07.17.2023

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Today’s Forecast

57º | Mostly sunny | 5% chance of rain | Sunrise: 7:22 a.m. | Sunset: 5:06 p.m.

🎥 The close-up on local restaurants

As Seen on TV: San Jose restaurants in the limelight

Every local knows about this gem. | Photo via @joicejourneys

Here’s our take: San Jose is a foodie paradise.

And we’re not the only ones who believe that — check out these 10 local eateries that have been featured on a variety of foodie shows over the years.

“Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” (Food Network)

Falafel’s Drive-In | Aired: 2007 | In Guy Fieri’s “Totally Fried” episode, he tried falafel balls from the classic drive-in that has called San Jose home since the 1960s.

Naglee Park Garage | Aired: 2010 | The Mayor of Flavortown stopped by this auto shop-turned-restaurant and indulged in its 10-oz burger patty, served with a side of Brussels sprouts + bacon.

Stream on: Discovery Plus, fuboTV, Max, and Philo

“Bizarre Foods America” (Travel Channel)

Mezcal | Aired: 2013 | Host Andrew Zimmern visited this eatery known for its Oaxacan cuisine and chapulines (fried grasshoppers).

Bún Bò Huế An Nam | Aired: 2013 | Located in East San Jose by Little Saigon, Andrew ventured to this Vietnamese spot to try the Bun Bo Hue Ngau Pin, a soup made with certain ox body parts.

Gaku Restaurant | Aired: 2013 | The Japanese izakaya drew in adventurous Andrew with its charcoal-grilled skewers of chicken liver, hearts, gizzard, and knee cartilage.

Stream on: Discovery Plus and Philo

The exterior of Henry's World Famous Hi-Life restaurant. — This restaurant has been a mainstay in Little Italy since the 1960s.
|
Photo via @ballinninja

“Man v. Food” (Travel Channel)

Henry’s World Famous Hi-Life | Aired: 2009 | This San Jose institution drew in host Adam Richman for its “world-famous” baby back ribs.

Iguana’s Burritozilla | Aired: 2009 | San Jose native + competitive eater Joey Chestnut joined Adam on the episode where he tackled the five-pound challenge in three minutes and ten seconds.

The Funny Farm Restaurant | Aired: 2019 | Host Casey Webb tried the eatery’s “Monte Cristo Reeto,” which is just as crazy as it sounds — the beloved sandwich is wrapped in a tortilla and deep-fried.

Stream on: Discovery Plus, Max, and Philo

Asked

What San Jose restaurant would you nominate to be featured on a food show?

We want to know

Events

Monday, July 17

Dine Downtown San Jose | Monday, July 17-Sunday, July 23 | Times vary | Multiple locations in downtown San Jose | Prices vary | More than 40 restaurants and cafes will present prix fixe menus, chef specials, and food-and-drink pairings.
Off Nite Show | Monday, July 17 | 8 p.m. | Tabard Theatre, 29 N. San Pedro St., Ste. 200, San Jose | Free | Put a little weekend into your Mondays with hosts Mighty Mike McGee and Ato Walker.

Tuesday, July 18

Pow Wow Song & Dance Classes | Tuesday, July 18 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Roosevelt Community Center, 901 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose | Free | The Indian Health Center hosts lessons to inspire cultural pride and connection.
Game Show Trivia Night | Tuesday, July 18 | 7:30-9 p.m. | Britannia Arms Almaden, 5027 Almaden Expy., San Jose | $8-$24 | Prepare your best game show contestant introduction.

Wednesday, July 19

Music Fun Under the Sun | Wednesday, July 19 | 11 a.m.-12 p.m. | Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, 180 Woz Way, San Jose | $16-$18 | It’s going to be an explosion of music, dancing, and snapping to the rhythms of summer.
Barbie-themed Paint Party | Wednesday, July 19 | 6-8 p.m. | Wheelhouse of Willow Glen, 1173 Lincoln Ave., San Jose | $40 | Come on Barbie, let’s go crafting.
Jesus Sepulveda | Wednesday, July 19 | 8 p.m. | San Jose Improv, 62 S. Second St., San Jose | $20-$75 | This up-and-coming comedian gives his lighthearted perspective on the Latino culture and where it stands right now.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Community

Your ultimate guide to San Jose has arrived

Fall in love with the city even more with our Ultimate City Guide. | Graphic by 6AM City

We all know that San Jose is a special place with a never-ending supply of things to do, see, and experience. That got us thinking — we already spend our days helping you get the most out of our city. So what if we curated a collection of guides that will be updated and available anytime to help you navigate all our great city has to offer?

