The Best of Silicon Valley 2019

Introduction | Food & Drink | Music & Nightlife | Goods & Services | Art & Culture

OVERALL

Best New Restaurant

Manresa Bread Cafe
195 E Campbell Ave, Campbell
Cedar Room Pruneyard
1875 S Bascom Ave #100, Campbell
Achilles
2521 Newhall St, Santa Clara

Best Restaurant (Culinary Excellence)

Alexander's Steakhouse
19379 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino
Orchard City Kitchen
1875 S Bascom Ave #190, Campbell
Adega
1614 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose

Best Chef

Jeffrey Stout, Orchard City Kitchen
1875 S Bascom Ave, Campbell
Andrew Welch, The Basin
14572 Big Basin Way, Saratoga
Jim Stump, The Table
1110 Willow St, San Jose

Best Dining Value

Aqui
Campbell, Cupertino & San Jose
Bill's Cafe
Fremont, Palo Alto & San Jose
Angelou's
21 N Second St, San Jose

Best Small Restaurant

Braise
1185 Lincoln Ave, San Jose
Zona Rosa
San Jose & Los Gatos
Yuki Sushi
Santa Clara & San Jose

Best Family Restaurant

Aqui
Campbell, Cupertino & San Jose
Bill's Cafe
Fremont, Palo Alto & San Jose
Old Spaghetti Factory
51 N San Pedro St, San Jose

Best Romantic Restaurant

La Fondue
14550 Big Basin Way, Saratoga
Grandview Restaurant
15005 Mt Hamilton Rd, Mt Hamilton
Manresa
320 Village Ln, Los Gatos

Best Restaurant Patio

Jack Rose Libation House
18840 Los Gatos-Saratoga Rd, Los Gatos
San Pedro Square Market
87 N San Pedro St, San Jose
Andalé Patio
21 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Best Dessert Spot To Do It for the 'Gram
Somi Somi
Cupertino & San Jose
A generation that grew up sharing photos of food has prompted more and more chefs to focus on feasting the eyes as much as pleasing the palate. There's no shortage of Instagrammable fare in the South Bay, but few place as much premium on the optics as Asian dessert spots—many of which create designated nooks for customers to pose with their eye-popping treats for IG-worthy shares. Korean creamery Somi Somi serves up soft-serve ice cream nestled in adorably photogenic taiyaki, a goldfish-shaped waffle made fresh to order, and adorned with your choice of technicolor toppings, from Fruity Pebbles to ube-purple macarons, to make your sweet treat picture perfect.

Best Late-Night Eats

La Victoria
Hayward & San Jose
A Slice of New York
3443 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose
Original Joe's
301 S 1st St, San Jose

Best French Restaurant

La Fondue
14550 Big Basin Way, Saratoga
Le Papillon
410 Saratoga Ave, San Jose
Left Bank
Santana Row & Menlo Park

Best German Restaurant

Teske's Germania
255 N First St, San Jose
Naschmarkt Restaurant
384 E Campbell Ave, Campbell
Ludwig's German Table
261 N Second St, San Jose

Best Latin Restaurant

Zona Rosa
San Jose & Los Gatos
Cascal
400 Castro St, Mountain View
Mezcal
25 W San Fernando St, San Jose

Best Cuban/Caribbean Restaurant

Habana Cuba
387 S 1st St, San Jose
Back A Yard
80 N Market St, San Jose
La Bodeguita del Medio
463 California Ave, Palo Alto

Best Cajun Restaurant

Boiling Crab
Multiple locations in San Jose
Poor House Bistro
91 S Autumn St, San Jose
The Bywater
532 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Best Italian Restaurant

A Bellagio
33 S Central Ave, Campbell
Aldo's Ristorante & Bar
14109 S Winchester Blvd, Los Gatos
Al Castello Ristorante
2083 Camden Ave, San Jose

Best Mediterranean/Greek Restaurant

Dio Deka
210 E Main St, Los Gatos
Dishdash
190 S Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale
Agape Grill
845 Stewart Dr, Sunnyvale

