La Villa Delicatessen (Italian), San Jose, CA

Located in the heart of Willow Glen, there resides a small, confined Italian shop. This family owned fixture has been a part of Willow Glen's diverse food scene for years. Many a Willow Glen resident has gorged themselves on La Villa's succulent sandwiches. These are not the feared breadwich by any means. Delicious deli meats and artisanal sausages are piled on any type of bread from French to rye.


La Villa's charm doesn't end there, of course. After all, each post should be at least a few hundred words. This restaurant/market has a wide array of heated dishes, including Italian favorites such as Ravioli, Lasagna, and Herbed Chicken. Then, to round off the prepared goods, anyone can purchase a homemade dessert from their rotating cooler and displays. Everything is reasonably priced, adding to the diner's attraction.


I did mention the market part, though, as well. In addition to a crack service team and hundreds of traditional, gourmet meal options, there is a fully stocked market just a foot or two away from the service counter. Anything your Mediterranean heart desires can be found on their shelves. Olives, wines, cheeses, crackers, pastas, candies and sodas grace the walls. Then, there's a high class deli that rivals the best independent meat factories around, containing dried and aged carnivorous delights.


I bet you thought La Villa's attractions ended there. Well, you were sadly mistaken. Shark's fans, wake up. This market/restaurant/deli doubles as a showcase for memorabilia dating from the HP team's first days to present. Autographed pucks, photographs, jerseys - yeah, they've got it all. The windows are covered in sticks, posters, and signs for Bay Area teams from the Sharks to the Giants. Yeah, La Villa really does have it all.

Com Tam Thanh (Vietnamese), San Jose, CA

Amazing is a simple, yet effective word used to describe my first visit to Com Tam Thanh. The restaurant's simplicity and almost fast food feel had me head over heels - not to mention the food. The Pho made my mind numb. It was so good that it defied reasonable logic. The broth was light and flavorful, and the ingredients stuffed inside were high quality and beautifully prepared. It did not end there, though, as Com Tam Thanh shocked all with not only an amazing Egg Roll, but with a delectable Mango Smoothie to boot.


My Com Tam Thanh Adventure: Part Two was not nearly as successful as the first. The service was still good and fast, but the soup was not as big of a home run as the first time. The mango smoothie fell miles. I know, it is not something that really should influence the rating, but the first time, it was one of the best things I've ever tasted. This one was mushy, and was made with overripe mangoes, hence the brown coloration. Still, the excellent spring rolls and great atmosphere saved Com Tam Thanh for taking a huge rating hit. It is still better than average for Vietnamese, but a trip to Khan's should be taken on those days when you're looking for a treat, not a dive.

Cafe Artemis (Middle Eastern/Greek), Campbell, CA

All I've got to say is "wow". The Pruneyard has found it's Greek. You no longer have to take the long, grueling three minute drive to Yiassoo, because a new souvlaki shop has rolled into town. It's Cafe Artemis, in my opinion the best ALL AROUND Mediterranean stop in the region. It is not a one trick pony, as many seem to be. This particular one has a groomed menu with every pertinent dish possibly found in the Eastern Mediterranean, from Gyros to Baba Ghanoush. 

The souvlaki, for example, was full of flavor, as it was pretty perfectly cooked and seasoned. As for the rice pilaf, well, it was delicious, though a little tough (maybe slightly underdone).Then, the desserts carved a perfect finishing impression of the restaurant with a cascade of cocoa power and ice cream wrapped around a sweet ball of authentic cream. Pinch me, please. If this isn't the epitome of great Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine in the South Bay, someone, would you give me a taste of something better?

Curry Up Now Food Truck (Indian), San Francisco, CA

Um, how does a restaurant get this good? Curry Up Now shocks and amazes each customer with an array of Indian fare that, when stacked up against other Bay Area competitors, stands head and shoulders above the rest. Each dish is prepared with care and a sheer love for food, a combination that must go with each and every restaurant in order to guarantee it's success. Curry Up Now shows just how good a food truck can be, and exemplifies how Indian street fare still has it's place in every person's modern tuned palate.