That’s just what we’ve done. Say hello to SJtoday’s City Guide, your ultimate digital destination for the best ways to get out there and learn about the city you love.

We’ve broken the guides into three categories:

LIVE — Schools, neighborhoods, and unwritten rules of the city
WORK — Top industries, startups, and great spots to work outside
PLAY — Parks, festivals, hikes, and date nights

That just scratches the surface. We’ve got guides to local Airbnb and Vrbo rentals, navigating the airport, volunteer opportunities around town, and even where you and your pooch can grab a drink together.

Ready to get to know your city even better? Check out the link below. And if there’s a guide you’d love to see, send us a suggestion because this list of guides will just keep growing.

Oh, and one more thing. For all you marketing folks out there, we have one exclusive sponsorship available. We will feature your brand next to everywhere the guides appear in the newsletter, website, and social media. It’s an opportunity that won’t last long, so drop us a line.

Start exploring now

News Notes

Sports

In case you missed it, the San Jose Sharks have renewed their affiliation agreement with the minor league Wichita Thunder team for the 2023-2024 season. Last year, Sharks forwards Dillon Hamaliuk + Mitchell Russell played for the Thunder.

Development

A development site across the street from Westfield Valley Fair Mall has been saved from foreclosure after a San Leandro-based affiliate paid $4 million for the property. It’s currently occupied by a window tinting service, but a hotel project has been proposed to replace the business. (The Mercury News)

Fun Fact

Over the weekend, the Tech Interactive hosted its final day of “Tech Topple.” Earlier last week, a team of professional builders set up a record-breaking domino and machine city — and after 54 hours, toppled it in front of a crowd. The “Topple Town” was made up of 17,500 dominoes. (The Mercury News)

Biz

Silicon Valley’s metro, which includes downtown San Jose, West San Jose, West Valley, and Santa Clara, hit a decade-high office vacancy rate of 18% in the second quarter of 2023. However, South San Jose, Milpitas, and Cupertino all boasted a vacancy rate of less than 10%. (Silicon Valley Business Journal)

Finance

Everyday investors profit from a $45 million Banksy collection (yes, the Banksy) thanks to Masterworks, who last sold one of the artist’s works at a 32% net gain. Masterworks has completed 13 exits (all profitable), with three recent sales delivering net annualized returns of 17.8%, 21.5%, and 35%. SJtoday readers can skip the waitlist to join.†*

Home

Refinance rates are skyrocketing. But home equity rates remain relatively low — which means that now is a great time to borrow against your home. Calculate your payment.*

† See important Masterworks disclosures.

Answered

And the mystery local is...

Guess the San Josean

Did you guess local artist Alyssa Wigant? | Photos via Alyssa Wigant + SJtoday staff

Last week, we asked you to participate in the second installment of our trivia series, “Guess the San Josean” — a game where we give you 3-4 hints about influential leaders, business owners, artists, and other local movers and shakers in our community.

If you guessed artist Alyssa Wigant, you’re correct.

The San Jose native is often found in creative corners all over the city. The famous San Jose mural in the graphic above? She painted it. The Quakes’ AAPI shirt given to 1,000+ fans last year? She designed it.

Alyssa currently resides in the South Bay and works as an interactive experience designer for Apple. Her latest work can be found at the utility box on the corner of Third and William streets — inspired by a few of her favorite things.

Shout out to readers Scabby D., Crystal V., Sean Y., Kathy H., Brittany R., and Marissa M. for answering correctly. 👏

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Alyson

From the editor

I hope everyone had a nice weekend — and beat the heat. Though I didn’t spend too much time in San Jose this weekend, I was able to check out that new 386 Lounge in the SoFA District. It’s a really nice venue with a lot of space — plus, they’ve got a nice light setup in there. I’m hoping they’ll turn into a venue where big names show up to play.

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