Best Middle Eastern Restaurant

Dishdash
190 S Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale
Arya Global Cuisine
19930 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino
Oren's Hummus
Cupertino, Mountain View, Palo Alto & San Jose

Best Steakhouse

Alexander's Steakhouse
19379 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino
Forbes Mill Steakhouse
206 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos
Dry Creek Grill
1580 Hamilton Ave, San Jose

Best Barbecue

Henry's Hi-Life
301 W St John St, San Jose
Smoking Pig BBQ
Fremont & San Jose
Armadillo Willy's
Los Altos, San Jose, Santa Clara & Sunnyvale

Best Vegetarian Restaurant

Good Karma
37 S 1st St, San Jose
Vegetarian House
520 E Santa Clara St, San Jose
Happy Hooligans
1711 Branham Ln, San Jose

Best Hawaiian

Hukilau
230 Jackson St, San Jose
Hawaiian Barbecue
6233 Santa Teresa Blvd, San Jose
Banana Crepe
248 Jackson St, San Jose

Best Ramen

Orenchi
3450 Homestead Rd, Santa Clara
Ramen Nagi
Santa Clara & Palo Alto
Hana Sushitomi
635 W Dana St, Mountain View

Best Pho

House of Pho
San Jose & Sunnyvale
Pho 24
747 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose
Pho Wagon
1712 Meridian Ave, San Jose

Best Poke Restaurant

Poki Bowl
4750 Almaden Expy, San Jose
Downtown Poki
96 E San Salvador St, San Jose
Hawaiian Poke Bowl
387 S 1st St, San Jose

Best Pearl Teas

Boba Bar
310 S 3rd St, San Jose
Gong Cha
Fremont, Milpitas, Palo Alto, San Jose & Sunnyvale
Fantasia Coffee & Tea
Cupertino, Milpitas, San Jose & Santa Clara

Best Vietnamese Restaurant

Anh Hong
1818 Tully Rd, San Jose
233 W Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas
Khanh's Restaurant
335 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose
Com Tam Dat Thanh
1055 Tully Rd, San Jose

Best Korean Restaurant

Jang Su Jang
3561 El Camino Real, Santa Clara
Korean Palace
297 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose
Q Pot Korean BBQ & Hotpot
1610 E Capitol Expy, San Jose
TIE
HoM Korean Kitchen
76 E Santa Clara St, San Jose

Best Raw Bivalve Happy Hour
Forthright Oyster Bar
1700 W Campbell Ave, Campbell
There's nothing quite like a fresh oyster. Crisp, creamy, with perhaps a little lemon tang and a drop of vinegary hot sauce. The only way to improve upon this delicacy is if you have a dozen, but that can get pricey. At Forthright Oyster Bar—cousin to The Table in Willow Glen—hungry patrons can choose from a large selection of oysters from all over the country. Some will run you around $3.50 a pop, but if you time it right and catch Forthright's excellent happy hour, you can score the bivalve of the day for just $1.50 each. At that price, you might as well get two dozen. Oh, and bring a date. Oysters are an aphrodisiac, you know...

Best Thai Restaurant

Krungthai
642 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose
Amarin Thai
5205 Prospect Rd, San Jose
Blue Mango
635 Coleman Ave, San Jose

Best Seafood Restaurant

The Fish Market
Palo Alto, Santa Clara & San Jose
The Boiling Crab
Two San Jose locations
Scott's Seafood
185Park Ave, San Jose

Best Sushi

Mizu Sushi
1035 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose
Cha Cha Sushi
547 W Capitol Expy, San Jose
Ariake
1008 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose

Best Burger

Brown Chicken Brown Cow
397 E Campbell Ave, Campbell
Kirk's Steakburgers
2388 S Bascom Ave, Campbell
Konjoe Burger Bar
San Pedro Square Market, San Jose

Best Hot Dog

Happy Hound
15899 Los Gatos Blvd, Los Gatos
Mark's Hot Dogs
48 S Capitol Ave, San Jose
Original Gravity
66 S 1st St, San Jose

Best Pizza — Independent

4th St. Pizza Co.
150 E Santa Clara St, San Jose
Bibo's NY Pizza
1431 Bird Ave, San Jose
Oak & Rye
303 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Best Pizza — Regional

