Local restaurants join forces for Soupline to benefit Santa Cruz Homeless Services Center

Posted on April 25, 2012 by admin

A few selections at 2010's Soupline

On Thursday, April 26, you can eat lots of great soup from local restaurants and benefit the Homeless Services Center (HSC) in Santa Cruz.

The 13th Annual Soupline Supper and Benefit Auction is at the Cocoanut Grove at the Santa Cruz boardwalk, Thursday April 26, 2012 from 5-7:30 p.m. (doors open at 5 and the food starts at 5:30 p.m.). For $25 per person or $50 per family, you receive soup, salad, bread, and dessert. The event is set up with different booths where chefs serve their homemade soup, so you can choose which ones to sample. Buy tickets by phone (831) 458-6020 x2101 or online. If you buy online, click the link “Donate Now!,” then choose $25 or $50 plus “Soup” for program designation.

At 5 p.m., activities including the silent auction, and wine service from Silver Mountain Vineyard, begin. Auction items include restaurant and spa gift certificates, wine, tickets to Kuumbwa Jazz Center and Cabrillo Festival performances, artwork, passes to places like Esalen and Disneyland, and trips to Belize and Lake Tahoe.

Dozens of restaurants are participating in this year’s Soupline including La Posta, Gayle’s, Manuel’s, The Buttery, Soif, Pearl of the Ocean, Charlie Hong Kong, India Joze, Crow’s Nest, Laili, Zoccoli’s, and Au Midi.

The Homeless Services Center is a community-supported non-profit organization dedicated to the coordinated provision of services for homeless persons. The goal of the Homeless Services Center is to provide both emergency and transitional services to homeless individuals that will enable clients to achieve self-sufficiency.

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Santa Cruz Homeless Garden Project events: Cigare Volant dinner/film, & kale festival

Posted on April 23, 2012 by admin

Homeless Garden Project's farm in Westside Santa Cruz, the site of Sunday's Kalefest

Santa Cruz’s Homeless Garden Project is hosting two events this week: “Dinner and a Movie” at Le Cigare Volant on Tuesday, and “Kalefest” on Sunday.

Dinner and a Movie
Dinner and a Movie, part of HGP’s Sustain dinner series, sounds like a unique and wonderful evening. The event begins at 6pm Tuesday April 24 at Bonny Doon Vineyards’ Le Cigare Volant restaurant (formerly Cellar Door) in Westside Santa Cruz. Dinner features organic leeks, green garlic, chard, edible flowers and strawberries grown in HGP’s training program; the entrée will be arctic char. The movie is “Happy,” an award-winning documentary that “…leads viewers on a journey across five continents in search of the keys to happiness.” The film addresses issues like how to balance the allure of money, fame and social status with needs for strong relationships, health and personal fulfillment.
Purchase tickets – which include two glasses of BDV wine, 2010 Clos De Gilroy & 2009 Vigonier (made using biodynamically farmed grapes) – in advance for $25 online, or $35 at the door.

Kalefest
Kalefest was originally scheduled for March 31, but had to be rescheduled to Sunday April 29 due to storms. It’s from 12-4pm at HGP’s Natural Bridges Farm; the $5 admission (kids are free) gets you a “Kale Kit” (passport to demos and workshops, tickets for voting, and Kalefest button).

At the festival, guests will enjoy hourly farm tours, gardening workshops, a raffle, and cooking demos. In addition, there will be live music, a “kids’ kale kingdom” including art activities, and lots of food and refreshments including a beer garden with Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery and Boulder Creek Brewery beverages. Food includes India Joze items from 12-3 p.m. and The Truckstop goodies from 3-4 p.m. There will also be two contests: one for “best bunch of kale” and one for “best kale recipe” — top recipes will be featured in HGP’s upcoming cookbook.

Below is a schedule showing selected activities; for more information including directions to the event, click here.

