Livermore getting its own rooftop restaurant
Walnut Creek has Rooftop Restaurant & Bar, with its diners’ panorama of Mt. Diablo. San Jose has Scott’s Seafood, with its rooftop views of the downtown skyline and the hills beyond. And the British Bankers Club’s new rooftop patio looks out over Menlo Park.
Now Livermore’s getting a skyhigh dining destination.
Aviation is scheduled to open in August atop a three-story building on First Street downtown, next to the Bankhead Theater. It’s the brainchild of restaurant consultants Rick and Theresa Dobbs, who own and run The Last Word gastropub on the ground floor, with building owner Mike Madden on board for the ride.
The wall-free restaurant will sport a glass railing all the way around.
And what’s behind the Aviation name?
“Aviation is a classic cocktail and Livermore also has a great aviation history,” Rick Dobbs says. “You can see the airport from our rooftop because you can kind of see everything from our rooftop” — including Livermore wine country.
He calls the dining concept “upscale burgers and approachable cocktails.” The menu’s still under development by chef Theresa, but the plan is handcrafted burgers, entree salads and side dishes made from all-natural
ingredients. Look for long serving hours, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. most days, later on Fridays and Saturday. Aviation will close on Mondays. Details: www.aviationlivermore.com.
Brew-paired food: From San Mateo to Dublin to Gilroy, Silicon Valley Beer Week is upon us, with more than 100 events on tap (sorry, this is the one time of year when that pun is actually appropriate) through July 30.
South Bay restaurants are increasingly joining in with paired dinners, menu deals and tap takeovers.
Ludwig’s German Table in San Jose, for example, is offering a “Beer and Schweinshaxe Special” — turns out that’s a barbecue-finished ham hock with potato dumpling. Mosaic Asian Fusion in San Jose will hold four nights of beer and food pairings. At Faultline Brewing in Sunnyvale, there will be nightly “Roadhouse ‘You Pick’ BBQ” meals. Fibbar Magees in Sunnyvale is doing brats and Coronado beer. The Armadillo Willy’s in Los Altos has scheduled tap takeovers plus a 21st Amendment Burger Bash. Cin-Cin Wine Bar in Los Gatos will line up small plates with Strike beers while Nom Burger in Sunnyvale pairs crabcake burgers with craft brews.
Multi-course pairing dinners will be hosted by Dry Creek Grill and Scott’s Seafood, both in San Jose.
And today, July 23, you can get a Fish & Chips & Beer special at Rock Bottom in Campbell, then head over to Santa Clara to grab a dessert-y Stout Sundae at Smoke Eaters.
Restaurants scheduling tap takeovers include Grill 57 in Los Gatos (Bear Republic), Kyoto Palace Japanese Steakhouse in Campbell (Golden State), Willow Street Pizza in San Jose (Hermitage), Jack Rose Libation House in Los Gatos (Knee Deep), 4th Street Pizza Co. in San Jose (Ballast Point, Lagunitas, Anchor), Bourbon Pub in Santa Clara (New Bohemia), Original Gravity in San Jose (20-plus sours), Pizza California in North San Jose (blind tastings of six IPAs), Pizzeria Delfina in Palo Alto (Calicraft), Sammy G’s Pizzeria in San Jose (NorCal vs. SoCal), the Farmers Union in San Jose (Altamont, Mission Trail Cider) and Steins Cupertino (Bruery, Calicraft).
And, if you attend tap takeover at The Refuge in San Carlos, let us know which beer you think pairs best with that legendary pastrami.
Find the full lineup of beer festivals, walks and other events at www. svbeerweek.com.
Campus cult fave: What better way to get alums back on campus for a visit?
San Jose State University has opened the South Bay’s first Steak ‘n Shake — that’s the Midwest’s cult-favorite equivalent of In-N-Out Burger — in the Student Union food court.
The franchise is up and running ahead of the Steak ‘n Shake now under construction in Campbell.
At SJSU, the seared-onthe-grill hits include the Original Double Cheese, Signature Steakburger (6 ounces), Frisco Melt (two burgers with Swiss and American cheeses and “sweet ‘n tangy” Frisco sauce on grilled sourdough), foot-long hot dog and grilled chicken sandwich. The chain’s thin, crispy fries and chili are available as sides. And the student employees are whirling not just the classic shakes, but also Nutella, Cookie Dough and Peanut Butter Cup variations.
This being a public university, “anyone is welcome to come and dine on our campus,” now and during the school year, said Stephanie Fabian, director of marketing for Spartan Shops. That applies not just to Steak ‘n Shake but also to the 10 other restaurants. The culinary team at Spartan Shops runs a number of their own trendy concepts:
At Smokin’ Sammy’s, pulled pork, brisket, tritip and links are smoked onsite and available with house-made greens, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw or corn salad. (Yeah, we know what you’re thinking: Where were the irresistible smoked meats when we were slogging through four years at State?)
The Waffle Coop for chicken and waffles, including a waffle cone filled with chicken strips that’s easy to eat while racing across campus.
In the Mix restaurant, with Caesar, Tex Mex, Spinach and Chinese Chicken salads served in boxes made from recycled plastic bottles. The Sparta Salad goes Greek, naturally, with chicken, romaine, kalamata olives, tomatoes, red onions and cucumbers tossed in a tzatziki dressing.
Bricks Pizza, offering both slices and personal-sized versions with Chicken Bacon Florentine, Sweet & Spicy Hawaiian, Spinach Dip, Vegetable, Pepperoni and Spicy Spartan Sausage toppings.
About half the Food Court restaurants are open on summer weekdays for lunch, including the new Steak ‘n Shake; the full array will reopen for longer hours when students return to class Aug. 23. (Smokin’ Sammy’s is closed for the summer.) Find hours, menus at www.spartanshops.com/ unionsquare/.