By applying a familiar quick-serve restaurant formula and turning it on its head, Sam & Curry in San Jose takes Indian cuisine to another level with a menu filled with burritos, tacos and rice bowls. But whether you eat your meal with your fingers or a fork, the dishes have an intensely authentic taste that...
The Biz Beat: San Jose restaurant unlocks beauty and depth of Venezuelan cuisine
Joanna Torres is on a mission to popularize Venezuelan food with her Willow Glen restaurant, Arepas. And if her recent catering job of serving 1,400 arepa sandwiches for Intuit is any indication, she is succeeding. Founded less than two years ago, Arepas in San Jose has a loyal customer base that stretches to Modesto. The...
The Biz Beat: San Jose restaurant’s secret is in its tortillas
If you are hungry for enchiladas and burritos, Acopio in San Jose might not be the Mexican restaurant for you—they are not on the menu. But tacos? Owner Lorena Vidrio says everything can be a taco. “I’m not going to speak badly about those things,” she told San José Spotlight. “But we feature our tortillas...
The Biz Beat: Grandmother’s finest Italian dishes in San Jose
There is something remarkable about Italian food. Even in as elegant a setting as Vito’s Trattoria in San Jose, there is an honest heartiness to the cuisine that gives it comfort food status. With recipes handed down from owner George Nobile’s Sicilian grandmother and personalized touches like engraved name plaques displayed at the tables of...
The Biz Beat: San Jose deli serves up more than just cold cuts
It’s easy to drive by Sandwich Mill Deli and Catering in San Jose without noticing its small side street location off Kooser Road—but once you find it, the odds are good that you’re going to remember it. “It is all in the taste,” co-owner Albert Rodriquez told San José Spotlight. “People who grew up eating...
The Biz Beat: Hula Bar and Kitchen a hit in downtown San Jose
Nine years ago, the Gorospe family began serving their unique mix of Filipino-Hawaiian food from their Hula Truck. It quickly expanded to concession stands at SAP Center and Levi’s Stadium, along with a regular gig at the Shoreline Amphitheater. In March, the family opened a restaurant in downtown San Jose. But no matter the location,...
The Biz Beat: A San Jose bakery built on cinnamon bread and love
One year from its 100th anniversary, Greenlee’s Bakery in San Jose is still at its original location and producing its goods the old-fashioned way: hand-shaped, freshly-made dough created from quality ingredients. It’s a laborious process that starts in the early morning hours. “We have two bakers who go in at midnight,” co-owner Janette Geldner-Robertson told...
The Biz Beat: San Jose eatery renowned for its ravioli
If you’re planning to come to Bertucelli’s La Villa Deli in San Jose to grab lunch or dinner, you should arrive early—or be prepared to wait in a long line that can, at peak times, stretch out the door. A large, efficient staff keeps things moving, and the food is worth the wait. The crafted deli...
The Biz Beat: Henry’s Hi-Life–an irreplaceable San Jose gem
At Henry’s World Famous Hi-Life, perhaps San Jose’s most-loved steakhouse, there is a sense that the style and atmosphere have not changed much since Henry Puckett founded the place more than 60 years ago. There is no pretense: the bar area, which also serves as the waiting room, has walls covered with bits of framed...
The Biz Beat: San Jose shop hoists piñatas to an art form
There are few things as joyful as a piñata, and Dulceria Mi Carnaval in San Jose can design them to resemble anything that makes you happy. In a small room adjacent to their shop on East Santa Clara Street, Jose Velasquez and his wife, Cynthia, are surrounded by shelves filled with cardboard templates where the couple has...