chic, modern spin on authentic Portuguese cuisine. Seafood is the star, but hearty meat dishes and wine collection also impress. $$$ SEAFOOD Blue Water Seafood & Crab, 860 Willow St., San Jose. 408/289-8879. East Coast-style crab house with a wide selection of seafood specialties as well as plenty of choices for land lovers. $ Fish Market, Palo Alto, 650/493-8862; Santa Clara, 408/246-3474; San Jose, 408/269-3474. Fresh, high-quality seafood comes from the restaurant’s fishery and partnering seafood farms. $$ McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant, 170 S. Market St., San Jose. 408/283-7200. More than 30 species of fresh seafood are on a menu that changes daily. $$ Old Port Lobster Shack, 3130 Alpine Road, Portola Valley, 650/561-9500; 851 Veterans Blvd., Redwood City, 650/366-2400. Fresh lobster dishes and other seafood selections served in a New England style lobster shack. $$ Pacific Catch Fresh Fish Grill (The Prune-yard), Campbell, 408/ 879-9091; Mountain View, 650/941-1810. Fresh fish prepared with a combination of local ingredients and spices and sauces of Southeast Asia, Japan and Latin America. $$ Sawa, 1042 E. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale. 408/ 241-7292. Fresh fish and seafood, including delightful prix fixe sushi-focused entrees. $$$ Steamer’s Grillhouse (in Old Town), 31 University Ave., Los Gatos. 408/395-CRAB. Steamer’s features a variety of steaks, chops, seafood and Mediterranean-inspired dishes and more. $$ The Sea by Alexander’s Steakhouse, 4269 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. 650/213-1111. Blend of contemporary cuisine and Japanese sensibility. $$$ SINGAPOREAN Shiok! Singapore Kitchen, 1137 Chestnut St., Menlo Park. 650/838-9448. An exciting fusion of Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine. $ Straits, 333 Santana Row Suite 1100, San Jose. 408/246-6320. 1100 Burlingame Avenue, Burlingame. 650/373-7883. Drawing inspiration from the diverse cultures that converge in Singapore, Straits captures the culinary crossroads of Malaysian, Indonesian, Chinese, Indian and Nonya cuisine. With Chef Chris Yeo at the helm, the menu combines South East Asia’s fragrant multilayered flavor profiles and unique regional ingredients with distinctive fine dining flair. An appetizing array of options that are perfect for sharing, including wokfired rice and crispy chicken, make Straits a popular destination for families, parties and gatherings. A favorite with foodies who crave a taste of adventure, 104 South Bay Accent Straits’ elegant dining environment pairs perfectly with the exotic cuisine it serves. $$ SOUTHEAST ASIAN Ginger Café, Sunnyvale, 408/ 736-2828. Gilroy, 408/847-2625. Comfortable, family-run restaurants that feature a flavorful fusion of Chinese favorites with a Southeast Asian influences. $ Mint Leaf Cuisine, 14420 Big Basin Way, Saratoga. 408/872-3763. Eatery features fusion cuisine including soft-shell crabs with peanut sauce and curry scallops. $$ SPANISH Cascal, 400 Castro St., Mountain View. 650/940- 9500. Spanning the globe with spectacular dishes from Spain and South America, Cascal serves up a menu of “spirited Latin cuisine.” With over 25 tapas—small plates and tastes—divided into “old world” and “new world” choices, there’s something for everyone. Try the classic Spanish chorizo in rioja wine or minted lamb meatballs in a saffron and almond sauce. For a full dinner, start with one of several ceviches and move on to an exquisite, traditional paella (including one for vegetarians). The casually elegant interior, with its bright, bold colors was created by renowned designer/architect Chuck Thompson. $$ Donostia, 424 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos. 408/797-8688. Traditional Spanish-Basque experience featuring fresh local ingredients transformed into vivid flavors. $$ Joya, 339 University Ave., Palo Alto. 650/853- 9800. The hip modern décor mixes well with the contemporary Spanish and Latin tapas and the tasty variety of new age cocktails. $$$ Picasso’s, 62 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose. 408/298- 4400. Authentic Spanish cuisine made from the freshest ingredients and served in a relaxed, athome atmosphere. $$ Zambra Tapas Bar, 250 Lorton Ave., Burlingame. 650/344-5655. Spanish-influenced dishes anchored with seafood, steak, chicken or pork. $$ THAI Amarin, Mountain View, 650/ 988-9323; San Jose, 408/253-8424; Santa Clara, 408/988-2982. Fresh, contemporary Thai menu with traditional accents and vegetarian dishes. $ Siam Orchid, 496 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto. 650/325-1994. A menu that mixes traditional Thai dishes with more modern cuisine, all infused with the finest quality organic ingredients. $$ Thaiphoon Restaurant, 543 Emerson St., Palo Alto, 650/323-7700. Well-appointed restaurant with a mix of traditional and contemporary Thai dishes and a tropical themed patio. $ VIETNAMESE Fuel Restaurant, 385 S. Winchester Blvd., San Jose. 408/248-0018. Stylish dining room sets the stage for tasty, contemporary Vietnamese fare. $-$$ Tamarine, 546 University Ave., Palo Alto. 650/ 325-8500. Elegantly presented dishes, such as crab wontons in a consommé of lime, coriander, lemongrass and coconut milk served in a warm, inviting atmosphere. $$ Xanh, 110 Castro St., Mountain View 650/ 964-1888. Upscale restaurant featuring Vietnamese cuisine that pleases both the eye and palate with creative combinations. $-$$ n 200 DINING HOT SPOTS Sundance the Steakhouse 62 South Bay Accent ROBO KIDS (continued from pg. 67) and that gives them a feel for what it’s like outside of school,” says Yav. Some programs also have developed relationships with well-known sponsors that provide students with other opportunities. Bellarmine, for instance, counts NASA among its sponsors. The agency provides money for equipment, along with assistance for shipping and transporting their robots. Yav says NASA is not involved in designing or building the robots, but they do give the school’s students access to a lab with special machine tools. Valley Christian School relies on sponsors like Google and NVIDIA who give them donations and other support. To approach them, students need to learn how to write a grant, showing their budgets to the companies and explaining how they plan to use it. Many other schools also need to get sponsorships, and these are important as this activity can get pretty pricey. The costs are usually somewhere in the neighborhood of $35,000 to $40,000, once you factor in running the club, equipment, building the robot, competition fees, travel and other expenses. In addition to supporting STEM education, sponsors have other motives for donating. “Why would a company like NVIDIA or Google donate $3,000 to a team? Because they are the ones who are going to be hiring those students four or five years from now,” says Lane. The timing of this focused effort to create tomorrow’s leaders in the field is especially critical, Lane adds, and as a former engineer at IBM, she’s in a position to know. The United States has been having trouble finding people for STEM jobs, she says. Companies have had to look to other countries for people to fill these jobs. She and other coaches hope that robotics programs will inspire their students to pursue STEM careers, and meet the industry needs. According to International Data Corporation, robotics is projected to be a $135 billion market by 2019, nearly double what it was in 2014, and it is set to grow at a rate of 17 percent a year. Whether male or female, the participants in these robotics training programs will have a marked advantage in pursuing STEM opportunities in an evolving technological era where their skills and training will be recognized and rewarded. n
South Bay Accent - Feb/Mar 2017
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