Long a culinary term of art, “fusion” is often associated with the deliberate combination of two distinct traditions. From falafel tacos to ramen burgers, these endeavors are usually the work of some enterprising chef, seeking to surprise diners with something new. Such pairings are rarely…
Restaurants News
The decor at Camper, an approximate abbreviation for California Menlo Park, nods to the idea of camping from the comfortable distance of an orderly suburban neighborhood. There’s a framed photograph of a VW van with its tent set up in the middle of a forest….
It was early morning, probably around 11:30am, and I was in the garage listening to Ram Jam while cleaning my piece. I had been drinking the holiday eggnog that was about to go bad. It’s usually good for about 60 days after the date on…
There is little doubt that the South Bay has come into its own as a beer snob’s paradise. Downtown San Jose boasts at least 10 taprooms focused on high-end hoppiness, and even craft cocktail bars can’t ignore the craze: Over the weekend, Haberdasher drew a…
Despite their empty stomachs, the diners lining up outside of Taro San Japanese Noodle Bar were entirely peaceable. On a mild winter night at the Stanford Shopping Center, anticipation for a homemade bowl of udon outweighed any grumblings about the wait time. When the hostess…
Jo Lerma-Lopez was going crazy. Not only was she stressing over all the normal things that preoccupy restaurateurs, like the city’s bureaucratic red tape, the menu and the aesthetic details—from the wrought iron dining room chairs and zinc bar to the soothing, azure blue of…
I sat at my kitchen table, a gorgeous mid-century piece of trash. Its exquisite golden pearloid top reflected the light spilling from the many skylights installed in my vaulted kitchen ceiling. It illuminated my strikingly handsome chins. The kitchen is the only room in my…
Occupying the former Bird Avenue location of Mojo Burger, Willow Glen upstart Toast Café & Grill interior has undergone a complete retrofit, ditching its bland ’70s diner look in favor of solid-wood furniture, brick accent walls, a covered dog-friendly patio and a bar running the…
I have a love-hate relationship with fishing. While I love any excuse to be outdoors—drinking suds and bonding with my son and friends—I hate that I’m terrible at it. More often than not, I’m getting skunked and coming home empty-handed. I suspect the fish have…
Remember back in the day, when the only choice anyone had for topping their burger was cheese or no cheese? I do. It was awful. I mean, sure, there were some options you could order up, like extra “special” sauce, hold the pickles, and no…
