosphere: :-( A bit cluttered...they need to tidy up a bit.
Price: $ No complaints.

An odd combination of diner-type and Chinese food dishes catches your attention at this local hang out diner.

They do a great job with a no frills / relaxing weekend breakfast. Walk from your Rose Garden home, (Bring your Sunday paper) and order some steak and eggs are ($8). The hash browns are near perfect, however the bacon was a little too crisp for my taste. Rye toast was just the way I like it -- smothered in butter.

Interestingly, they also have an an interesting assortment of Chinese dishes, although the sauces tend to be a bit watery and underflavored for my taste. However, they were yummy and definately hits the spot when Karin and I want a late night snack.

Breakfast served all day.

640 South Winchester Blvd
San Jose CA
408-260-8224

Food: :-) Good.
Atmosphere/Service: :-) Both very good.
Price: $$


Very tasty Thai food. I have to be honest. My favorite is Pad Thai and that is the only dish I've tried, even on repeated visits. After trying the Pad Thai, I've never wanted to order anything else. It is served fresh and the flavor is rich in a lot of directions. Just great.

Easy parking.

Falafel's Drive Through
On San Carlos (between 880 and Bascom Ave)
San Jose CA

Food: :-) Yummy.
Atmosphere: :-) No-frills outdoor dining at its finest.
Price: $

If you like deep-fried vegetarian goodies, you have probably already eaten at this San Jose landmark. There is really not much to say about the food. Order a large falafels pita, some fries (they are outstanding) and maybe a little baklava for dessert.

If it is too chilly to dine in, or you are on your way home from work, this is great take-out food. Cash only, but it's cheap enough so you don't have to hit the MAC.

Tainan Restaurant
2 Locations

One in Cupertino Village (Wolf and 280) (see parking warning under Kingswood)
The other is in Milpitas Center (237 and 880)


Food: :-) (Good)
Atmosphere / Service: :-1 (Ok, for the style)
Price: $

Authentic "Taiwanese diner" food. Karin and I enjoy going to both locations. The service is pretty crappy and they only take cash (or speak English well). But that's ok. You don't go to a restaurant like this for the service.

The food is interesting and cheap. Try the marinated seaweed appetiser, oyster pancakes, fried rice-noodle, deep fried oysters (delicious). I'm a big fan of pork internals, so I like the intestine and blood soup. Mmm good stuff!

I haven't tried the testicles yet.

Top it off with Taiwan beer. (Be sure to ask for a cold one.)

Dynasty Seafood Restaurant
10123 North Wolfe Road #1688
Cupertino CA 95014
408-996-1680

Price: $$ (~$15 per person)
Food: :- (Mediocre)
Service: :-( Poor

Karin heard some big and loug hype surrounding this new restaurant. Things turned out to be big and loud, all right. Oh and don't forget about bright. WOW! I have never seen so many save-you-ten-dollars-per-year bazillion-watt screw-in florescent fixtures! There must have been 10,000 watts of illumination in this place (of course at the cost of only 8,000).

Parking: 1 -- The evening did not start off well. The restaurant is in a poor location and parking is difficult. We had to park on the opposite side of the mall and walk though the near-vacant mall. After dinner, we found the mall locked, forcing us to walk all the way around!

Service: 4 -- Slow and chaotic. We waited quite a while. A beer or glass of wine would have helped the wait. Alas there are only four items on the drink list: tea, coke, sprite and um, water.

Food: 7 -- The food was slightly better than good. (It's tough to be great for a Chinese restaurant in Silicon Valley.) The dishes were a bit salty and two of the dishes we had seemed to have the same sauce with different ingredients. The full Peking Duck was a winner, but we've had tastier at far less $$. The garlic encrusted fried crab was overcooked, reducing the crab's meat to no more than a delectable mush.

Located at the Light Rail station on 2nd just South of Santa Clara St.
San Jose CA

This is a regular lunch stop for me. I 've only ordered the pork tamales and chicken tamales but I am not sure what other kind of food item they have here. The tamales are pretty good though and darn cheap. I usually sit at the train station and chow down while checking out the sights.

I usually order some kind of goofy soda, like grape or orange, to put me in a goofy mood for some seriously wacked out people watching. You see some real strange folk in down town SJ. :-)

On South Bascom just south of 280
San Jose CA

Food: :-\ (It has its ups and downs)
Atmosphere: :-\ Not bad for a crazy buffet.
Price: $$ ~$13 for a dinner buffet


In the old Marie Calander's location, this new stuff-your-face joint in San Jose has all of your standard Asian-style buffet items: a variety of Asian style dishes, various broiled shell fish dishes, deep fried won-tons, fresh shrimp and giant crabs legs, salad and dessert as well as a few items you'll be pleased to endlessly munch on: sushi roll, frogs legs, prime rib...

