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When having some wine and aged cheddar cheese, you might not think of pairing it with caramel corn—but it’s part of Liana Ryan’s culinary genius. The mix of sharpness and sweetness creates a surprisingly balanced, harmonious depth of flavor. “My first thing, when you are pairing cheese and wine or wine and food, is that everything is subjective,”...
The Biz Beat: Western wear gallops in tech-driven San Jose
When customers walk through the doors of Winchester Western Wear, they’re hit with a blast from the golden past of California’s ranching era. Framed posters hang above shelves lined with intricately detailed cowboy boots that capture the store’s 40-year history. Crocodile skin boots worth $15,000 rest in a display case, and a working cash register...
The Biz Beat: ‘Memories of Vietnam’ in San Jose’s Phở Hà Nội dishes
The magic of the pho and other Vietnamese food at San Jose’s Phở Hà Nội begins with beef broth bubbling in a cauldron that is almost as tall as owners Huyen “Helen” and Harry Nguyen. Over 500 pounds of shank bones are gently simmered for 24 hours, and the results are elegant and rich with...
The Biz Beat: Palermo brings Sicilian cooking to San Jose
One of the greatest culinary marriages came about when dried pasta, introduced by the Arabs to Sicily in the 12th century, met tomatoes grown from seeds brought to 16th century Spanish Palermo after Hernán Cortés gathered them from Montezuma’s gardens. Regardless of its international foundations, red sauces and pasta dishes have come to define popular Italian cuisine....
The Biz Beat: A sweet bounty awaits inside family’s East San Jose bakery
It’s easy to underestimate the wonders within Mexico Bakery on Alum Rock Avenue in East San Jose from its modest storefront. But stepping inside, the interior, like some magical Tardis machine, seems three or four times larger than it possibly could be as the mind struggles to take in the colors, shapes and varieties of all the...
The Biz Beat: Bacalhau Grill offers Brazilian, Portuguese cuisine
With a wide selection of Portuguese and Brazilian foods and wines, the Bacalhau Grill Restaurant & Market in San Jose is a home away from home for immigrants from two continents bound by a common language. “When the restaurant started 40 years ago, it was Portuguese to the core,” Joel Netto, assistant manager, told San...
The Biz Beat: San Jose infrared fitness studio turns up the heat
HOTWORX-San Jose stands out from other Bay Area gyms as a unique experience where residents can do yoga and work out in an infrared sauna—in as little as 15 minutes. In 2017, Nora Heindel was attending the University of Mississippi and working part-time at a fitness studio near campus called HOTWORX. This was the company’s...
The Biz Beat: San Jose’s Holy Cannoli is a heavenly experience
The name “Holy Cannoli” is more than apt for a café and bakery in downtown San Jose: the eatery’s cream is as light as a cloud in Heaven. The thin, crisp shell gives the dessert some crunch, but the ethereal cream is a miracle of sweetness with a smooth rich texture. With two sizes, nine...
The Biz Beat: San Jose feed store caters to every anteater and zebra
With its roots anchored in agriculture and old-style customer service, Sam’s Downtown Feed & Pet Supply has served San Jose for more than 30 years. Advertised as “feeding anteaters to zebras,” the store provides livestock and chicken feed, beekeeping supplies, grain, hay and zoological feed. In addition to feeding llamas, alpacas and flamingos, it also...
The Biz Beat: San Jose’s Con Azucar Café serves specialty coffee
The first thing you see entering Con Azucar Café is a swing hanging from the ceiling and a neon sign reading “Siente el Pedorro” framed by artificial flowers and foliage. Don’t pay attention to Google’s translation of the phrase, warns co-owner Alejandra Gonzalez—the literal translation is different than what the slang term means: “sit your...