The Biz Beat

The Biz Beat

The Biz Beat: Booze and bands at The Note Lounge in Milpitas

If you’re looking for the finest Japanese-born bluesman ever to come out of the clubs of Chicago to play in Milpitas, you’ll find Yoshi Senzaki playing guitar at The Note Lounge, a low-key bar with a unique character and excellent live music. “When The Note reopened after the COVID restrictions were lifted, our band sometimes outnumbered the customers,”...

The Biz Beat: CamBinh Nguyen keeps Vovinam martial arts alive in San Jose

On a chilly January evening, a group of students stood in formation and practiced their routine in Master CamBinh Nguyen’s backyard. She looked out from a gazebo surrounded by medals and trophies and recalled the many years she’s spent teaching generations of San Jose students the principles of Vietnamese martial arts, Vovinam. “It’s not easy—this job requires your heart, your...

The Biz Beat: For 40-plus years, Hicklebee’s in San Jose has brought stories to life

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...