Sitting comfortably in an aisle of Hicklebee’s bookstore, Calvin, 11, shares a book with his 9-year-old brother, Malcolm. The boys look right at home, which isn’t surprising since their mom Emily Liu-Elizabeth has been bringing them there since they were born. Liu-Elizabeth herself has come to the shop since she was a little girl. “Bookstores...

One San Jose bakery has been making to-die-for burnt almond cake for more than 85 years, bringing customers from hundreds of miles away for this signature dessert and other mouthwatering delights. Tony Peters founded Peters’ Bakery in 1936. He grew up in a poor Portuguese family in San Jose. During the Depression, he worked for...

Mudai Ethiopian Restaurant owner and chef Selam Tkabo has a passion for cooking and strives to “serve happiness” through traditional, homemade dishes. She recreates flavorful family recipes, rich in exotic African spices, she learned to make in her mother’s kitchen in Ethiopia. Located at 503 W. San Carlos Street in San Jose, the restaurant seats...