Welcoming, sophisticated and bright with natural lighting, Poppy & Claro is a concept by Jay Paul Company, located off the lobby at 50 W. San Fernando St. in downtown San Jose.
Finding this gem is a bit of a hunt, unless you happen to be at the San Jose Museum of Art or another nearby destination. Park at the 50 West San Fernando garage and take the elevator to the lobby. Enter through the Wells Fargo door to a display of modern wealth or through the side door by the patio, and you will be met by a feeling of warmth and welcome.
Black walnut wood accents (claro) and soft seating, featuring functional, custom-crafted furniture, along with handsome bespoke wall décor inspired by the Golden State, draw you in. The ambiance is open and airy, yet somehow intimate. There’s a bar, stocked with all the fixings for full-strength or zero proof cocktails, special espresso tonics and custom coffee drinks. Glass-domed cake plates display Manresa baked goods.
Catering to businesspeople first and foremost, the menu comes in two flavors: breakfast, served from 7:30-11 a.m., and all-day, served from 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Breakfast offers delights like a turkey bacon omelette with feta and crème fraîche, a breakfast burrito and chilaquiles, as well as a morning smash sando with sausage patty on brioche.
Our servers were all friendly and knowledgeable, and we quickly learned that their morning beverages are far less sweet than those at Starbucks. Oat milk is the default here, but I went full cow for my chai latte, which was laden with nutmeg and cinnamon. My friend ordered a California Fog with Earl Grey tea, steamed milk and Madagascar vanilla and was quite happy. I double dipped and ate breakfast one hour and lunch the next. Easy to do when the menu is chock-full of temptation.
We split a soft mushroom and avocado toast, singing with savory, meaty maitake, creamy eggs and lemony avocado on crusty Manresa sourdough levain, with truffle oil and crispy shallots.
For lunch, another friend and I did damage to plump and tender rings of fried calamari in a white pepper batter, a farm-fresh winter greens salad served with charred lemon vinaigrette, and a tasty Truffle Shuffle pizza with caramelized onion, truffle garlic cream, ricotta and fresh mozzarella on a four-day sourdough crust.
We debated between the seared and oven-fired salmon club or the roasted turkey club and chose the latter, slathered with green goddess and garlic aioli. Instead of the shoestring fries, we opted for the cornmeal-crusted fried string beans, inspired by Chef Christopher Littman’s love of corndogs. Absolutely addictive, especially with the garlic aioli. We’ll come back for the truffle grilled cheese, celery root and leek bisque, the 50West smashburger with super secret sauce, or the house-baked pita with za’atar chicken.
While we had intended to try the Claro black walnut cheesecake, Littman instead put a sweet finishing touch on our experience with a taste of his current obsession: house-made soft serve. “The first thing I do when I head in to work each morning is make a beeline for the soft-serve machine, even before coffee,” the Brooklyn-born chef said.
Ritual at Manresa brings Taubenkobelf to Los Gatos in March, with an opportunity to meet French-born Chef Alain Weissgerber, and his wife Barbara Eselböck, third generation co-owner of the Austrian restaurant. The culinary estate in Austria’s Burgenland is globally praised for its scenery, exquisite dinners and biodynamic wines. Two meet-and-greet dates are available: Tuesday, March 10, at 6 p.m., and Saturday, March 14, at noon. Reserve at https://ritual.meitre.com.
Are you ready to get your Irish on? Heritage Pub & Chop House in Los Gatos invites the community to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in true Irish fashion on Saturday, March 14, beginning at noon and continuing through close. This all-day, rain-or-shine celebration will be overflowing with live entertainment, festive food, family fun and plenty of Irish spirit, including special offerings from Guinness and Jameson, who will be onsite with festive surprises.
Guests will enjoy live Irish music throughout the day, alongside a full buffet created by Chef Yvonne including traditional Irish favorites as well as Heritage Pub classics, with options available for vegetarians, gluten-free diners and those with additional dietary restrictions.
The family-friendly event features games and contests for adults, as well as activities for kids. Tickets are $75 and include event entry, live entertainment and access to the full buffet.
Che Fico Parco Menlo in Menlo Park has rolled out new Italian comfort food items, including chicken parmesan with Che Fico mozzarella and 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano; fried calamari with sweet peppers and lemon aioli; fettuccini with Parma butter and 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano; Caesar salad; and veal and pork meatball with spaghetti. There’s also a new three-course Sunday Supper menu in addition to the a la carte menu. Priced at $45 per person, the initial menu offering will include Caesar salad, house-made cannelloni with ricotta filing and pomodoro sauce and a choice of vanilla gelato or sorbetto.
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