Cooking Demos & Workshops
12:30 p.m. – Oai Phan, Santa Cruz Zen Center and volunteer cook at HGP
1:30 p.m. – Forrest Cook, Farm Manager at HGP
2:30 p.m. – Jamie Shields, Food Service Director at Santa Cruz City Schools

Gardening Workshops
1 p.m. – Benefits of soil fertility with Brian O’Toole
2 p.m. – Kale nutrition with David Stockhausen
3 p.m. – Kale planting and Q&A with David Stockhausen and Mike Erickson

Contests
Recipe contest – entries accepted 12 – 1:30 p.m. Winners announced 2:30 – 3 p.m.
Kale bunch contest – entries accepted until 1 p.m. Ribbons placed on “Best in Show” by 2:30 p.m.

Founded in 1990, HGP offers many programs – some of which take place in a 2.5-acre organic farm. The organization also operates an organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture program) from May-October. Get more details on the CSA (I highly recommend it!) at HGP’s web site.

On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie

Dinner and a Movie at Le Cigare Volant: 328 Ingalls Street, Santa Cruz
Kalefest: HGP Natural Bridges Farm, the intersection of Shaffer Road and Delaware

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Santa Cruz’s Nut Kreations celebrates one-year anniversary with giveaway and contest

Posted on April 22, 2012 by admin

One of the many yummy "kreations" at Nut Kreations in downtown Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz’s Nut Kreations first opened on April 23, 2011, so the store is celebrating its one-year anniversary.

Visit the downtown Santa Cruz store on April 23, 2012 from 4-6 p.m. for a free bag of special anniversary trail mix. In addition, between April 23 and the end of May you can enter a contest for the best “Nut Kreation.” Design your own “trail mix kreation” and enter in person or via email (info@nutkreations.com); the best will be determined by co-owners and husband-and-wife Brody and Mina Feuerhaken. They will judge based on complementary flavors and the right combination of nuts, dried fruit, seeds, granola, or any of the other 120 selections. The winner will get a mix named after himself or herself that will be sold at the store, plus a pound of their “kreation” and a $25.00 Nut Kreations gift certificate.

Selections are sold by the pound, half-pound, or quarter-pound, and include pistachios (plain and many varieties), cashews (sea salt and pepper, Thai curry, organic raw, dark chocolate, etc.), coconut toffee peanuts, dried fruit, and custom-made trail mix (for that, prices range from $6.99-$12.99/lb. depending on your choices). You can sample before you buy. Other products include kitchenware, nut oils, nut butters, flour, jam, coffee, tea, and books. Plus, you can design your own gift or party platter.

Products are made on site, which is a certified green environment. The Feuerhakens care about giving back to the community and the earth. They were in search for the healthiest natural treat and the perfect gift. “The business grew out of an experiment we tried for Christmas 2009,” says Mina. “We took orders for pistachios from family and friends and put together 200 gift packages out of our home.” The gifts were immensely popular, and Mina comes from a long line of pistachio farmers. “Given our great deal of interest for natural foods, and of course being totally nuts for each other, starting Nut Kreations seemed like the perfect fit,” Mina adds.

Nut Kreations: 104 Lincoln off Pacific Ave, (831) 431-6435.

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Organic Happy Girl Kitchen Co. housewarming party and sale at SF Ferry Building

Posted on April 19, 2012 by admin

A few of Happy GIrl Kitchen's beautiful and delicious products

Organic Happy Girl Kitchen Co. has a new spot in the popular San Francisco Ferry Building (an absolute mecca for foodies), and it’s celebrating with a big shindig Friday April 20. Its new location is closer to the center of the building, and HGK is neighbors with Cowgirl Creamery and Acme Bread.

The event lasts from 5-7pm with live music, HGK cocktails (think Kimchee-nis, housemade lavender lemonade, mint-marmalade mojito), and prizes. Plus you get 15% off all products, including workshop registrations, and there will be samples from Taylor’s Tonics and Nana Mae Organics. In addition to creating scrumptious products and fun pop-up events, Happy Girl Kitchen offers workshops in topics like cheesemaking and tomato-preserving.