Pizza My Heart
Cupertino, Los Gatos, San Jose, Santa Clara & Sunnyvale
A Slice of New York
San Jose & Sunnyvale
Blue Line Pizza
Campbell, Los Gatos, Mountain View & San Jose

Best Deli/Sandwich Shop

La Villa
1319 Lincoln Ave, San Jose
Antipastos
3454 McKee Rd, San Jose
Los Gatos Meats & Smokehouse
575 University Ave, Los Gatos

Best Microbrewery Food

Campbell Brewing Company
200 E Campbell Ave, Campbell
Uproar Brewing Company
439 S 1st St, San Jose
Tied House
954 Villa St, Mountain View

Best Desserts

Icing on the Cake
50 W Main St, Los Gatos
Peter's Bakery
3108 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose
Frost Cupcake Factory
1305 N Bascom Ave, San Jose

Best Doughnuts

Stan's Donut Shop
2628 Homestead Rd, Santa Clara
Psycho Donuts
Campbell & Santa Clara
Manley's Donut Shop
Cupertino & San Jose

Best Bagel Shop

House of Bagels
Campbell, Cupertino, Los Gatos, San Jose, Santa Clara & Sunnyvale
Bagel Bar
519 E Campbell Ave, Campbell
City Bagels
52 W Santa Clara St, San Jose

Best Ice Cream/Gelato

Willow Glen Creamery
1100 Lincoln Ave, San Jose
Dolce Spazio Gelato
221 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos
Sweet Retreat
846 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose

Best Frozen Yogurt

Yumi Yogurt
3787 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara
PennyLane Frozen Yogurt & Candy
715 W Hamilton Ave, Campbell
Frozo's Frozen Yogurt
1000 Lafayette St, Santa Clara

Best Fast-Casual Fine Dining
Pasta Armellano
14560 Big Basin Way, Saratoga
Saratoga's Plumed Horse is no stranger to local fine dining best-of lists. Peter Armellino's white tablecloth has been praised in Sunset and held a coveted Michelin star since 2009. While accolades like these tend to come with higher-priced menus, date night doesn't need to break the bank. His recently opened Pasta Armellino—located across Big Basin Way from his flagship establishment, in the heart of downtown Saratoga's gourmet gulch—offers a stripped-down, fast casual menu that doesn't skimp on quality. Customers queue up and order like they might at a deli, circling the meals they desire in pencil, on clipboards. Pay at the counter, grab your tray with drinks along with a number, and wait just a few minutes to be served. Innovative salads, elegantly simple soups, and incredible pasta dishes arrive quickly. Even sampling a dish from each section of the menu, with drinks, a party of two can leave walk away—completely satisfied and satiated—for less than $100.

Best Food Truck

Grilled Cheese Bandits
@CheeseBandits
Sam's Chowdermobile
@chowdermobile
Tacomania
@tacomaniainc

Best Caterer

Smoking Pig BBQ
Fremont & San Jose
A Catered Affair
1680 Martin Ave, Santa Clara
Blue Rock BBQ
3001 Meridian Ave, San Jose
TIE
Sushi Confidential
Campbell & San Jose

Best Tea Room

Lisa's Tea Treasures
167 Main St, Los Altos
Fairmont Lobby Lounge
170 S Market St, San Jose
Satori Tea Company
14482 Big Basin Way, Saratoga

Best Ethnic Market International

Food Bazaar
2052 Curtner Ave, San Jose
Santo Market
245 E Taylor St, San Jose
Chaparral Supermarket
1001 E Santa Clara St, San Jose

PENINSULA

Best Business Lunch

Il Fornaio
520 Cowper St, Palo Alto
Buck's of Woodside
3062 Woodside Rd, Woodside
Cascal
400 Castro St, Mountain View

Best American Restaurant

Los Altos Grill
233 Third St, Los Altos
Scratch
401 Castro St, Mountain View
Hobee's
Palo Alto 4224 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

