Fairmont chefs set a different ‘Pokémon Go’ lure
If you’re playing “Pokémon Go” near San Jose’s Fairmont Hotel — and it’s been a bit of a hot spot, I’ve heard — you might want to look twice if you see a Pikachu in the Fountain restaurant.
That’s not augmented reality, it’s real.
The yellow Pokémon character posed on the Fountain’s counter was created out of fondant by the hotel’s pastry chefs, and it’s just one way that the Fairmont’s trying to lure in game players.
Menu items have been rebranded, Pokémonstyle, so you can chow down on Smoked Zubat Wings, Charizard Sliders and Bubbles & Razz Berry Cocktails in the Lobby Lounge or head to the Fountain for Poké Bowls — not much change there — and Talonflame Pancit.
Gotta catch ’em all, right?
SMOOTH EVENING: Manhattan Transfer provided some cool jazz on a hot evening Tuesday night as Jazz on the Plazz held its annual fundraising gala at the Los Gatos home of David Stonesifer and Larry Arzie. The Gotham group really had the crowd of 300 people going with two of their big hits, “Birdland” and “Operator.”
Among those having a great time was sponsor Linda Lester, whom master of ceremonies Michael Jacobi welcomed to the Los Gatos Music & Arts jazz family. Lester announced she’s already up for sponsoring next year’s gala, too.
BOTTLE AND BRUSH: I love this trend of events that combine wine with art. Sip a little, paint a little, sip a little more, paint a little better.
Anyway, one of these is happening Friday at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown San Jose. There’ll be a wine bar in the park from 6 to 9 p.m. The painting class being held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. is already filled up, but there’s nothing stopping you from watching the valley’s Van Goghs and listening to the classical guitar accompaniment.
DETACHING FROM DIONNE?: Demone Carter of Future Arts Now!, a member of San Jose’s new creative vanguard, opined on Facebook that it’s time for a moratorium on allusions to Dionne Warwick’s “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” on city events and projects.
“It’s a beautiful song, but if in 2016 the pop culture reference point for our city is a song from 1968 well ... let’s just say we can do better,” he wrote.
He may be right, but every time we try to back away from Burt Bacharach’s bouncy tune, somehow we always find our way back to, well, you know. We may just be stuck with it until something else comes along. (And San Francisco doesn’t seem to have a problem being associated with a certain song that Tony Bennett recorded in 1962.)
SOUSA’S OPERETTA: John Philip Sousa is best known for his marches, but this weekend, the Lyric Theatre will be performing a semistaged production of the famed composer’s operetta, “El Capitan.” As far as anyone can tell, it’ll be the first time the operetta has been performed in California since its initial national tour in 1896.
Part of its Discovery series, which take place at different Bay Area venues, this weekend’s shows will be at Fremont High School in Sunnyvale. Saturday’s performance is at 8 p.m., followed by a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets are available for $10 to $26 at www.lyrictheatre.org.