The following morning (Saturday April 21), visit the HGK Ferry Building kiosk for a special “brunch pop-up” with b. patisserie. Note that the last b. patisserie event at the Ferry Building sold out in 35 minutes, so you’ll want to arrive as close to the 10am starting time as possible. Here is the pastry menu for that morning, which will feature HGK artisan jams and marmalades.

*Kouign Amann with Strawberry and Happy Girl Kitchen Raspberry Jam

*Sugar Brioche Tarts with Happy Girl Kitchen Plum Jam and Vanilla Cream

*Macarons with White Chocolate and Happy Girl Kitchen Grapefruit Marmalade

*Lemon Tarts with Happy Girl Kitchen Meyer Lemon Marmalade

*Orange-Passionfruit-Almond Bostock with Happy Girl Kitchen Orange Marmalade

On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie

SF Ferry Building: The Ferry Building Marketplace is located along the Embarcadero at the foot of Market Street. For more info, see the Visitor Info section of the Ferry Building web site.

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Santa Cruz restaurant Charlie Hong Kong partners with UC Santa Cruz Farm for Earth Day

Posted on April 18, 2012 by admin

Signature rice bowl from Charlie Hong Kong

For Earth Day 2012, Charlie Hong Kong is partnering with UC Santa Cruz’s farm for a unique and fun event.

On Sunday, April 22, participants will meet at 3pm on the UCSC campus for a special tour of the Farm & Garden led by Field and Production Manager Liz Milazzo (here are directions to the Farm http://casfs.ucsc.edu/about/directions-2). Then they will travel to Charlie Hong Kong for a tasting menu of the popular restaurant’s take on “organic Southeast Asian street food.” Tickets are $20; Charlie Hong Kong is donating $5 of every ticket sold to the UCSC Farm & Garden. The event is limited; there will only be 30 tickets sold and the price includes food and the tour; beer will be available at dinner for an additional charge. Tickets are being sold online through Edible Monterey Bay. For more information call (831) 298-7117.

Dinner will include Charlie Hong Kong’s delicious vegan salad wraps, vegan “signature bowls” (which include Gado Gado and Laughing Phoenix Red Curry) plus optional meat toppings, and homemade beverages. Charlie Hong Kong co-owner Carolyn Rudolph is excited to collaborate with the Farm & Garden for Earth Day, because “…they are not only educating and creating a whole new generation of organic farmers, the farm is also a community resource for local gardeners and families right here where we all live.” Rudolph adds, “This tasting is to demonstrate and honor local produce as well as eating healthy. To eat healthy is a way to care for the earth.”

This isn’t the first time the two venues have partnered. This year, Charlie Hong Kong bought butternut squash from UCSC’s farm for its delectable Thai Coconut Soup. Note: if you’re interested in getting produce from the farm for your own use, you can join the CSA program; read more.

During the private tour at UCSC, attendees can learn more about the Farm & Garden which is part of the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS). CASFS offers apprenticeship training of new organic farmers and gardeners – officially the Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture program. The internationally known Apprenticeship Program has trained over 1,400 organic farmers and gardeners during the last 40 years. Many have started their own training and apprenticeship programs on farms and at urban agriculture projects, a great example of paying it forward. The program draws more than 50 percent women each year at a time when fewer than 15 percent of U.S. farm operators are women.

CASFS manages the 2-acre Alan Chadwick Garden and the 25-acre Farm at UCSC, which are both open to the public. Both sites are managed using organic production methods and serve as research, teaching, and training facilities for students, staff, and faculty. CASFS is committed to increasing ecological sustainability and social justice in the food and agriculture system.

If you don’t already have plans for Earth Day, this sounds like a great opportunity. No matter what you do, I hope you’ll take these words from Rudolph to heart: “Earth Day is an important event, not only as a celebration, but an opportunity to express reverence and gratitude for the abundance this beautiful earth provides for us.”

On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie

Charlie Hong Kong, 1141 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 426-5664
UCSC Farm & Garden/CASFS, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz (831) 459-3240

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Santa Cruz cafe Filling Station expands menu

Posted on April 14, 2012 by admin

Homemade cookies from Amber Turpin at Filling Station

Westside Santa Cruz cafe Filling Station, a café with outdoor seating, has expanded its menu and continues to offer its regular delicious selections including gourmet coffee and espresso drinks.