Although you might be a little put off by the cleanliness of the buffet and the quality of some of the foods (When I was there they were serving bruised and mushy strawberries (Karin says YUK!), you just can't beat the price. Come empty leave full.

Kingswood
Cupertino Village

Food: :-) (Good)
Atmosphere: :0) (Ok)
Price: $$

This restaurant specializes in two different cuisines: Tappenyaki and Hot Pot. They also have sushi there but I haven't had it. The tappenyaki is nothing to write home about. Because of its plain ingredients and reliance on "entertainment", Tappenyaki is one of those kinds of cuisine that has to be damn good to be enjoyable. When it is just "average", it doesn't really fly. Karin and I ate Kingswood Tappenyaki a long time ago. No desire to try it again.

Their hot pot is pretty good. They have two different flavors of soup: mild and spicy. I recommend the mild. I like spicy hot pot, but this one doesn't have enough taste to balance the spices. The ingredients you can order are neat: raw meats, vegetables, taro root, mushrooms, etc... Try stuff you've never tried before. Toss a few items in the soup at a time and have fun. There are a few hot pot restaurants in Silicon Valley. This one is good, but there is better. Try Ninji in Fremont if you want a really good hot pot.

After dinner at Kingswood, walk through Cupertino Village to Fantasia and buy yourself a Pearl Tea drink. Yumm!

Parking is tough in "the village"; very few spots and the drivers are TERRIBLE! I don't recommend driving your nice car. The parking lot is dangerous!! I've witnessed and my car has been hit at Cupertino Village.

Forbes Island
415-951-4900

Service/Atmosphere: ***
Food: ****
Price: $$$$

"Tastes so good....it floats!" --Scottie

I read about Forbes Island in a local rag and it seemed cool. When my mom flew in, Karin and I decided to take her out for a little culinary delight -- SF style. Parking was a snap at the lot across from Pier 39. We walked up to the private pier and called in on the Forbes phone. In a few moments Captain Forbes himself piloted out to pick us up! We were given a tour of the island (actually a drivable, man-made floating island, with an upper fireplace lounge, private party room and lighthouse! Pretty cool!). We hung out at the bar and had some well-made cocktails while our table was being readied. The martinis came in handy getting your sea legs. The "island" is floating! So beware, you will feel it. I started to get a little nauseated (just a touch). Another martini fixed that.

We ordered a variety of dishes. Each was spectacular. Cooked in the French style, each had multiple layers of fantastic and delicious flavors. Meats and vegetables were each prepared with skill and the presetation was very good. I recommend the filet mignon. Karin's pork was also great. Mom's chicken was just fantastic.

We could not stop! Karin left to visit the ladies room (a simulated captains Quarters, complete with fire hearth, master bed and pet leopard. Desert was a berry cheesecake. It was so good, my mom and I scarfed it down before Karin got back. Sorry sweetie!!

Traveling to SF? ...don't miss this place! Reservations required.

2nd and San Fernando (Downtown)

Food: :-)
Atmosphere: :-) Obviously "canned" but still very nice.
Price: $$

There's a Changs in every city worth its salt, so we are real glad to have one right here in our home town of San Jose. What can you say about Changs? They have a nice recipe for combining Chinese food done with a flair and impeccable service, smart atmosphere. I admire restaurants that take old buildings and re-outfit them in the asian-chunky-modern style. It's a real asset to the city.

The food is wonderful too, so get over here right away and start eating some of their stuff.

Great dishes I've had: beef and brocoli (served in a fantastic and deeply flavored sauce), lettuce wraps (their forte), Peking dumplings (the server whips up the dipping sauce for you), crisp honey chicken, cashew chicken, and the ribs (oh the ribs!).

You might wind up ordering more than you can eat. It's ok. Order as much as you want; leftovers are treated with respect at Changs. (And they are even better the second day!)

173 W Santa Clara St. (Downtown)
San Jose, CA
408-278-1400

Food: :-( Not great.
Atmosphere: :-( Not pub-like enough for me.
Price: 2 brews, fish and chips ran me close to $15


With an English phone booth parked out front, Britannia Arms proposes to be a British pub plopped right down into the heart of San Jose. How jolly!

