Ken Hoffman's Profile
south bay bbq?
Smoking Pig BBQ is really a great place. Gorgeous moist and tender babyback ribs and heavenly juicy and smoke flavored chicken top my list. The dressed down diner ambiance with service on metal prison trays just adds to the funkiness. Live music Friday nights.
Good Persian food for Narooz?
Nageen in Campbell is the south bay champ.
http://www.negeenrestaurant.com/
Glatt Kosher in Campbell
Following the long standing lead of kosher/Israeli restaurants that dot the San Fernando Valley, the South Bay can now claim ownership of a real Israeli kosher place. So real, in fact, that the place closes down at 4 pm Friday, not opening again until lunch Sunday.
A large photographic diorama of Old Jerusalem adorns the far wall and with a small stage adjacent, I suppose we can expect entertainment on select evenings in praise of the Holy Land.
Do not expect subtleties in execution or presentation. Expect legitimate Israeli cooking by Israeli cooks
which is down home hearty fare in portions so preposterously huge, you think they made a mistake.
If you want to taste hummus as it should be tasted then come here. They offer several varieties that offer extra tahini,mushrooms, meat or boiled chickpeas. Don't be distracted. It's the hummus you should zero in on. The bowl that it is served in is chilled ( that's important because warm hummus is kind of like warm ice cream) and the rim has a piping stripe of hummus adorned with paprika and fresh tarragon . Because they make this stuff fresh every day, you can expect the closest thing to a mouth massage there is. Creamy, smooth, unctuous, neither savory nor sweet, there is quite nothing like it when it gets done right. Here, it get done right.
The pita is good, better than the usual stuff that gets passed off around here. I was grateful for the comforting browned exterior and pillowy but not brittle interior.
We tried the pita sandwiches which are also huge and easily split. in Israel, schnitzel means either fried chicken or turkey fillets (think katsu) and that is cut up and stuffed in a pita with lettuce,onions and pickles. The schwarma here is made from turkey but it is tasty and suitably bathed in drippings. If you are not careful, the contents will squirt out the other side making a mess.
The sandwiches come with serviceable steak fries.
There are appetizers including salads. Unlike in SoCal where like banchan, they put a dozen different cold and hot salads in front of you with your meal, the salads here are a la carte and a little pricy.
There is a wine list of Israeli wines which have come into their own.
Jerusalem Grill and Bar -
1740 S Winchester Blvd
Campbell, CA
(408) 866-2666
jerusalemgrillbar.com
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Jerusalem Grill and Bar
1740 S Winchester Blvd, Campbell, CA 95008
Banh Mi Thit Nuong at Thanh Huong Sandwich (Senter Road, San Jose)
At $3 it's hard to beat that combo. Their bun with grilled beef and spring roll is remarkably solid as are their avocado shakes.
Holiday challah
Mama's bakery in Los Gatos cranks out a great braid. They will supersize them for massive gatherings.
http://www.mamasbakery.com/index.html
Where to get banh mi bread? (vietnamese bread rolls)
My pleasure. Still out there looking for the weird and wonderful.
Where to get banh mi bread? (vietnamese bread rolls)
Thanh Huong Sandwiches on Senter Road in San Jose offers wonderful crusty and light rolls that are resupplied a couple of time a day for sale.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/thanh-huong-sandwiches-san-jose#query:vietnamese%20sandwich
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Thanh Huong
2050 N Capitol Ave, San Jose, CA 95132
Best Croissant in SF/Bay Area?
Thanks Larry. A lot of overblown prose trumped by a shatteringly brief but truthful statement. They are works of art. Beyond words really.
Bun Bo Hue Dac Biet @ New Ca Mau Vietnamese Restaurant, Newark
If it is, they are making no attempt to market it at the SJ branch.
Bun Bo Hue Dac Biet @ New Ca Mau Vietnamese Restaurant, Newark
Ca Mau in East San Jose is the descendent of the legendary downtown spot frequented by legions of SJSU students. I was taken there to try the Bun Bo Hue which as a good reputation here. The descriptions in multiple previous posts are wonderfully precise. The broth is dark but clear with a complex flavor, anchored by fragrant and tangy lemongrass; the noodle is yielding but not mushy, resembling slightly overdone semolina spaghetti. The condiments were exactly as Melanie described with the brown squiggly stuff making an appearance. I was told it is plantain, presumably shavings off an uncooked fruit. The small size was $6.95 and is massive. The pork was off the bone ( my choice) and that made it easier to fold onto my spoon with a dab chili sauce and one or two of the fiery red pickled chilies that are in the attached pic. It was
an incredibly satisfying bowl of soup.
