Apple made a big splash when they announced that WWDC would be in San Jose, CA in 2017 for the first time since 2002. I just finished a 6-year gig in San Pedro Square which is 4 city blocks from the McEnery Convention Center. What follows are a my thoughts on downtown San Jose. This list of places to eat isn\u2019t exhaustive. These are some of my go-to\u2019s. YMMV. I\u2019ve also included some sights.<\/p>\n
San Jose has seen a boom in housing recently. Two new apartment towers have opened in the last few years with more on the way. This is helping the restaurant\/bar scene have more customers after dark. San Jose may never shake its reputation of being a sleepy town but that doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re not going to have a fantastic time.<\/p>\n
Stones Throw from McEnery<\/b><\/p>\n
Original Joe\u2019s<\/a>. You\u2019ve just stepped into a 1950\u2019s eatery and expect Frank Sinatra to start singing at any moment. Must have starter: saut\u00e9ed spinach with bacon.<\/p>\n Pizza My Heart<\/a>. Local chain that has thin crust pizza by the slice, salad and drink down cold.<\/p>\n Specialty\u2019s Cafe and Bakery<\/a>. Open during business hours only. A chain but I always find good stuff here.<\/p>\n Scott\u2019s Seafood<\/a>,\u00a0Morton\u2019s Steakhouse<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0McCormick and Schmick\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0are also some anchors in the area.<\/p>\n Tandoori Oven<\/a><\/p>\n Lots of people like\u00a0Il Fornaio<\/a>. However I\u2019m not a fan.<\/p>\n Psycho Donuts<\/a>\u00a0if that\u2019s your thing.<\/p>\n Philz Coffee<\/a><\/p>\n Gordon Biersch Brewery<\/a><\/p>\n La Victoria Taqueria<\/a>\u00a0 Often a go-to for late night eats and they have a surprising number locations around downtown. This location open until 3am!<\/p>\n Venues:\u00a0City National Civic<\/a>\u00a0(Cap. 2,850); The Frank Lloyd Wright designed Center for the Performing Arts (Cap. 2,677); the California Theater (Cap. 1,119) is where Apple announced the 4th Gen iPad and iPad mini in 2012; and the\u00a0Tech Museum of Innovation<\/a>\u00a0with IMAX domed theater. I expect things to happen here.<\/p>\n Walking Distance<\/b> (> 3 blocks north of McEnery)<\/p>\n This starts to be where I have the most experience.<\/p>\n San Pedro Sq Market<\/a>\u00a0– just a few years old (but restored from the turn of the last century) and a true gem. Think food court with indoor and outdoor seating. All local businesses. Something for everyone. Includes a barber shop! Great coffee at\u00a0B2<\/a>. I highly expect events to take place here.<\/p>\n Firehouse No 1<\/a>\u00a0is my old stomping ground with great food and just a bar after 10pm.\u00a0SP2<\/a>\u00a0is another great spot just outside the Market.\u00a0Olla Cocina<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Farmers Union<\/a>\u00a0are notable too. We also have a gamers lounge called\u00a0AFK<\/a>. A local pub to try out is\u00a0O\u2019Flaherty\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Five Points<\/a>.<\/p>\n Togo\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0has a long history in the Valley. Check them out if you want to know what it was like in the 70\u2019s to have lunch in the Valley. They used to be everywhere and often served alcohol for those 2-hour lunches.<\/p>\n La Victoria Taqueria<\/a>\u00a0 Various locations downtown. This location is open until midnight; 3am Thur, Fri, & Sat.<\/p>\n Back A Yard<\/a>\u00a0– Caribbean cuisine<\/p>\n Long Walk<\/b><\/p>\n Freshly Baked<\/a>\u00a0– Hole-in-the-wall, only open for lunch but worth the walk. Cash only. Maybe consider splitting sandwiches with a friend.<\/p>\n There is some speculation the keynote will be at\u00a0SAP Center at San Jose<\/a>\u00a0(capacity 19,000). Just a block from there is our newest\u00a0Whole Foods Market<\/a>\u00a0which has an onsite brewery and outdoor seating area. A littler further down is Chipotle, Five Guys and two local hot spots: the small and intimate\u00a0Zona Rosa<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Tee Nee Thai<\/a>.<\/p>\n Nearby (a drive)\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Falafel Drive In<\/a>. \u00a0This hole-in-the-wall is worth the drive. The special is a falafel and banana shake. My go-to is the gyro salad, humus and banana shake.<\/p>\n Lincoln Ave in Willow Glenn<\/a>,\u00a0an upscale neighborhood in San Jose is a tree lined street with great places to check out.\u00a0Bill\u2019s Cafe<\/a>\u00a0for breakfast (a local institution) and\u00a0Crepevine<\/a>\u00a0too but they are also open much later.\u00a0The Table<\/a>\u00a0in San Jose recently expanded and has a must-see neon sign.\u00a0Aqui Cal-Mex<\/a>\u00a0is always popular – in part because of their slushy machine serves alcohol.\u00a0Powell\u2019s Sweet Shoppe<\/a>\u00a0for all your candy needs.\u00a0Willow Glen Creamery<\/a>\u00a0for ice cream (all kinds); including Dole Whip if you need a Disneyland fix. \u00a0There is another Pizza My Heart here too. I\u2019ve really just scratched the surface of what\u2019s here. Oh, and check out the \u201cmust see\u201d\u00a0Hicklebee\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0books store – be sure to find the “author signature” covered walls in the back.<\/p>\n There are two big malls near by. Valley Fair<\/a>\u00a0contains the\u00a0Apple Store<\/a>\u00a0and has a large food court. It\u2019s your typical upscale Westfield shopping mall (fun fact. It\u2019s half in San Jose and half in Santa Clara). It\u2019s currently undergoing an expansion so a bit of a mess.\u00a0Bazille<\/a>\u00a0restaurant inside Nordstrom is a hidden gem. There is a Cheese Cake Factory if that\u2019s your thing.<\/p>\n Across the street is\u00a0Santana Row<\/a>\u00a0which is where the\u00a0Tesla Store<\/a>\u00a0is. European style outside mall: housing\/offices above the first floor. First floor stores and restaurants. Tends to be where the cool kids go. Downtown businesses were very frustrated Santana Row didn\u2019t happen downtown – one of the main reasons is parking is free at Santana Row. Too many food places to mention but here are some: Tacolicious, Village California Bistro, Pizza Antica, Maggiano\u2019s, Left Bank, LB Steak, Fogo De Chao, The Counter, Consuelo\u2019s Mexican Bistro, Blowfish Sushi, Amber India. (I may have only mentioned half the restaurants)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Apple made a big splash when they announced that WWDC would be in San Jose, CA in 2017 for the first time since 2002. I just finished a 6-year gig in San Pedro Square which is 4 city blocks from the McEnery Convention Center. What follows are a my thoughts on downtown San Jose. This … Continue reading WWDC 2017 in San Jose: Places to Eat & Visit<\/span>