BEST BITES FULL SPEED AHEAD Iberia, 1026 Alma St., Menlo Park. 650/325- 8981. Mouth-watering Spanish dishes and awardwinning wines served in a luxurious setting. $$$ Joya, 339 University Ave., Palo Alto. 650/853- 9800. The hip modern décor mixes well with the contemporary Spanish and Latin tapas and the tasty variety of new age cocktails. $$$ La Catalana, 3720 N. First St., San Jose. 408/ 324-1321. Unique Spanish dishes are prepared from family recipes in an ideal setting for business, social or romance. $$ Picasso’s, 62 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose. 408/298- 4400. Authentic Spanish cuisine made from the freshest ingredients and served in a relaxed, athome atmosphere. $$ TapaOlé, 18818 Cox Ave., Saratoga. 408/379-1677. TapaOlé brings a little taste of Spain to the South Bay with its unique take on traditional Spanish cuisine. The restaurant offers a wide selection of tapas, or small plates, as well as larger offerings for two. Compliment each dish with a classic wine, sangria or another beverage to rinse the palate. Centered with beef, pork, poultry, seafood or fresh vegetables, the tapas are enhanced with mouth-watering seasonings and sauces that accentuate their flavors. Adding to its traditional Spanish flair, TapaOle occasionally features live music and flamenco dancing. Catering services also are available. $-$$ Zambra Tapas Bar, 250 Lorton Ave., Burlingame. 650/344-5655. Variety of Spanish-influenced dishes anchored with seafood, steak, chicken or pork. $$ 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. $ Bangkok Cuisine, 407 Lytton Ave., Palo Alto. 650/322-6533. Very charming ambience with lovely patio dining. And the curries are especially tasty. $ Siam Orchid, 496 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto. 650/ 325-1994. A menu that mixes traditional Thai dishes with more modern cuisine, all infused with the finest quality organic ingredients. $$ Thaiphoon Restaurant, 543 Emerson St., Palo Alto, 650/323-7700. Well-appointed restaurant with a mix of traditional and contemporary Thai dishes and a tropical themed outdoor patio. $ VIETNAMESE Bleu Ginger, 90 S. Abel St., Milpitas. 408/ 719- 9998. Eatery specializes in Asian fusion, with enticing Vietnamese overtones. $-$$ Fuel Restaurant, 385 S. Winchester Blvd., San Jose. 408/248-0018. Stylish dining room sets the stage for tasty, contemporary Vietnamese fare. $-$$ Tamarine, 546 University Ave., Palo Alto. 650/325-8500. Elegantly presented dishes, such as crab wontons in a consommé of lime, coriander, lemongrass and coconut milk served in a warm atmosphere. $$ Three Seasons, 518 Bryant St., Palo Alto. 650/ 838-0353. Chic restaurant and bar offers fresh take on traditional Vietnamese flavors. $$ Vung Tau, San Jose. 408/288-9055; Milpitas. 408/934-9327. This authentic Vietnamese cuisine has a distinct focus on fish preparations. Be sure to try the shrimp cupcakes! $ Xanh, 110 Castro St., Mountain View 650/964- 1888. Trendy, upscale restaurant featuring Vietnamese cuisine that pleases both the eye and palate with creative combinations. $-$$ n 96 South Bay Accent (continued from pg. 51) MAYOR ON A MISSION (continued from pg. 58) the child,” says Liccardo, who has spent years participating in tutoring programs. “So we know what works. The question is whether we’re willing to make those investments of time, money and energy.” Liccardo in love In addition to safety, Liccardo has worked with colleagues, businesses and community partners on several other endeavors, such as increasing affordable housing to bring people back to the city, opening a new park, welcoming a new manufacturer to San Jose that could employ 500 workers and building a new soccer stadium. But he does manage to find time to relax by just biking, hiking or attending social occasions with wife Jessica Garcia-Kohl. A fourth-generation San Jose resident, Garcia-Kohl serves on the board of directors for United Way Silicon Valley and has been a longtime advocate for affordable housing and educational opportunities for low-income residents, among other issues. “It’s fun to see him and his wife Jessica together,” says Guardino. “Sam likes and respects strong women, and Jessica fits the bill perfectly. It’s wonderful to see how much they love each other and how much she stands up for him but also stands up to him.” And what else does Liccardo do for fun? “Well, it’s fun being mayor!” he says, after joking earlier that the job hasn’t sent him “screaming out of the building yet.” Liccardo adds, “I consider myself the luckiest mayor in the country.” He explains the feeling by saying, “This city is one of the most innovative places on the planet, with one of the most creative, diverse populations in the country. It offers extraordinary opportunities to not only improve the quality of life for our residents, but to set a standard and become a model for cities throughout the country.” As for his long-term goal, Liccardo wants San Jose residents to see the positive changes and start viewing their city from a different perspective. “We want to make San Jose a city that residents fall in love with. I often hear that people like to live here, and it’s a wonderful place to live, but I don’t hear enough people say they love their city. I think we have many opportunities now to start this love affair.” n of the local economy—the once-moribund construction industry, which saw unemployment rates soar above 30 percent during the depths of the recession— continued its solid recovery in 2014, according to Michael Miller, executive director of the 610-member Builders’ Exchange of Santa Clara County. Such major public and private construction projects included Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, completed last summer; the ongoing construction on the extension of BART from Fremont to north San Jose scheduled to open in 2017; the building of the circular 2.8 million-square-foot Apple corporate headquarters known as the Campus 2 “spaceship” in Cupertino scheduled to open in 2016; and thousands of multifamily dwelling units, including apartments and condominiums. But the industry may never quite get back to the halcyon days of 2007, when 47,200 people worked construction in Santa Clara County. That number was down to 39,200 in 2014, though that’s a dramatic uptick from the industry’s low point of 31,400 workers in 2011. “A lot of people left the industry during the downturn,” Miller said. “Many very highly trained people are doing other things now.” And they’re likely meeting with varying degrees of success as they re-create themselves. Levy said if there were any flies in the Silicon Valley ointment in 2014, it was the lack of either rental or for-sale dwellings at even moderate price levels in one of the nation’s most expensive and competitive housing markets. The other major challenge facing local governments and employers is the worsening traffic congestion that leads to nightmarish commutes, especially for Silicon Valley workers who have to move 40, 50 or 60 miles away to find more affordable housing. But for local commuters who curse traffic gridlock spanning miles of Bay Area freeways, at least one of the cures would likely be considered worse than the problem itself. “One thing we have found out the hard way is that one of the best cures for traffic congestion is to bring on a recession,” Levy quipped. None of the local economic observers, including Levy, sees that happening in Silicon Valley any time soon. n
South Bay Accent - Jun/Jul 2015
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