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Lincoln Avenue: A Dining Tourby Staff on Mar 13, 2009A key element of Willow Glen’s vitality is the scores of restaurants. There’s a little bit of everything on Lincoln Avenue’s street of eats. Willow Street Wood-Fired Pizza is one of the area’s success stories. The restaurant now has locations in Los Gatos and Westgate Mall in San Jose and continues to pack them in with its satisfying and creative pizzas, hearty pastas and sandwiches. Willow Street recently added thin-crust, Neapolitan-style pizzas that help keep the place fresh. La Villa Gourmet Italian Delicatessen is a must-stop in Willow Glen. Known for its great custom-made sandwiches, the popular deli is also the neighborhood’s go-to source for premium wine, cheese and other specialty items. The ravioli are a local tradition. For dependable Chinese-American food, Edna Ray and Taiwan Restaurant have been the Willow Glen standard for years and are still going strong. Mediterranean food is particularly well represented in Willow Glen. Newcomer Opa! serves affordable and generally delicious Greek-American food in a modern, urbane setting. With stylish décor, a cozy dining room and a friendly neighborhood vibe, the restaurant occupies the sweet spot between fast food and fine dining. If one can look past its spare appearance, Casablanca’s Cafe offers one of Silicon Valley’s best—and biggest—falafel sandwiches. The gyros and shawerma are good, too. VenerableJohn’s Xlnt Foods is a diner beloved for its Greek, Italian and American served in big portions. At the upper end of the scale, Siena Bistro and Vin Santo Ristorante are Willow Glen’s two standout fine dining restaurants. Siena is an intimate, 40-seat restaurant with an appealing outdoor patio. At Vin Santo, try the “O” burger made with truffles and Gorgonzola cheese served on focaccia. Willow Glen has a several good Mexican food options, and two of the most popular are Aqui Cal-Mex Grill and Tlaquepaque No. 1. Aqui offers a contemporary take on Mexican food while Tlaquepaque charts a more traditional course. Don’t miss Aqui’s great tequila selection and Tlaquepaque’s famous “chavela”—a frosty beer and lime concoction. For Asian food, Kazoo Sushi Boat and Siam Square are the area’s best bets. Kazoo, which was named best sushi restaurant by Metro readers last year, serves a diverse menu of nigiri, rolls and specials in a good-times atmosphere. Siam Square offers an encyclopedic menu of Thai food. Bill’s Cafe is Willow Glen’s definitive breakfast joint. Open since 1977, but under new ownership since 2006, Bill’s serves only breakfast and lunch. Bill’s knows its way around typical diner standbys—we’re talking eggs (scrambles and hollandaise-laced “benedictions”), pancakes and expertly grilled sandwiches and burgers. With its tasting bar, wine shop and lively “cheap date night,” The Grapevine has emerged as one of Willow Glen’s bright lights. They’ve also got a good selection of artisinal cheese to help wash down all that good wine. No stroll down Lincoln Street would be complete without a stop at Willow Glen Frozen Yogurt Co. The frozen yogurt is particularly rich and good, given that it’s made with low-fat yogurt. WGFYC also sells Treat Ice Cream, from the beloved San Jose–based ice cream company. But for me the real attraction of Willow Glen Frozen Yogurt Co. isn’t the ice cream or the frozen yogurt, but the frozen silk custard. This egg-rich dessert is an East Coast and Midwest specialty that’s hard to come by this side of the Mississippi River. The shop only sells vanilla and chocolate. Vanilla is available every day and chocolate on the weekends. The stuff is dispensed from a soft serve machine that extrudes a curling ribbon of custard into a cup. Take it from me, a small is all you’ll need. by Staff on Mar 13, 2009 |
 Taking Flights: Grapevine hosts regular wine tastings in-store. |
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