Dave Stimpson and Amber Turpin, a sweet couple who are partners in marriage as well as business, first opened Filling Station in Summer 2011. This Spring, they added bagels and homemade soup to the regular menu, plus beet-lentil salad as an occasional salad. The soup and salad are from Aptos catering company Carried Away, operated by Chez Panisse-trained chef Tom McNary. Soup costs $4.75 and is accompanied by a Kelly’s French Bakery roll; flavors rotate every couple days and are mostly vegetarian. Recent selections include Carrot Ginger (Vegan), Creamy Potato Cauliflower, Broccoli Cheddar, Butternut Sweet Potato Coconut Milk, and Lemongrass (Vegan).

Co-owner Turpin is also a baker, and creates a wonderful array of pastries on-site each morning including sweet and savory hand pies (like Smoked Cheddar Potato or Moroccan Carrot Coriander), tea cakes (like Sesame Brown Sugar or Rhubarb or Orange Cardamom Struesel), cookies (like Chocolate Chip), and granola bars (rotating flavors such as Cranberry Almond, Banana Chip Peanut, Orange Sesame). Filling Station also serves refreshing homemade sodas that come in flavors like grapefruit and vanilla, and artisan coffee and espresso from San Francisco’s Four Barrel Coffee, a roaster that works directly with coffee farmers.

Filling Station is located on 1500 Mission Street at Trescony, directly in front of the Goodwill donation center. Hours are 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Contact them at (831) 427-FILL.

On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie

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Bonny Doon Vineyard: restaurant renamed Le Cigare Volant, offers new chef & expanded lunch menu

Posted on April 11, 2012 by admin

Verve Coffee Salt on Circulated Live Earth Farm Egg with Pea Puree and Mushroom bacon from April 4 Community Dinner

Bonny Doon Vineyard’s restaurant, formerly known as the Cellar Door, is now Le Cigare Volant and boasts a new Executive Chef, Ryan Shelton. Bonny Doon Vineyard has also expanded lunch service to its tasting room.

The restaurant’s renaming officially took place on April 1st. The name Le Cigare Volant corresponds to one of Bonny Doon Vineyard’s most popular wines, which is slated to be released in its 25th vintage this year. Winemaker and BDV founder Randall Grahm commented on the restaurant name change: “It represents a commitment to a more refined, if not empyrean level of cuisine and service, as well as a proclamation of a deeper association between the restaurant and the winery itself.”

New chef Ryan Shelton arrives at Le Cigare Volant from two-Michelin-starred Palo Alto restaurant Baumé where he served as Chef de Cuisine and Pastry Chef. His experience includes positions at Chez TJ in Mountain View, and The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. Shelton is excited to be cooking in Santa Cruz. He says, “More than anywhere else I’ve cooked in the Bay Area, people in Santa Cruz know what ‘locally sourced, thoughtfully prepared’ actually tastes like. It’s a great thrill to be held to such high standards.”

Le Cigare Volant is open for dinner Wednesday–Sunday, and for lunch on Saturday and Sunday (12-3pm). The tasting room, open Thurs-Sun from 12-5, just started offering lunch plates so you can have a meal –- such as Devil’s Gulch Pork Shoulder Sliders — while you do your wine tasting.

Wednesday evenings in the restaurant are devoted to Community Table, a special prix fixe, family-style meal celebrating the experience of food and wine shared communally. These have been occuring for about a year; the price is $35. The Community Table theme for April is biodynamic and sustainable farming. April 4’s dinner featured Verve coffee and farms including Devil’s Gulch Ranch. April 11’s dinner is highlighting produce from BDV’s biodynamic San Juan Bautista farm.

