BEST BITES
THE GRAPEVINE
It’s time for a glittering toast to the season and the new year
ahead. Local vintners are offering their best wines at events to help celebrate.
Santa is making a special appearance at the Fortino Winery (4525 Hecker Pass
Highway, Gilroy) Holiday Boutique Saturday, Dec. 9, and Sunday, Dec. 10. The
boutique is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Santa poses for photos with
The Basin
homey spot elevates the neighborhood restaurant
concept. $–$$
Paul Martin’s, Mountain View, 650/917-9941;
San Mateo, 650/212-7400. Wide-ranging selection
of tasty seafood, beef and poultry dishes served in a
relaxed, contemporary setting. $$
Roots + Rye, 3055 Olin Ave., San Jose. 408/429-
2909. Buzzing with energy, this lively “new American”
restaurant specializes in handcrafted signature
cocktails and contemporary comfort cuisine. The
open concept layout adds to the airy, refreshing
vibe of the space, inviting guests to socialize
and mingle. Crave-worthy dishes include hamachi
with avocado mousseline, roasted cauliflower
with almonds and dried figs, foie gras with unagi
glaze, house made spam, and sunny egg, aged duck
breast with swiss chard and cherry. With a bustling
atmosphere and one of the largest selections of
rare whiskey and scotch in the Bay Area, this is a
popular destination with the Silicon Valley single
set, while the friendly, casual ambiance appeals to
families and couples in the market for a lively date
night. $$
Scratch, 401 Castro St., Mountain View. 650/237-
3132. This sleek eatery combines upscale American
comfort food with an impressive drinks menu. $$$
Sundance The Steakhouse, 1921 El Camino
Real, Palo Alto. 650/321-6798. This upscale
steakhouse, family-owned and -operated for over
40 years, features hand-cut, USDA prime-graded
beef. Enjoy slow-roasted prime rib, specially aged
New York strip loin and tender filet mignon in the
candlelit mahogany dining room. In addition to
the award-wining beef, Sundance prides itself on
serving the freshest seafood and shellfish available.
Favorites include grilled Pacific swordfish, ahi tuna
sashimi and jumbo cold-water lobster tail. To complete
your dining experience, the menu is supported
by a nationally recognized wine list with over
450 global selections. Check out the cozy fireplace
lounge. It’s an ideal spot for sipping martinis and
aged single-malt scotch before or after dinner. $$
The Table, 1110 Willow St., San Jose. 408/638-
7911. Hot spot from culinary guru Jim Stump,
serving contemporary American cuisine complemented
by hand-crafted cocktails and progressive
wines. $$
Tender Greens, (Stanford Shopping Center),
180 El Camino Real #1050. 650/285-6702. With
locations throughout the Bay Area, this fast-casual
farm-to-table eatery serves up healthy cuisine in a
bustling buffet setting. $
Vault 164, 164 S. B St., San Mateo. 650/348-8164.
An eclectic selection of American-style cuisine, with
a wide variety of aged steaks, chicken, pasta, sustainable
seafood and organic produce. $–$$
Village California Bistro & Wine Bar, 378
Santana Row, Suite 1035, San Jose. 408/248-9091.
Casual but sophisticated eatery excels with a seasonal
menu and an impressive wine list. $$
Willard Hicks, 280 E Campbell Ave., Campbell.
408/374-5000. Steaks and other wood-fired entrees
plus beer and cocktails are served in this clubby,
masculine restaurant and lounge. $$$
The Wine Cellar, 50 University
Ave., Los Gatos. 408/354-4808.
Old Town’s only original tenant,
this charming, Old-World European
restaurant has been a Los
Gatos tradition since 1966. $$
Yard House, 300 Santana
Row, San Jose, 408/ 241-9273.
Featuring a full range of choice
eats from snacks to steaks, specialty
cocktails and an endless
beer list. $$
BARBECUE
Armadillo Willy’s, 1031 N. San Antonio Road,
Los Altos. 650/ 941-2922. Fun, casual family dining
offering prime Texas barbecue dishes. $
Dan Gordon’s, 640 Emerson St., Palo Alto.
650/324-1960. “Beer, BBQ, whiskey” is the tasty
trifecta that ensures Dan Gordon’s status as the ultimate
destination for comfort food fans. $$
South Winchester BBQ, 1362 South Winchester
Blvd, San Jose, 408/376-0485. Mouthwatering,
down-home, finger-licking BBQ is the
raison d’être of this meaty mecca for carnivores. $
BISTROS
Bistro Vida, 641 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park.
650/462-1686. Extensive bistro menu offers classics
such as steamed mussels, coq au vin and steak
frites, served in a warm, inviting setting. $$
The Bywater, 532 North Santa Cruz Ave., Los
96 South Bay Accent
guests from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The boutique offers unique gifts
and award-winning wines made by the Fortino family using
dry-harvested cabernet, carignan and grenache grapes
from the vineyard planted there in the 1930s.
Just in time for holiday celebrations, the International
Culinary Center (700 W. Hamilton Ave., Campbell) is
offering a class called “Champagne: Behind the Bubbles”
from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16. A seasoned
sommelier will lead students through a tasting of
six unique champagnes. The class fee is $150; advance registration
required. For more information, call 866-318-2433.
Start the New Year with a brisk walk through a beautiful chardonnay vineyard,
then cap it off by tasting some delicious wines. Cooper-Garrod Estate
Winery (22645 Garrod Road, Saratoga) offers its “Walk with a Winemaker,” at
11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6. Winemaker Bill Cooper takes guests through the entire
winemaking process, from grape to glass, in about one hour. After the complimentary
walk, stay to taste some great wines for a $15 fee. Cabernet sauvignon,
cabernet franc, chardonnay, syrah, merlot and pinot noir will be flowing.
Another fun way to kick off 2018 is to mix vintage wines with vintage
cars at the DeRose Vineyards (9970 Cienaga Road, Hollister). The
winemaking DeRose and Cedolini families have their own nonprofit
car museum at the vineyards. It’s open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday,
Jan. 6, and the first Saturday of every month. Their highly rated
wines include grand cuvée, malbec, cabernet sauvignon and syrah.
Bottle Jack Winery (1088 La Madrona Drive, Santa Cruz) opens up
its tasting room doors from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20, and
Sunday, Jan. 21. The family-run winery recently released its 2014 zinfandel
and a 2014 merlot. It also features varieties like viognier, sangiovese, syrah and
cabernet sauvignon. —Pam Marino
Rosie
McCann’s