San Jose/Silicon Valley

When you live in Santa Cruz, travel to San Jose happens for one of three reasons: 1) to go to the airport; 2) serious shopping fix; 3) to visit family.

Numbers one and two will often include a visit to a restaurant, and there are a number of good ones to choose from. Sometimes, alas, we have to make do at the food court at the Westfield (Valley Fair) Mall, which is so enormous that it lacks only a runway to make it the be-all and end-all of shopping malls. For a change of pace, there is the new Santana Row just across the street, where the well-heeled take in designer fashions and expensive jewelry, along with galleries, restaurants, and more.

San Jose itself has a downtown area that is progressively getting more vibrant; it used to be deserted in the evenings. Having a great hockey team hasn't hurt things, either.

There is plenty to do with kids, including the Children's Discovery Museum, street festivals, and more.

Quick Tips:

The Entertainment Book allows you to save on everything from tourist attractions (two-for-one admissions to museums, etc.) to restaurants (two-for-one coupons for meals in a variety of places), as well as offering substantial discounts on car rentals, hotel rooms, shopping, and lots more. If you're traveling to the city, it's easily worth the for the money you will save.

Best Way To Get Around:

San Jose and the Silicon Valley pretty much require a car. Alternatives exist, but public transportation is a hassle unless you're on the main arteries of the city.

Having time to kill before a flight out of town, we stopped in Santana Row for an early supper. I'd heard great things about Consuelo, so we opted for it.

The cuisine is Mexican, specifically influenced by the owners' upbringing in Cuernavaca (south of Mexico City). Dishes are served tapas-style, and sharing is encouraged.

We chose the guacamole ($7), which they make to your specifications at your table; it comes with freshly made white corn tortillas, served piping hot and wrapped in a napkin. I know, "When in Rome..." but I didn't feel like having a margarita. It wasn't hot enough, though it was perfect to sit outside on the patio. Our server, a beautiful and zaftig Latina woman, praised the mojitos, and she was right. My friends had never had a proper one (they'd been using some abominable recipe from Sunset magazine with--egads!--mint syrup), and they were in heaven.

I ordered "pescado del dia," which was halibut with green beans and chorizo in a spicy, creamy, kick-ass sauce ($14). Along with a beautiful jicama salad ($8), Reesa ordered the chile relleno ($9?). The jicama came out stacked like Lincoln Logs; drizzled in a medium-spicy red sauce, they concealed a bed of pineapple and grapefruit as their base. Lovely execution and zinging with flavor. I will order it next time I'm there. The chile relleno was as fine a plateful of flavor as any of us had ever had. (Jeff didn't order anything, claiming not to be hungry, but as he tasted everything, he said, "The more I eat, the hungrier I'm getting." That inverted compliment meant that the flavors and aromas were kindling his appetite.)

I will be returning to Consuelo. Everything was very fresh, flavorful, and well-priced. Its location in Santana Row, especially with al fresco dining, means the people-watching is great, and it's a good spot for singles, as well. Often, live music is playing in one of the parks, and tenants of the condos above are sitting on their balconies or strolling the area.