Best Chinese Restaurant

Chef Chu's
1067 N San Antonio Rd, Los Altos
Fu Lam Mum
153 Castro St, Mountain View
Kirin
485 Castro St, Mountain View

Best Place to Skip the Brunch Line
Italian Brothers Bakery
1401 W San Carlos St, San Jose
Not to knock Midtown's hottest new brunch spot, but there's nothing at the end of the line that's worth a two-hour wait, not even The Breakfast Club's delectable blueberry-lemon short stack. Instead of standing awkwardly in the restaurant's entryway counting the minutes and glaring at diners taking their sweet time to pay up, head over the crosswalk to Italian Brothers Bakery. It's no brunch spot, but it's a great Plan B that'll inevitably become your Plan A. Run by the eponymous Sicilian siblings Marco and Giacomo Montevago, the place is more than a bakery; it's also a rosticceria and gelateria. The Montevago brothers learned the family recipes as children working in their great-grandfather's bakery in Palermo and decided to continue the tradition a world away in San Jose. After stints at a few other local Italian restaurants, the pair took over the spot last year at San Carlos Street and Meridian Avenue, where they serve up Sicily's signature sweets and smoked meats.

Best Japanese Restaurant

Fuki Sushi
4119 El Camino Real, Palo Alto
Sushi Tomi
635 W Dana St, Mountain View
Jin Sho
454 California Ave, Palo Alto

Best Mexican Restaurant

Reposado
236 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto
Fiesta Del Mar Too
735 Villa St, Mountain View
Palo Alto Sol
408 N California Ave, Palo Alto

Best Indian Restaurant

Passage to India
1991 W El Camino Real, Mountain View
Darbar
129 Lytton Ave, Palo Alto
Chaat Paradise
165 E El Camino Real, Mountain View

Best Thai Restaurant

Krungthai
590 Showers Dr, Mountain View
Shana Thai
311 Moffett Blvd, Mountain View
Indochine
2710 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto

Best Taqueria

Los Altos Taqueria
2105 Old Middlefield Way E, Mountain View
Taqueria El Grullense
3636 El Camino Real, Palo Alto
Sancho's Taqueria
Palo Alto & Redwood City

Best Breakfast

Buck's of Woodside
3062 Woodside Rd, Woodside
Palo Alto Creamery
566 Emerson St, Palo Alto
Joanie's Café
405 California Ave, Palo Alto

Best Independent Coffeehouse

Red Rock Coffee
201 Castro St, Mountain View
Cafe Borrone
1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
Dana Street Roasting Company
744 W Dana St, Mountain View

Best Bakery

The Prolific Oven
550 Waverley St, Palo Alto
Esther's German Bakery
987 N San Antonio Rd, Los Altos
Mayfield Bakery & Cafe
855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

Best Burrito

Sancho's Taqueria
Palo Alto & Redwood City
La Costena
235 E Middlefield Rd, Mountain View
Rincon Sabroso
122 N Rengstorff Ave, Mountain View

WEST VALLEY

Best Business Lunch

Nick's Next Door
11 College Ave, Los Gatos
Steamer's Grillhouse
31 University Ave, Los Gatos
Aqui
201 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Best American Restaurant

Orchard City Kitchen
1875 S Bascom Ave, Campbell
Nick's Next Door
11 College Ave, Los Gatos
Capers Eat & Drink
1710 W Campbell Ave, Campbell

Best Chinese Restaurant

Blue Sky
2028 Winchester Blvd, Campbell
Tsing Tao
104 San Tomas Aquino Rd, Campbell
Yeung Shing
14107 S Winchester Blvd, Los Gatos

Best Japanese Restaurant

Kyoto Palace
1875 S Bascom Ave, Campbell
Sushi Confidential
247 E Campbell Ave, Campbell
Kamakura
135 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Best Mexican Restaurant

Andalé
6 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos
Casa Lupe
2169 Winchester Blvd, Campbell
Aqui
201 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Best Thai Restaurant

Thai Spice
337 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos
Thai Orchid
866 E Campbell Ave, Campbell
Mint Leaf Cuisine
14420 Big Basin Way, Saratoga