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Nha Hang Ca Mau
2847 S White Rd, San Jose, CA 95148
where to buy organic long grain rice in the south bay
Trader Joe's has a wonderful organic brown Basmati rice. This is a sturdy grain that can be cooked casserole style for up to 90 minutes and not end up as a slushy mess.
where can i find Sport Ritter White Chocolate with Hazelnuts??
Int'l Food Bazaar San Jose,
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&source=hp&gs_rfai=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=international+food+bazaar&fb=1&gl=us&hq=international+food+bazaar&hnear=Oakland,+CA&cid=11862467444947884675
best dried pasta?
Maretelli is the finest dried pasta I have tried. It is roughened to optimize adherence of the sauce and never fails to cook to toothsome perfection.
http://www.amazon.com/Martelli-Spaghetti-by-Toscana/dp/B0002CTP4S
International Kebab House and house made Persian bread
Melanie,
The Persian bread at the market is a definite must try.
International Kebab House and house made Persian bread
The folks at the International Food Bazaar at Curtner and Union in San Jose have run the premium Middle Eastern Food Store in the area for many years with a steady hand and superb customer service. More recently they have begun to expand into disparate part of the strip mall they inhabit, perhaps the beginnings of a benevolent culinary empire. They now offer freshly baked Persian flat bread made on the premises. The bread is soft and springy with black blisters and has a slightly sweet flavor. It is best eaten straight from the oven and if your timing is good it can be snagged straight from the baker's hand.
The family has also decided to go into the restaurant business. They took over the somewhat forlorn Palms restaurant and have remade it into a very presentable neighbourhood spot with new tile floors, an open kitchen and expanded seating. The place has been busy from day one. No suprise as the food is quite good and exceptioanlly reasonable in price. The menu skirts the Mediterranean and is a bit confused mixing dishes from Greece, Iran and Arabia but who cares? The beef souvlaki was charred nicley with abundant beef flavor. The pita is soft, slightly warmed and glazed with olive oil and sprinkled with za'atar. The hummus is thick and creamy, plied delicately like soft ice cream. The saganaki was superb, as good as the upscale Greek houses in the area. The dish annoyed the manager whose
discouraging look was explained but the 2 alarm brandy fire he is obliged to set and hopefully douse to complete the dish. The menu is extensive and includes fresh fish.
We got a free sample of the Falefel which was dark brown and crunchy with an bright green fava bean interior. Looking at the other dishes, the wraps looked huge and appetizing as the the kebabs.
International Kebab House
2707 Union Ave
San Jose CA
95124
408 626 7211
Best Bun/Bread for burgers?
Kelly's Bakery (Santa Cruz) Francese rolls work perfectly
http://www.kellysfrenchbakery.com/breads.php
Los Gatos/Willow Glen Meat & Smokehouse (wild game & homemade Turducken) - any reports?
At Los gatos, The turckduckne was formidable, taking 14 hours to cook. It was a hit at the table but I would think twice before doing it again.
Peacock Indian Cafe San Jose
This is a tiny hole in the wall that is paper plate and styrofoam cup only servoce so you might be better off using it as a take out or catering resource. But by all means do come here. You order through a small window standing up, pay with cash and the results are
worth its relatively remote location at the base of Mount Hamilton.
A regular customer ordering lunch ahead of me assured me that the chicken biriyani was kept her coming back. We orderd that, as well as the chili chicken, butter chicken, garlic and reular naan and some basmati rice.
The biriyani is something different from what I had at Kebob and Curry in Santa Clara. The rice is very lightly seasoned, greaseless and topped with fried onions and a hard boiled egg. Complete chicken parts were submerged under the rice shroud and they were flavorful if a little dry. Very tasty but not quite as addicting as the Santa Clara version which seemed more suffused with flavor.
The chili chicken could be placed on a Szechuan menu. It seems truly cross cultural. It consists of battered fried chicken pieces bathed in a firery sauce, perfect with spoonful of plain rice and raita. The butter chicken WAS addictive. The curry was very smooth and paired nicely with the naan. Both naan were near perfect with warm and blistered dough with that characteristic chewiness that make it such a comfort to eat.
http://www.peacockindiancafe.com/
Peacock Cafe
2670 Aborn Road
San Jose CA 95121
408 528 9422
NEW: Opa (Greek restaurant), SJ - anyone try it yet?
