San Jose Dining

Oriented toward agriculture until the mid-20th century, San Jose now ranks as the Capital of Silicon Valley, renowned for being richer than rich in world-class high tech enterprise, in turn spawning healthy appetites for culinary adventure. For a genuine sweet taste of San Jose sprinkled with access to history, Lou's Living Donut Museum serves handmade doughnuts from chocolate to pumpkin with a kitchen showcasing bakers. Ethnic restaurants are in generous supply from noodle houses in San Jose's Japantown to Mexican feasts in East San Jose. While Silicon Valley has its share of pricey enclaves, small storefront eateries in neighborhoods such as Willow Glen or towns like Campbell can be relied upon for friendly service and solid value. Santana Row, San Jose's newest shopping center only minutes from downtown, combines upscale shops and restaurants.

Some of the best food experiences are to be found in one of the following places:

Falafel Drive-In
2301 Stevens Creek Boulevard, San Jose, CA 95128
+1 408 294 7886
Vegetarian diners drive from all over the valley to sample the trademark falafels--pita bread stuffed with deep-fried balls of garbanzo beans and herbs, topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and two types of sauces. Meat eaters, meanwhile, fill up on the lamb-filled gyros or tasty hamburgers. Falafel's Drive serves fresh Middle Eastern food to a loyal lunch and dinner crowd seven days a week.

Emile's
585 South Second Street, San Jose, CA 95112
+1 408 289 1960
Featuring contemporary European cuisine since 1973, Emile's makes the best use of seasonal ingredients and the finest quality products available. An elegant dining room beautiful presentation delectable desserts and an award winning wine list make Emile's the destination point for fine dining. Emile's also offers Private Dining Demonstration and HandsOn Cooking Classes and Corporate Team Building.

House of Genji
1335 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95112
+1 408 453 8120
Traditional Japanese Steak House. Specializes in teppan yaki, cooked right before your eyes, as well as offers a full menu of seafood and steak dishes.

La Forêt
21747 Bertram Road, San Jose, CA 95120
+1 408 997 3458
Located about 15 miles southwest of downtown in the New Almaden area, La Forêt is the recipient of a fair amount of national attention. The restaurant is housed in a beautiful building that dates from the mid-19th century and mixes refinement (tuxedoed waiters) with a charm (cushioned chairs and white tablecloths). Chef Davoudi's specials include innovative game dishes like ostrich or wild boar. La Forêt also offers such gourmet staples as cold-water lobster or rack of lamb.

Picasso's Restaurant
62 West Santa Clara Street, San Jose, CA 95113
+1 408 298 4400
Features traditional Spanish favorites such as thinly sliced prime beef traditional Spanish seafood strew with prawns scallops mussels clams calamari and fresh fish in a garlic tomato broth traditional tomato based chicken stew and sliced port tenderloin. Specialized in Spanish Tapas.