December 2017/January 2018 59
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: COURTESY OF ROSIE MCCANN’S IRISH PUB AND RESTAURANT; COURTESY OF THE SPA—LOS GATOS,
COURTESY OF TIMOTHY ADAMS CHOCOLATES. OPPOSITE: COURTESY OF CLAREMONT CLUB & SPA, A FAIRMONT HOTEL
SIP & SMILE
TODDY TIPPLING
Bet you didn’t know that Jan. 11 is National
Hot Toddy Day. But hey, you don’t have to
wait that long before you try one. Invented in
18th-century Scotland to encourage women
to like whiskey, the quintessential hot toddy is
made of whiskey, hot water and a bit of honey
to taste. From there, layer ingredients such as
lemon, cloves and nutmeg to your liking. Imbibe
a cup or two, especially when you feel like
the winter sniffles are coming on. Fans attest
a hot toddy often works like Nyquil because it
decongests and knocks you out so you sleep
like a newborn babe.
If you crave a crafted cocktail, any bartender
will be able to whip one up. Try Haberdasher
in San Jose, a speakeasy-type lounge
decorated with bowler hats as lighting. The
place offers not one, not two, but four types of
hot toddies spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon.
(haberdashersj.com)
Also in San Jose, Paper Plane offers a lively,
loud atmosphere and it’s usually a packed
crowd on Friday nights. Midweek is your best
bet to snag a booth or sit at the bar and sip a
tranquil toddy. (paperplanesj.com)
A simple concoction, hot toddies hit the
spot for all manner of winter ills. Bartenders
at the Fairmont Lobby Lounge (Fairmont.
com/sanjose), San Jose, and trendy Eureka!
(eurekarestaurantgroup.com) in Cupertino
and Mountain View will whip up these throatsoothing
sippers.
Elsewhere, you can visit Rosie McCann’s
Irish Pub for a classic Irish coffee or hot
toddy. The Santana Row pub and restaurant
is a musical watering hole seven days a week
with karaoke on Mondays, jazz on Tuesdays
and DJs during the rest of the week.
(rosiemccanns.com/santanarow)
Word on the street has it that a certain Frenchman travels to Los Gatos regularly via
private jet and brings an empty thermos to fill up on hot chocolate from Fleur de
Cocoa. Everyone knows they make a killer hot chocolate that, like fine wine, must be
sipped slowly, not gulped. In the wintertime, a customer line flows out the door for
this heavenly concoction. The hot chocolate purveyor also sells espressos, pastries,
sandwiches, artisanal chocolates and gelatos. (fleurdecocoa.com).
Close by in west San Jose, Dolce Bella Chocolates & Café also represents a
chocolate lover’s dream. Owner Audrey Vaggione, an award-winning chocolatier,
produces her seductive, handmade confections before your eyes in the café, where
you can also order a cup of super-yummy hot chocolate. (dolcebellachocolates.com)
Put your car in chocolate auto-pilot, and it will whisk you up to Palo Alto to Timothy
Adams Chocolates. The store and café get rave reviews time and time again
for their dangerously delicious hot chocolate. Choices include a white hot chocolate
and a dark and milk hot chocolate of varying strengths. You can even taste before
you commit. And if you’re still not happy, the baristas will make you another one.
Those who are dairy intolerant can request almond milk or another substitute for
their chocolate brew. (timothyadamschocolates.com)
MELT CARES AWAY
SPA THERAPY
Several local spas, including
some already noted here,
help chase away the winter
chills and relax the body with
soothing hot stone massages.
At The Spa of Los Gatos, the
Warm Stone Massage uses
smooth basalt stones to restore
and refresh for a lengthy 80
minutes (thespaoflosgatos.
com). Serenity Day Spa in San
Jose performs a different kind
of toasty treatment: a full body
massage with warm bamboo
tools (serenityds.com).
THE SPA—LOS GATOS
ROSIE MCCANN’S IRISH PUB AND RESTAURANT
TIMOTHY ADAMS CHOCOLATES
SIP & SMILE
HOT CHOCOLATE’S A HIT