Best Taqueria

Adelita's Taqueria
1896 Curtner Ave, San Jose
Jalisco
525 E Campbell Ave, Campbell
Taqueria Los Pericos #3
1581 W Campbell Ave, Campbell

Best Breakfast

Stacks
139 E Campbell Ave, Campbell
Hash House
851 W Hamilton Ave, Campbell
Southern Kitchen
27 E Main St, Los Gatos

Best Independent Coffeehouse

Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Co.
101 W Main St, Los Gatos
Orchard Valley Coffee
349 E Campbell Ave, Campbell
Great Bear Coffee
19 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Best Bakery

Icing on the Cake
50 W Main St, Los Gatos
Manresa Bread
276 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos
Fleur De Cocoa
39 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos

Best Burrito

Andalé
6 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos
Adelita's Taqueria
1896 Curtner Ave, San Jose
Aqui
201 E Campbell Ave, Campbell

Best Anime-Themed Dumplings
Mingle's Mango
5278 Monterey Hwy, San Jose
If you've never been to Mingle's Mango, a word of advice: Ignore your first impression. Tucked between a Catholic church and a $7-a-chop barber shop in a drab Monterey Highway strip mall, it's easy to miss. And if you do manage to find it, the facade—featuring a haphazardly hand-painted sign and red-curtained windows—looks so much like a rub-and-tug hub that you might want to take a hard pass anyway. We happen to think the fly-by-night exterior is part of the charm here. Venture past those dingy glass doors to discover a sanctuary to Chef Mingle Wang's two great loves in life: Dragon Ball Z and xiaolongbao. The hole-in-the-wall purveyor of dim sum and hand-pulled noodles is dimly lit and lovingly decorated with anime murals on all but one side of the restaurant, where projected anime flickers on a pair of drawn white curtains. According to Wang, he launched the restaurant in 2017 in part to raise money to produce a Dragon Ball Z movie in homage to his passion for the cartoon that he says "never fades away with age." Then there's the menu, which besides Wang's signature dumplings offers a tempting array of dishes well worth trying, from family-recipe staples—soups, noodles and steamed buns—to quirky one-offs like the swirled-potato-on-a-stick Pornado, pastry-wrapped sausage Spicy Dick and chocolate-filled dessert dumplings.

CENTRAL VALLEY

Best Business Lunch

Pedro's
3935 Freedom Cir, Santa Clara
Alexander's Steakhouse
19379 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino
Birk's
3955 Freedom Cir, Santa Clara

Best American Restaurant

St. John's Bar & Grill
510 Lawrence Expy, Sunnyvale
Sara's Kitchen
1595 Franklin St, Santa Clara
Parcel 104
2700 Mission College Blvd, Santa Clara

Best Chinese Restaurant

China Stix
2110 El Camino Real, Santa Clara
Tao Tao Cafe
175 S Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale
Mandarin Gourmet
10145 N De Anza Blvd, Cupertino

Best Japanese Restaurant

Yuki Sushi
1827 Pruneridge Ave, Santa Clara
Kobe Japanese Restaurant
2086 El Camino Real, Santa Clara
Gombei
3533 Homestead Rd, Santa Clara

Best Mexican Restaurant

Pedro's
3935 Freedom Circle, Santa Clara
2280 El Camino Real, Santa Clara
Aqui
10630 S De Anza Blvd, Cupertino
La Paloma
2280 El Camino Real, Santa Clara

Best Indian Restaurant

Kabab & Curry's
1498 Isabella St, Santa Clara
Peacock Indian Cuisine
2798 El Camino Real, Santa Clara
Madras Cafe
1177 W El Camino Real, Sunnyvale

Best Thai Restaurant

Jasmine Fine Thai
1211 Franklin Mall, Santa Clara
Pad Thai Cuisine
500 Lawrence Expy B, Sunnyvale
The Old Siam
1111 W El Camino Real, Sunnyvale

Best Taqueria

Chavez Supermarket
666 N Fair Oaks Ave, Sunnyvale
Taqueria La Veracruzana
1510 Jackson St, Santa Clara
Garcia's Taqueria
738 S Fair Oaks Ave, Sunnyvale