Not bad at all. A really decnt shot at casual Greek with a very nice pita wrapped chicken souv and gyro. Fries with Feta and lemon are different enough to sit up and notice even if they are a little limp (maybe the most authentic Greek touch). Great big portions at reasonable prices. The place is packed for lunch and dinner and has established itself as Willow Glen's go to place. Take out is packed in stylish all black cartons that match the decor.
Calvin's Famous Cheesesteaks
"as mentioned by Bill Cosby" charmingly adornes Calvin's website and take out menu and so everyone besides Bill should know that
Calvin's has reopened on the San Jose's revitalized Alameda after a 17 year hiatus. A bright red sign adorns the entryway and people are showing up in droves. The key according to Calvin, is a dedication to using the finest ingredients in the constructuion of his cheesteaks, steak hogies and cold hogies. The buns are baked specifically to Calvins specs and the result is a soft bun that is strong enough to hold the tender steaks strips, caramelized onion and melted cheese. The result is satifying and wholesome. Great flavor, perfectly cooked beef conspire
to encourage overeating. The skin on fries, crisp and toothsome don't help.
Calvin himself is a world class personality who likes to chat up his clientele.
http://www.calvinscheesesteaks.com/
Basil Canteen
A more limited menu but basically a knock off. This is a lunch /late night place.
Basil Canteen
The informal sibling to the well regarding Basil on Folsom, this slick new place is situated in an historic brewery building towards the Mission also on Folsom. Exposed iron I beams, rustic brickwork give it an urban vibe. The large communal table, which represents half of the seating capacity, lends itself to a convivial environment and that will be helpful as the location is smack dab in the middle of SOMA "clubville" with the Holy Cow and Slim's a stone's throw away.
The food, as sparsely sampled , was very nice. The pau pia sod, was a fresh, non fried roll of crabmeat, egg and sweet asian sausage bundled in a pillowy flour wrap that reminded me of steamed BBQ pork bun dough. The pad thai was a strong rendition with sweet, soft white shrimp and firm noodles bathed in a tangy coating of orangey red sauce. No noodle was spared by meal's end. Not sampled, but viewed in passing ,was a delicious looking red curry duck, served in an elegant white bowl with an similarly shaped and equally white mound of jasmine rice for mixing. The duck pieces looked large and succulent. The place was empty at lunch but as word leaks out, business should pick up.
Basil Canteen
1489 Folspm Street
Sf 94103
405 552 3963
http://www.chow.com/places/35544
Taqueria La Familia Berkeley
Red Snapper...not fried..you are right it is just north...walked from Prince and lost track of the blocks
Taqueria La Familia Berkeley
On a forlorn stretch of Shattuck just south of Ashby, is a humble little neighborhood cubbyhole, manned primarily by the matriarchs of La Familia. It upfront touts its Baja style fish tacos, but a complete non seafood menu is faintly written on a trio of worn out black and white boards. Anyway, sticking to basics, we tried the fish and vege burritos. The foil encased cylinders arrived with a pair of plastic condiment dispensers filled each with nearly incandescent salsas rojo and verde. The first unfolding of the foil revealed a soft and perfectly blistered tortilla, always a good sign. The first bite offered no resistance as is my preference. In fact, as my teeth proceeded down the various layers of the thing like a culinary archeologist, there was that satisfying sensation of a free fall with only the intense and satisfying flavors buffering an inelegant crash landing. It is a wonder of a well made burrito......it seems that only in yielding so easily to the eater it offers itself up so completely. Bravo ladies, you made my day with your dedicated attention to flavor, texture and superior construction and that will bring me back again.
Taqueria La Familia
2971 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94705
510 548 3420
Israeli food / shakshuka in San Francisco
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/347901
Neto Cafe in Mountain View does a good job of it
Gyros in South Bay
The shawarma at Palms is very good and their falafel wrap is exceptional.
Palms Restaurant
2707 Union Ave., at Curtner, San Jose.
(408) 963-2001
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays
Types of food: Assyrian wraps and dinner plates
Can't find Great Mexican food in SJ
http://www.gecko-grill.com/
I love the Gecko Grill on the northside.
