San Jose - Another Look

Old Downtown was practically deserted on a Saturday afternoon. I had been to San Jose two decades ago to visit an art store.

We arrived on South First Street, which is a main drag, and Chuck was disappointed to see many of the shops out of business. He had wanted to take me to Old Joe’s for lunch, but an open café caught my eye, and we went there instead. I did like the fact that there is a Hispanic influence here, but few people populated the sidewalks. We did see some children in one of the parks reveling in the pleasure of the cool feeling of a large public water fall. There is a Hyatt Hotel which is poised for conventioneers, as there is a large convention center downtown. This being the heart of Silicon Valley, one would expect to see the results of overnight wealth in this town as well. What seems to be happening there, almost a month after our initial visit, is a hell of a lot of renovation and new construction in this area. Apparently San Jose, can and does come alive at night, which is something we didn’t experience during our first visit.

Quick Tips:

San Jose is home to the largest flea market (they claim), and Chuck and I love these. Unfortunately, we were not there at the right time. This market claims 8 miles of vendors. Food, amusements, the works. We’ll do that on a return trip. I also watched a really spooky show on the Travel Channel that spoke of this haunted house in San Jose that has been infamous for years. It was owned by Sarah Winchester, who believed in spirits, and part of that belief was to erect a mansion and never stop the construction, so as to appease the spirits. They give daily tours of this place, and despite the spooky TV account, I’m anxious to see it. Additionally the accommodations at the Hyatt are just about the best in town, and I’ll have a journal on that separately. Another worthwhile cultural event was in progress when we were passing through: the Jewish Film Festival at the Camera Three Cinema was going on from October 17th right through November 11th.

Best Way To Get Around:

It’s wonderful to visit a new place in a convertible because your getting lateral views and vertical views, and you can see the sun shining above your head. I don’t know San Jose enough but I recommend a car nevertheless.

For more on San Francisco and other Northern California Cities:

Slumming in San Francisco

San Francisco II

Rohnert Park Berkeley

Santa Rosa

Sebastopol

Petaluma

Go West

Healdsburg

Another Hyatt, another city. This one however, is a designated national Historic landmark, and is right downtown which makes it very convenient for conventioneers and people here for business. It’s about 3 miles from the airport. Newly refurbished with in-room French décor.

If you land at San Jose airport, there is a shuttle called the Southbay flyer that will take you to the hotel for $6.00 (as opposed to $17 if you land in San Francisco). The room had a king size bed with heavenly down pillows, mattress and comforter. I think they are giving the Westin a run for the money here. The furnishings are a warm and dark cherrywood color, with airy, voile drapery for the windows. This is not your cookie cutter Hyatt room since it is an older building which has been restored. It does add quite a bit of character, especially in the sitting rooms and the lobby areas which are kept separate by wonderful French doors.

The bathroom is small by comparison, but you have all the necessities (no magnifiying mirror here). Since you are minutes away to Silicon Valley, it stands to reason that every room has internet facilities. The rates here are normally upward of $200, but with the current slump in travel, we got this room for a fraction of the cost. They are also offering a 50% reduction of their rates to citizens which are 62 and over.

They have a restaurant on the premises called Il Fornaio (the oven, in Italian). Aside from the main dining area, they offer al fresco seating for cocktails and appetizers. They have a wonderful bakery on the premises, Pannetteria where you can expand your waistline with breads, baked goods and gourmet coffees. To counter any binge on these wonderful sweets, you can head over to the hotel’s Health Club and cycle your way into oblivion.

The Hyatt St. Jose looks nothing like a Hyatt; as Chuck and I drove up from the airport, I thought I was somewhere on the island of Capri or in Sicily. No mega structure with tons of glass and 2400 rooms or so. There was a balcony which gently curved around the corner, with plants making their way between the cracks. It was 2 maybe 3 stories high, tops! Over the balcony, canopies were fully extended to protect the visitor from the rain, in the case of today. Much of the time, however, it serves as a shield from the sun as you enjoy a meal or a drink al fresco.

There is nothing immediately around the grounds of the hotel, but if you’re staying here, you may not need anything else. The gardens alone are enchanting! There are pathways which divide the lush foliage and make you really stop and smell the flowers! The gurgle of "piazza" fountains is never very far; an occasional statue will spring from the greenery to catch your attention. Once you get to the rear section where the parking lot is situated, you can see the building, and it is quite unattractive. However, the ambiance positively makes up for the poor exterior esthetics. And to complement the rustic setting, dine at Amalfi’s, the in house Italian restaurant, named after a wonderful hilly region in Italy which includes Sorrento and Naples.

