661689 Fri Oct 23 07:37:32 -0700 2009 12 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 5124958 I will me in San Jose and will be at the Marriott are there places near by for both lunch and dinner worh checking out Fri Oct 23 07:37:32 -0700 2009 82657 makymark02 1 5127469 Will you have a car? Sat Oct 24 09:26:27 -0700 2009 5124958 10264 rworange 2 5129114 Yes we will have a car Sun Oct 25 07:17:07 -0700 2009 5127469 82657 makymark02 1 5128938 The Grill on the Alley at the Fairmont Hotel and Original Joes are great bets. Both have awesome bar service for food if travelling on business. Sun Oct 25 03:08:19 -0700 2009 5124958 1087038 newportrieats 1 5129840 If you have a map or a concierge, it's a quick drive on the freeway to Aqui in Willow Glen or Campbell for great Southwestern fare. Sun Oct 25 14:53:26 -0700 2009 5124958 17220 Claudette 1 5130427 Picasso's Tapas on Santa Clara Street. Eulipia on South 1st. Loft Bar and Bistro on 2nd St. Perfect Finish Wine Bar (great small plates) on 1st. La Victoria Taqueria on San Carlos. (Arcadia in your hotel is a Michael Mina restaurant, fyi.) Sun Oct 25 18:33:40 -0700 2009 5124958 78213 emi50 1 5130500 Pizza Chicago is a couple of blocks away on San Fernando, and excellent. (I am not able to add the link.) Sun Oct 25 19:11:03 -0700 2009 5124958 17220 Claudette 2 5130693 Why drive to Aqui when you have the infinitely tastier Mezcal right downtown? Downtown San Jose is probably best known for its Vietnamese restaurants, like Vung Tau. Search for San Jose and/or Vietnamese and you'll find more options. House of Siam is a good Thai option. It would help to know more about your food preferences, price range, where you're coming from, etc. to give better recommendations. Michael Sun Oct 25 20:45:31 -0700 2009 5130500 10707 mdg 3 5130739 I see the map is showing Mezcal outside of downtown. That's because Chowhound has the zip code wrong - it's 95113, not 95101. With the right zip code and Google you can get the correct location just a few blocks from the Marriott. Michael Sun Oct 25 21:07:46 -0700 2009 5130693 10707 mdg 4 5130914 I changed the zip Found a few reviews and blogs about Mezcal while updating the restaurant record http://melissagoodtaste.blogspot.com/2009/05/mezcal-san-jose-ca_31.html http://www.metroactive.com/metro/01.07.09/dining-0901.html http://sjdowntowneats.blogspot.com/2009/08/mezcal.html Mon Oct 26 01:48:24 -0700 2009 5130739 10264 rworange 3 5131713 If you go to Mezcal, be sure to get the grasshoppers - unusual, crunchy, and good. The moles were just okay - the four of us weren't impressed, having had many better moles elsewhere, but it's within walking distance of your hotel. Aqui is not Mexican - it's Cal-Mex, with Niman beef, great salads, apps, desserts, specials. I've eaten there for 15 yrs and never ordered the same thing twice. It's just a fancy cafeteria-style place, with food as the main draw. Mon Oct 26 09:49:28 -0700 2009 5130693 17220 Claudette 4 5132052 Where are your favorite moles or pipians. I love pipians, but haven't found too many... Mon Oct 26 11:23:50 -0700 2009 5131713 15001 jsaimd 5 5135217 Sorry to disappoint you, but there's a restaurant in Tucson called Cafe Poca Cosa, and the chef there is from Sonora, Mexico, and she has seemingly endless recipes for moles - all delicious. The cafe's regionally famous for her authentic, delicious food - if you're ever there, order the Plato (3 moles/specials of the day on one plate, chef's choice). Last time I was there, one of the moles was a yellow almond mole on fish - fantastic! I've yet to find good moles here, but maybe that should be the start of another thread. http://cafepocacosatucson.com/ Tue Oct 27 13:06:27 -0700 2009 5132052 17220 Claudette