The example I choose to use is the Tikka Masala burrito, a strange yet quite effective method which combines traditional Indian cooking techniques and spices with the ever-popular Mexican fusion spin. Stuffed inside a delicious, warm tortilla rests piles of white rice turned curry yellow from the meat resting overtop. The juices and sauces seep into the rice, turning it into a medley of flavors that explode inside your mouth before ever tasting a bite of the meat itself. Once the meat is added to the mix, though, the level is turned up with the textures and added flavors of the protein melding with the already present rice and curry slurry.

If this has not convinced you of Curry Up Now's prowess, just give them a try for yourself. Their San Francisco based truck and fixed San Mateo location are waiting for your visit - and for your approval. I mean, after all, how could you fail such promising company. Each item on their menu will earn your bill of support, and will be sure to leave you coming back for more.

Hog Island Oyster Company (Seafood), San Francisco, California

Hog Island Oyster Company is a pure juggernaut of the seafood world. The oyster bar in San Francisco is the absolute essence of beauty from the deep. Each dish is perfectly prepared and heaped onto your ceramic plate in masses seemingly impossible for the price. At this wonderland, anyone can belly up to the bar and order up a bowl of the most succulent, most flavorful oysters in the world. Here, you can choose from Kumimoto's to the shell's of San Francisco Bay. Oysters at Hog Island are segmented into varieties and species from around the world, adding to the diversity and attraction.

And Hog Island's oysters don't wrap up the story. Whole Chilled Dungeness Crab lurks on this amazing menu that also includes clam chowder and many other local delicacies. Also, when you throw in amazing service, great decorations, beautiful views and a fun atmosphere, the food world is forced to bow to you, giving restaurants such as this the title and the aura of one of San Francisco's greatest restaurants.

Original Joe's (American/Italian), San Jose, CA

O.J.'s and The Hi-Life are two of San Jose's oldest and most famous restaurants. This restaurant in particular has been a symbol of the higher end of South Bay fare for generations. I've dined at this restaurant since I was a little kid, and my parents ate here long before that. Heck, even my grandparents have tried it out. This restaurant runs in the family! The steaks and cuts of meat, such as the Prime Rib, are perfectly done. The salads are killer too, and the ravioli is the star of the meal.

Speaking of the ravioli, I think the plate deserves some special attention. Each Italian dumpling is crafted out of the finest dough and stuffed with delicious ground beef. Then it is coated in a succulent and beautifully made tomato sauce and sold as a side or as an entree. At Joe's, you see it at every table. But, of course, the five star dining experience doesn't end there. The pluses of this restaurant go straight down to the beautiful decor and the top class waiting service. What more could you ask for?

Original Joe's is a fixture in the often skimpy and watered down San Jose restaurant scene. Here, the short list of star eateries is just that - short. But for fifty plus years, Joe's has been near the top of that coveted list, maintaining it's spot on the peak of the South Bay restaurant scene with tasteful decorations, stellar service staff and great food.

Chow! (American/Italian), San Francisco, CA

Chow! is a gem of the Castro, and one of the hotspots of San Francisco. It serves plate after plate of delicious food made with local, sustainable ingredients and inspirations ranging from The City to south of the border. At Chow, the world is on your plate, as you can choose from succulent regional fare such as the Tuna Melt or Crab Cakes, or the tastes of Italy including omelets, spaghettis and pizzas. Anything you get is assured to be delicious and wallet friendly, for a sandwich and cup of soup shouldn't cost more than $15 after tax and tip. Chow's around the clock hours and excellent service are two extra pluses, and the beautiful outdoor patio stands as a third. It's a restaurant definitely worth your while, to be sure. Who knows, maybe it'll end up as one of your favorites, too.