So the room: remember you are in Silicon Valley now, so even in a standard room, you will have what they call the "smart desk" which is a high speed IT connection for your laptop, as well as email and web access. All beds are feather beds, with TV and cable movie channels. Complimentary coffee is available in the room, as well as iron w/board, hairdryer. If you are in a "business plan" room, you get additional goodies: in room fax/printer/copier, internet access with Microsoft IE, tea and water, (you get the feeling that tea drinkers are special, heh?), and you get your room cleaned twice a day!

I’d stay here just for being able to enjoy the charming setting which is so unusual for a hotel chain. And the rates were wonderful, as business has diminished considerably.

We had a quick but tasty lunch here. Café Matisse posts a quick menu outside on a chalk board. This is more than a coffee shop, as it hosts readings from local authors; it encourages people to come in with their laptops and do whatever makes them feel creative.

They serve some vegan food, a variety of muffins, cakes and sushi. So, I chose the sushi with iced chai; Chuck has some sort of vegetable pizza/quiche with a coke. It was quite tasty.

The cafe is quite large with beautiful parquet floors; there are several eating "niches" and we sat on a couch near the exit so as to keep an eye on the car; there is also traditional table seating. People can come in also to enjoy the music, which at the time, was lovely spanish cumbias. They had some local alternative newspapers which I picked up and read, but it addressed mainly a gay audience, so there was not much in there for us. And oh! the bathroom was very clean.

Chuck could not stop raving about this restaurant, as he lived in San Jose many years ago, and ate here a lot. This restaurant came to be in 1956 and has been run by the same family since. If you’re looking for nouvelle cuisine, this is not the place to come to. Original Joe’s, or O.J. as it is known to the locals, serves "man handler" portions of pasta (remember that commercial?).

If real men don’t eat quiche, then O.J. caters to them. You want meat? You’ll get cholesterol defying chunks, broiled served on the amazing sourdough French bread with a side of steak fries which are cut by hand. They serve very generous sandwiches, egg dishes galore, soups, salads, fish and chicken. It’s the only restaurant in town that stays open past midnight.

I decided that if I were going to hell, it might as well be with eggs, and ordered an omelette (4 eggs if you please) for $8.95. Chuck has a combination omelette, since it doesn’t feel like an omelette to him unless it has stuff in it. They allow you 2 extra ingredients per omelette and you can choose from cheese, spinach, sausage, bacon, ham, onion and veggies. I did find an interesting item on the menu referred to as "diet" and it was a 12oz. hamburger steak with cottage cheese and fresh fruit. The beverage menu is quite simple; tea (pekoe only), coffee, milk and/or soft drinks. No fancy, schmancy espresso based drinks or idiosyncratic concoctions. There is, however, an extensive wine list for diners or lunchers and beer. Nevertheless, this restaurant is always packed, with people waiting in line. I am brought back to an earlier era when I see people eating at a counter in a restaurant. Original Joe’s has their counter service, and you can watch the cooks at work on the grill. When was the last time you had ham hocks and lima beans?

If in San Jose, you must do Original Joe’s at least once.

One of the most elegant things about the Amalfi restaurant is its doors; the picture below will underscore that statement! Since its acquisition by the Mobedshashi family, which also owns the Hyatt St. Claire in San Jose, there have been major renovations in this hotel and its restaurant. Amalfi is listed as an Italian steakhouse, but it does go further than that in that you have an entire gamut of hot and cold appetizers, salads including tri-colore and spinach, and pasta entrées in addition to the grilled meats and fish.

I’m not necessarily a meat person, but Chuck is. Have a look at this man’s dinner: a pepper-crusted filet mignon, which is a bit too red for my taste, with cabernet-sparked mashed potatoes and a gorgonzola-red wine sauce; more wine is visible in front of the entrée, and I can tell you it’s not mine!

People have been coming to the Grille for apparently quite sometime, and have a real appreciation for the food. This is a tribute to Chef Bill Ruiz who specializes in creative dishes inspired by Italy with a California twist. The bread is always a feast in itself, and we have always sworn that we could have a meal just on that dipped in olive oil.

If you’re vegetarian, you will roll your eyes over the spinach salad: some sweetness comes via the caramelized pecans, pancetta adds the saltiness, mushroom slices and the whole mound is drizzled in a mushroom vinaigrette mixed with white truffle oil.

As with most California restaurants, they take pride in their assortments of wine and serve it by the glass. Service is unhurried and friendly and the food is quite tasty. They also host special events such as Easter brunches and Mother Day’s brunches. Call them for details.