As frequent readers may know, Karin and I love London. One of our favorite things to do there is spend time in pubs with friends. There is something about English pubs that is very captivating. Perhaps what many English pubs have in common is the general "feel" of the place. There is a worn-out softness to everything, as if the carpets, woodwork and leather had absorbed some of the good natured feelings that come about when people gather in a place to relax and enjoy food, drink and good spirit. The task of creating that atmosphere for us California natives to enjoy is very admirable, so I always try to patronize my local "English" pubs whenever possible.:-)

The beverages and food in a good pub also has this same good-naturedness to it. Food has a simple, but hearty taste and feel. Even simple grub like bangers and mash (sausages and mashed potatoes) are yummy and delicious. It's the kind of food you could eat every day and feel real good inside!

Well, I'm sorry to say Brittania Arms doesn't have much of this "pub-ness" going on. The atmosphere is very un-pub like. With its blase restaurant furnishings and beer posters (oddly mostly for American beers), it looks more like a college bar. It just didn't have a very good pub atmosphere.

The fish and chips were nothing to write home about. Maybe I'll try the bangers someday, bur since I only have 7 days a week to eat, I've been getting my bangers at Trials Pub or The Duke of Edinburgh

1727 E. Pratt St
Baltimore MD 21231
410-732-6399


Food: :-) Super.
Atmosphere: For an old school crab house, it's a little too bright, a little too loud.
Price: $$$

Crab house first and foremost. This is the kind of place where they cover the tables and patrons in newsprint and plastic bibs, arm you all with big wooden hammers and dump a bucket of delectable crabs on your table. The shells are caked with special seasonings and the beer mugs overfloweth.

Just a great place to get crabs. If you are visiting Baltimore's Inner harbor, make some reservations and take a taxi. It did not seem like a great neighborhood.

Baldwin at "B" Street
San Mateo CA
650-348-2296

I went to this place with my buds. After two or three Saffire martinis, I really don't remember the food. I think I had a steak. Great atmosphere, though. Loud and very fun. All I remember was that I had a great time.

Reservations suggested

155 E San Carlos St.

Food: :-)
Atmosphere: :-)
Price: $$ ($12-15 with salad and drink)

If I was hanging out with prohibition-era Chicago gangsters toting automatic gatlin machine guns, I'd probably order some pizza from Pizz'a Chicago. It's the best Chi-town pizza you can get in San Jose.

Now with that said, I'm not much of a Chi-town pizza guy. In fact, I shouldn't be writing a review about a Chicago style pizza joint at all. My friends know I love NY style pizza so much that this review is going to wind up being biased.

But let me tell you, this comfortable booth-style pizza joint has a lot going for it. It has so much Chicago themed nick-naks that I've often wondered if they may have stripped Chicago dry of all that holds dear, including perhaps most of its street signs.

Normally I shy away from personal sized pizza. There is a certain ecomomy of scale between the crust/cheese ratio that gets all messed up in a personal sized pizza. There is still of this going on with Chicago, but they attempt to keep that crust thick enough to hold on to, but thin enough were it doesn't make the rest of the pie look a cheese/sauce oasis in the middle of the crust desert.

I've only hit this place at lunch and normally I order their salad, a simple and fresh device topped with simple oil/vinegar. Works well for lunch paired with a spaghetti and meatballs, or perhaps a personal pizza, or a turkey sub.

The Red Lion (Pub)
23 Crown Passage
London England SW1P 6YY
020 7930 4141

Food: Authentic pub grub!
Atmosphere: Intimate and cozy.
Price: $


Review: One of the oldest pubs in London, if the oldest, this quaint old spot is well hidden in the bowels of old town. Inside you'll find comfy benches and lots of interesting photos and pub art. One of the best things about visiting pubs like this is that you are not only getting a glimpse back in time (many old pubs have changed very little in the last hundred years or more) but you also get to rub elbows with everyday folks, people coming in for lunch, or unwinding after a long day's work.

I enjoyed a few pints of bitters while Karin had a Pimms. ("Pimms No. 1" is a unique fruity and spiced cordial liquor. For a refreshing drink, Barkeeps mix it with fresh fruit - or perhaps cucumbers - and Sprite or 7up.) After a few drinks we decided to have a bite. I ordered bangers and mash (sausages and mashed potatos in gravy) and Karin had a Ploughman's Lunch (chunks and slices of smoked meat, cheeses and bread served with an assorted selection of fresh fruit). Although this is not the kind of food you would expect to be served at a four star restaurant, both plates were delicious honestly prepared in the context of this must-visit pub in downtown London.