On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie

The Details
Le Cigare Volant Restaurant & Tasting Room
328 Ingalls Street (in Swift Street Courtyard), Santa Cruz
(831) 425-6771

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Dinner and reading at Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga

Posted on April 8, 2012 by admin

Niki Ford photograph inspired by produce she found at Farmers Market

Montalvo Arts Center has an Artists Residency program, and its 2012 culinary fellow-in-residence – Niki Ford – is the centerpiece of an event this Thursday, April 12 at 7 p.m. at the Historic Villa in Saratoga. The evening is entitled “Coming of Age in the Kitchen.” Tickets are $65 or $50 for members and $12 for students with ID.

Ford joined Montalvo in January 2012; prior to being awarded her Montalvo Fellowship, she cooked for six years at renowned Berkeley restaurant Chez Panisse. She has degrees in printmaking and culinary arts, and her creative works include beautiful photographs of produce she finds at farmers markets. On Thursday she will be joined by author Tamar Adler, who also a former Chez Panisse chef. Adler’s “An Everlasting Meal,” a tribute to M.F.K. Fisher’s “How to Cook a Wolf,” has been described as “…a rallying cry to the home cook, instructing one to cook and eat with economy and grace.”

Attendees will be treated to a three-course meal plus a special reading of Adler’s story “Wherewith shall it be salted.” In an intriguing combination of literature, theater, and dining, the meal served will actually be from the story (the plot includes a clandestine dinner party). Montalvo shares that the dinner is “not vegetarian, doesn’t contain red meat, and may contain dairy and poultry.” Wine is included in the ticket price. For more information call (408) 961-5800.

Interested in more background on Niki Ford? Here is her blog. Also, the Montalvo web site states that as a Culinary Fellow, she “…seeks to investigate the shared creative language of artists and chefs through concept based project work and a year of seasonal meals to celebrate imagination and the natural cycles of this vibrant and abundant California landscape.”

Event location: Montalvo Historic Villa, 15400 Montalvo Rd., Saratoga 95071
On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie

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Restaurants for Easter in Santa Cruz and San Jose, Part 2

Posted on April 6, 2012 by admin

The Chaminade is serving its annual festive Easter Brunch Buffet this Sunday in Santa Cruz

Dining out on Easter is a great way to celebrate with friends or family or both, and Santa Cruz and San Jose has many restaurants offering special menus this Sunday. See Part 1 for more restaurants, and see below for the second and final group of restaurants I am highlighting. Happy Easter!

Santa Cruz
Bonny Doon Vineyard’s Le Cigare Volant
Le Cigare Volant (formerly Cellar Door) in Westside Santa Cruz offers a prix fixe Easter brunch for $40 created by new chef Ryan Shelton. The three-course meal, served from 10am-3pm, includes one glass of wine. Here is the menu: “Smoked Salmon” Arctic Char Frittatta and Frisee Salad with Complimentary Pairing: Fragola Frizzante (2009 Moscato Frizzante w/Strawberry Nectar), House Made Duck Sausage with Blueberry Granola Farrotto, and Bread and Butter Pudding with Maple Bacon Ice Cream.
Call (831) 425-6771 for reservations.
328 Ingalls Street (in Swift Street Courtyard), Santa Cruz

Chaminade
The Chaminade offers its annual Easter Brunch Buffet from 9am-3pm; the price is $49.95 (adults), $17.95 (kids 6-12), and free for kids under 6. Selections include prime rib, honey ham with Jack Daniels glaze, rosemary and garlic encrusted lamb leg, a seafood bar with teriyaki salmon peel and eat prawns, and more, omelets made to order, and Belgian waffles with fresh berry compote. Additional highlights: gourmet salads, cheese ravioli, quiche, a chocolate fountain, and a sundae bar. There will be Easter egg hunts for the kids at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, and 2:30pm, appearances by the Easter Bunny, and balloon artists. Call (831) 475-5600 for reservations or email chaminadeinfo@benchmarkmanagement.com and include your phone number.
One Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz 95065

Ideal Bar & Grill
Ideal Bar & Grill has Easter Brunch specials plus limited selections from its regular brunch menu. Selections include Crab Benedict ($15) and Pancetta-wrapped Pork ($15) marinated in rosemary, thyme, and garlic, served with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. Call (831) 423-5271 for reservations.
106 Beach Street, Santa Cruz 95060

