Santa Clara County may be on its way to legalizing indoor dining again soon, as cases and infection rates dip. That will be welcome news to restaurateurs that have spent the past year trying to eek by with limited seating outdoors. Until then, eateries are still serving up food fit for a date night, or a casual lunch, including vegetarian and vegan options. This week’s dining guides offers up just a sampling of those eateries.
Newly Opened
Suggi Oota
949 Ruff Drive, San Jose; 669.224.0833
Though it’s not yet open for outdoor dining, this family-owned and run Indian restaurant features a weekly rotating menu of vegetarian dishes for pickup or delivery.
Date Night
Ettan
518 Bryant St, Palo Alto; 650.752.6281
Ettan combines Californian and Indian flavors with plates like red chili octopus, tava fried copra beef and traditional butter chicken.
La Catalana
3720 North First St STE A, San Jose; 408.324.1321
La Catalana has been transporting diners to Catalonia with its traditional tapas and wine for the past decade.
Tamarine
546 University Ave, Palo Alto; 650.325.8500
Tamarine’s Vietnamese cuisine is also influenced by dishes from China, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and France.
Desi
501 E Campbell Ave., Campbell; 408.429.8098
Desi couples Indian favorites and street food staples, like gol gappe and paneer tikka, with unique cocktails.
Tessora’s Barra di Vino
234 Campbell Ave, Campbell; 408.626.7711
Happy hour and wine club sign-ups complement this wine bar’s menu and food.
Leichi
246 Saratoga Ave, Santa Clara; 408.824.9052
Housemade soba, udon and chef specials are served at Leichi daily.
Mio Vicino
1290 Benton St, Santa Clara; 408.241.9414
Mio Vicino, in Santa Clara’s Franklin Mall, offers all of the Italian staples in a cozy setting.
Casual Dining
Godfather’s Burger Lounge
1500 El Camino Real, Belmont; 650.637.9257
With more than 12 kinds of burgers to choose from, diners can also customize their orders and opt for a vegetarian, chicken or turkey patty.
Trail Dust BBQ
17240 Monterey Road, Morgan Hill; 408.776.9072
Cooked low and slow for hours, Trail Dust BBQ uses oak wood to smoke all of its seasoned meats.
The Running Shops and Hops
17500 Depot St STE 100, Morgan Hill; 669.258.5950
This craft beer brewery offers 86 beers on tap.
Rose & Crown Pub
facebook.com/The-Rose-and-Crown-10285960835
547 Emerson Street, Palo Alto; 650.327.7673
Modeled after a classic English pub, Rose & Crown offers a large selection of Belgian beers and craft beer options.
Margaritas Taqueria
395 N Fair Oaks Avenue, Sunnyvale; 408.673.4795
Margaritas Taqueria Food Truck serves tacos, burritos and mariscos at its longtime downtown Sunnyvale location.
Capers
1710 West Campbell Ave, Campbell, San Jose; 408.374.5777
Outdoor dining, pickup and delivery options are available at this traditional American eatery.
Fibbar Magees Irish Pub
156 Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale; 408.749.8373
Fibbar’s is open for patio dining, takeout and delivery daily, offering craft beers and pub fare.
Vegetarian Friendly
Oren’s Hummus Shop
19419 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino; 408.982.5237
1 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos
126 Castro St, Mountain View; 650.938.6736
261 University Ave, Palo Alto; 650.752.6492
Oren’s Hummus Shop, a traditional Israeli restaurant that has plenty of dishes for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
Kebabery by Meso
3060 Olsen Dr STE 50, San Jose; 408.800.0048
San Jose’s Kebabery advertises itself as both vegan and vegetarian friendly, offering kebabs, breads, appetizers and entrees.
Aappakadai
1105 W El Camino Real, Sunnyvale; 408.732.2244
3075 El Camino Real, Santa Clara; 408.243.2778
4555 Hopyard Rd, Pleasanton; 925.750.7709
Aappakadai was founded by experienced chefs aiming to bring South Indian Chettinad food to Northern California.
Chaat Bhavan
5355 Mowry Ave, Fremont; 510.795.1100
976 E EI Camino Real, Sunnyvale; 408.795.1100
4112 Grafton St, Dublin; 925.829.1700
Chaat Bhavan, a family-owned and run restaurant, offers vegetarian Indian cuisine at three locations around the Bay Area.