Best Breakfast

Sara's Kitchen
1595 Franklin St, Santa Clara
Country Gourmet
1314 S Mary Ave, Sunnyvale
Old Ironsides Cafe
4655 Old Ironsides Dr, Santa Clara

Best Independent Coffeehouse

Bean Scene Cafe
186 S Murphy St, Sunnyvale
The Prolific Oven
Santa Clara & Sunnyvale
Miaos Cafe Deli
19110 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino

Best Bakery

Sugar Butter Flour
669 S Bernardo Ave, Sunnyvale
La Patisserie
19758 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino
Copenhagen Crown
2079 El Camino Real, Santa Clara

Best Burrito

Aqui
10630 S De Anza Blvd, Cupertino
Ruby's
821 Borregas Ave, Sunnyvale
Chavez Market
666 N Fair Oaks Ave, Sunnyvale

Best Place to Order Noodles on a Tablet
Taro San Japanese Noodle Bar
717 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto
Like most trendy eating establishments, Taro San Japanese Noodle Bar has plenty of nods to the mid-century modern aesthetic. But in a gesture to our future robot overlords, patrons at this buzzed-about Stanford Shopping Center restaurant order their dishes from one of the tablet computers at every table. One might worry that a restaurant that gives customers the option to order from a touch screen might be lacking a human touch. Not so at Taro San. The place is bustling with helpful servers, and it's quite clear that the food is made with love—an emotion that the machines have yet to master (we think). For starters, the Brussels sprouts and crab sunomono salad are a solid choice. And while the seared salmon toro sashimi and chicken karaage appear on the "to share" menu, they are substantial enough to nearly qualify as entrees. But the reason people are lining up outside of Taro San Japanese Noodle Bar is for the noodles. And these certainly do not disappoint. On a recent trip, we ordered the tori paitan udon (chicken in a creamy broth), which gave a whole new meaning to chicken soup for the soul, warming us up and lifting our spirits on a cold February evening.

SAN JOSE/SOUTH VALLEY

Best Business Lunch

Henry's World Famous Hi-LIfe
301 W. St. John St., San Jose
Original Joe's
301 S First St, San Jose
Il Fornaio
302 S Market St, San Jose

Best American Restaurant

Dry Creek Grill
1580 Hamilton Ave, San Jose
The Table
1110 Willow St, San Jose
The Farmers Union
151 W Santa Clara St, San Jose

Best Chinese Restaurant

Mandarin Gourmet
5560 Santa Teresa Blvd, San Jose
Taiwan Restaurant
1306 Lincoln Ave, San Jose
Sweet Mango
1040 Willow St, San Jose

Best Japanese Restaurant

House of Genji
1335 N First St, San Jose
Minato Japanese Cuisine
617 N 6th St, San Jose
Mizu Sushi Bar & Grill
1035 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose

Best Mexican Restaurant

Luna Mexican Kitchen
1495 The Alameda, San Jose
Mezcal
25 W San Fernando St, San Jose
Zona Rosa
1411 The Alameda, San Jose

Best Indian Restaurant

Amber India
377 Santana Row, San Jose
Tandoori Oven
150 S First St, San Jose
Punjab Cafe
322 E Santa Clara St, San Jose

Best Thai Restaurant

Blue Mango
635 Coleman Ave, San Jose
Thai Spice
1102 Bird Ave, San Jose
Sa-By Thai Cuisine
404 S 2nd St, San Jose
346 E William St, San Jose

Best Taqueria

Angelou's Mexican Grill
21 N 2nd St, San Jose
Taqueria Tlaquepaque
721 Willow St, San Jose
699 Curtner Ave, San Jose
Jalisco Taqueria
401 S King Rd, San Jose

Best Breakfast

The Breakfast Club
1432 W San Carlos St, San Jose
The Table
1110 Willow St, San Jose
Bill's Café
Fremont, Palo Alto & San Jose

Best Independent Coffeehouse

Roy's Station
197 Jackson St, San Jose
Chromatic Coffee
17 N 2nd St, San Jose
Crema Coffee Roasting Co.
The Alameda, San Jose