San Jose
Left Bank
For Easter, Left Bank on Santana Row is offering special “Spring-inspired” brunch, lunch, and dinner menu additions. A limited regular menu will also be available. Brunch additions include Quiche au Chorizo et Poivrons (Basque-style quiche, housemade chorizo, bell peppers, tomatoes, basil, Ossau Iraty cheese, wild arugula salad, basil vinaigrette) and Crêpes au Jambon et au Fromage de Chèvre (spinach, Parisian ham, goat cheese crêpes, sunny-side-up egg), both $11.75. Dinner additions include Longe D’Agneau Grillèe (marinated grilled lamb loin, polenta cake, spring vegetables, lamb jus, $32) and Flétan D’Alaska (pan-roasted Alaskan halibut, ratatouille, basil oil, $28). Call (408) 984-3500 for reservations.
377 Santana Row, Suite 1100, San Jose, CA 95128

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Restaurants for Easter in Santa Cruz and San Jose, Part 1

Posted on April 5, 2012 by admin

Hoffman's in Santa Cruz is serving Easter Brunch and Dinner

The year has flown by, and it’s already Easter Week 2012 – if you haven’t made plans for dining out this Sunday, here are some restaurants in Santa Cruz and San Jose offering special menus. I’ll post more in the next couple days.

Santa Cruz & Aptos Restaurants

Ma Maison Restaurant
Ma Maison in Aptos is offering an Easter brunch buffet from 10am-2pm for $28 per person, prepared by the very talented Chef Lionel Le Morvan, a Paris native. For reservations call (831) 688-5566. The French Easter buffet includes French Toulouse sausage and sautéed onions, Easter Ham with port wine sauce, French garden frittata with Spring morel mushrooms, grilled butterflied leg of lamb, sauteed red potatoes with rosemary, and seasonal fruit salad.
9501 Soquel Drive, Aptos 95003

Johnny’s Harborside
Santa Cruz restaurant Johnny’s Harborside is offering a special Easter brunch menu from 10am-3pm. Easter brunch specials include Dungeness crab and asparagus omelet ($13), a variety of Eggs Benedicts (crab cake or smoked salmon for $13, traditional for $11), and Strawberry Crepes ($9). These are served with choice of roasted potatoes, fruit, or polenta. Another selection of note is Maple Glazed Ham with Pineapple Relish ($20) with an artichoke plus herb scalloped potatoes. Call (831) 479-3430 for reservations.
493 Lake Avenue, Santa Cruz 95062

Hoffman’s Bistro
Hoffman’s, located in downtown Santa Cruz, is serving Easter Brunch from 8am-3pm and Easter Dinner from 3-9pm. The dinner includes a la carte options and a prix fixe three-course $40 menu which includes soup or salad, entrée choice, dessert, and a glass of champagne or sparkling cider. Entrees include Honey Glazed Ham Hocks ($23 a la carte) and Pan Roasted Spring Rack of Lamb with yogurt shallot sauce, braised lentils, and candied carrots ($27). Call (831) 420-0135 for reservations.
1102 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz 95060

Cocoanut Grove
The Cocoanut Grove is serving an Easter Brunch Buffet from 10am-2pm (reservations are accepted from 10am-12:30pm). The cost is $34.95 for adults, $12.95 for kids 4-12, and free for kids 3 and under. Brunch includes unlimited champagne or Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider. Selections include carved pork loin roulade stuffed with prosciutto, mushroom duxelle & spinach and served with Marsala pan jus, grilled cobia kingfish with lemon beurre blanc, scrambled eggs, french toast, smoked salmon, chicken enchiladas, and fresh seasonal fruit. Call (831) 423-2053 for reservations.
400 Beach Street, Santa Cruz 95060

San Jose
Yankee Pier
Yankee Pier on Santana Row is offering a special brunch menu for Easter. Selections include Crab Eggs Benedict, shrimp omelettes, and Brioche French Toast. Call (408) 244-1244 for reservations.
378 Santana Row, Suite 1100, San Jose, CA 95128

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