Kelly's French Bakery is in the spirit of the season. Christina Waters.
INTIMATE, COZY, CANDLELIT… That's often what we're looking for as the ideal setting for a romantic Valentine's dinner. The illusion of being alone in a crowd is part of the appeal of our most romantic places. The snug little table for two along the stairway in the main dining room at Shadowbrook, for example (recently named one of the Top 100 Romantic Restaurants in the country by OpenTable), is what I'm talking about. Or one of the window tables at Casablanca, where you can sip some bubbly while watching the sunset painting the waves orange and gold. Any table at Gabriella. You already know this, and now that Valentine's Day is only a week away, it's time to make that dinner reservation!
THE EMPIRE EXPANDS! New Leaf Community Markets opened a 21,000-square-foot store in San Jose on Feb. 1. The new store is located at Canyon Creek Plaza, at 5667 Silver Creek Valley Road. “We are very pleased to be serving the residents of the Evergreen area,” says New Leaf founder Scott Roseman, who plans classes on health, cooking and nutrition in the newest New Leaf. . . . And good news for fans of Dave Kumec and his amazing organic ice creams. Mission Hill Creamery is on the verge of opening a new downtown Pacific Avenue shop. In addition to retail offerings, the actual production of these artisanal ice creams will be watchable in the new shop. Stay tuned and find out more at Mission Hill Creamery.
TWISTED TASTING For those who like their suds on the wild side, there's the upcoming gala event onFriday, Feb. 17 up at the Top of the Rittenhouse building hosted by Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing. Think quantity as well as quality—The Twisted Tasting will showcase 40 unique, experimental andunusual beers partnered with locally produced exotic foods. These wild and non-traditional beers are not for the faint of heart. Consider chocolate mint stout or smoked pig ear ale. Now add beer-brined pickles and Devout Stout washed cheeses. Twisted and delicious! Or at the very least adventuresome. The brewers of SCMB have whipped up four utterly distinctive beers for the event, including a Horchata Pale Ale. And since this is Santa Cruz, look for circus performers, fire dancers and other live dazzlers amidst the brew bonanza. It all happens Friday, Feb. 17, 6-9pm at the Top of the Rittenhouse. Tickets $65 at twistedtasting.eventbrite.com.
Send tips about food, wine and new dining discoveries to Christina Waters at [email protected]. Read her blog at http://christinawaters.com.