Best Bakery

Peter's Bakery
3108 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose
Greenlee's Bakery
1081 The Alameda, San Jose
Flower Flour
896 Willow St, San Jose

Best Burrito

La Victoria
Hayward & San Jose
Iguanas
San Jose & Santa Clara
Burrito Factory
Multiple San Jose Locations

FREMONT & MILPITAS

Best Business Lunch

Sen Dai Sushi
224 N Abel St, Milpitas
Zahir's Bistro
579 S Main St, Milpitas
Tirupathi Bhimas
1208 S Abel St, Milpitas

Best American Restaurant

Country Way
5325 Mowry Ave, Fremont
Jack's Brewing Co.
39176 Argonaut Way, Fremont
Mil's Diner
36 S Abbott Ave, Milpitas

Best Chinese Restaurant

Mayflower Seafood Restaurant
428 Barber Ln, Milpitas
Ho Chow
47966 Warm Springs Blvd, Fremont
New Yong Kang Seafood Restaurant
40900 Fremont Blvd, Fremont

Best Piece of Hunan History Hiding in San Jose
Hunan Taste
998 N 4th St, San Jose
Henry Chung, the man credited with bringing the spicy Hunan style of Chinese cooking to the United States, died in 2017. His spirit and recipes live on in the many eateries that still bear his name throughout San Francisco. His cooking caused quite a sensation when American diners, then more familiar with Cantonese styles of Chinese food, discovered Henry's Hunan. Back in 1976, when Chung's flagship kitchen was fairly new, the New Yorker food critic Tony Hiss dubbed it "the best Chinese restaurant in the world." Many familiar with Hunanese cuisine are aware of this history. Many still may be unaware that Henry's legacy lives on in the South Bay as well—in a small diner, located next to a laundromat on Fourth Street in the Hyde Park neighborhood of San Jose. Hunan Taste was founded by Joanne Song, a chef and niece of Chung. Delicious, savory and most importantly, spicy (there are more items on the menu that appear next to a tiny chili pepper than not), Hunan Taste is a great place to break a sweat and bust a cold. Must-trys are their hot and sour soup, dumplings and mu shi pork.

Best Japanese Restaurant

Sen Dai Sushi
224 N Abel St, Milpitas
Satomi Sushi
3655 Thornton Ave, Fremont
5026 Mowry Ave, Fremont
Mioki Sushi
3924 Decoto Rd, Fremont

Best Mexican Restaurant

La Milpa
107 N Milpitas Blvd, Milpitas
La Piñata
39136 Paseo Padre Pkwy, Fremont
Casa Azteca Restaurant
20 N Abel St, Milpitas

Best Indian Restaurant

Shalimar Restaurant
3325 Walnut Ave, Fremont
Dosa Place
41043 Fremont Blvd, Fremont
Chaat Bhavan
5355 Mowry Ave, Fremont

Best Thai Restaurant

Banana Leaf Milpitas
182 Ranch Dr, Milpitas
Sala Thai Restaurant
Multiple Fremont Locations
Banh Thai Restaurant
39060 Fremont Blvd, Fremont

Best Taqueria

Taqueria Las Vegas
Fremont & Milpitas
Casa Azteca Restaurant
20 N Abel St, Milpitas
El Mex-Cal Taqueria
34169 Fremont Blvd, Fremont

Best Breakfast

Country Way
5325 Mowry Ave, Fremont
Mil's Diner
36 S Abbott Ave, Milpitas
Minerva's
37463 Fremont Blvd, Fremont

Best Independent Coffeehouse

Mission Coffee Roasting Company
151 Washington Blvd, Fremont
Community Coffee
1000 S Park Victoria Dr, Milpitas
Devout Coffee
37323 Niles Blvd, Fremont

Best Bakery

Valerio's Tropical Bake Shop
1535 Landess Ave, Milpitas
Amia Bakery
39095 Fremont Hub, Fremont
Sogo Bakery
37600 Filbert St, Newark

Best Burrito

Super Taco
40798 Fremont Blvd, Fremont
Los Cabos
3283 Walnut Ave, Fremont
El Taco de Oro
5220 N First St, Alviso

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