Reopened Naglee Park Garage offers new menu
The neighborhood joint is again welcoming the neighbors.
After a soft opening, the Naglee Park Garage reopened June 14, thanks to the efforts of a restaurant industry veteran who moved to the area and fell in love with the quirky spot nestled in this close-knit neighborhood near San Jose State University.
Owner Mark Ostrowski aims to make good on his plan to “re-create an environment that the neighborhood will embrace again.”
To wit, he’s retained the look, the bricks, the bar and the homey vibe of the former garage at 11th and San Carlos streets. The restaurant still seats 28 and the patio 72.
What’s new? Table service has replaced the Garage’s old model of counter ordering.
On the menu, diners will find a small, defined array of dishes that this small kitchen can execute well, Ostrowski said.
Call it “globally influenced neighborhood cuisine,” he said, adding that former owner “Lou (Silva) was always experimenting. We want to push the envelope even further.”
Among the dishes on the inaugural menu are spicy skillet prawns with chorizo and polenta; cast iron chicken thighs with wild mushrooms; chilled summer corn soup with basil and roasted corn relish; fried chicken chicharrones with a Fresno chile glaze and Point Reyes blue cheese; and Peruvian mango ceviche with wildcaught mahi mahi and aji amarillo.
There are riffs on the Naglee Park faves: The new halfpound Garage Burger comes with white cheddar, caramelized onions and herb aioli on an Acme bun and is served with sea salt fries. And local Brussels sprouts are pan-fried with Molinari pancetta, shallots and organic honey.
For dessert there’s vanilla bread pudding with orangecardamom whipped cream and bourbon caramel sauce.
Dinner is served from 4 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Brunch hours will be added later. Details: 505 E. San Carlos St., San Jose; Facebook. com/nagleeparkgarage.
Monkey Thai adds second Alameda restaurant
Five years after opening their Monkey Thai in downtown Alameda, the owners have branched out with a second location, also in Alameda.
Prapaporn Yuin and Khermmerin Thungjaimon hosted a grand opening celebration June 15 at the Alameda South Shore Center.
Besides the popular pad thai, yellow curry and basil chicken, the new location also offers the “Monkey Combo” — a full-meal deal — on weekdays for $9.95 to $13.95.
The South Shore eatery is open daily for lunch and dinner. The original restaurant is located at 1930 Main St. Details: www.monkeythairestaurant.com.
Check out these three West Coast food festivals
Hungry for something truly memorable? Food festivals are one of the ultimate cultural experiences, especially during the summer and fall, when the weather is ideal for being outdoors. From savory eats to quaffable beers, cooking demonstra-
tions to wine seminars, food festivals offer a window into a place or city and its most creative makers. Here are three worth checking out. SF Street Food Festival: Oct. 13. This La Cocina-backed one-day extravaganza is the food truck festival that started it all. Meet the chefs behind La Cocina success stories, like Sabores del Sur and James Beard-nominated Reem’s, and sample their goodies. The festival, which takes place at the Potrero Power Station, has grown over the years but organizers have kept it affordable and family-friendly. Tickets are $10, compared to the hundreds it costs to attend other food festivals. 420 23rd St., San Francisco. www.sfstreetfoodfest.com Lake Tahoe Autumn Food & Wine Festival: Sept. 7-9. Push your summer Tahoe trip into September to indulge in this three-day gathering of chefs, artisanal purveyors, brewers and winemakers at Northstar California Resort. Watch chef demonstrations, like last year’s Blazing Pans Mountain Chef Cook-off, try hands-on cooking, attend a farm-to-table dinner, wine seminar or luncheon. Tickets and details still pending. 5001 Northstar Drive, Truckee. www.gotahoenorth.com.
Feast Portland: Sept. 13-16. Arguably the most creative and multifaceted food festival in the country, Feast Portland is four days of frenetically paced food and drink fun featuring leading and emerging national culinary talent in more than 40 unique dining experiences.
The Bon Appetit-backed Feast takes over Portland, shutting down streets and venues for Night Markets, cooking competitions, insider parties and more. New this year: An ’80s vs. ’90s cooking throwdown among 20 celebrated chefs and a Pacific Rim-themed Night Market.
Look for appearances by Dominique Crenn, Sean Brock, Andrew Zimmern and other celebrity chefs. Ticket prices vary. Multiday packages including hotel accommodations available. Tickets and lineup: www.feastportland.com.
Salt & Straw ice cream expands to Palo Alto, Burlingame this fall
Summer weather means we’re already craving ice cream. But the Peninsula and South Bay have to wait the entire season for the likes of Salt & Straw.
The Portland-based gourmet ice cream company has announced plans to open shops in Burlingame and Palo Alto this fall. This marks the first expansion
outside of San Francisco for Salt & Straw, which is run by cousins Kim Malek and Tyler Malek. They opened their San Francisco shops in Pacific Heights and Hayes Valley in 2017.
In San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, you can expect offerings from the
San Francisco menu, including freckled mint TCHO-colate chip, and Mt. Tam with Acme bread and sour cherry jam, as well as classic flavors such as sea salt with caramel ribbons, chocolate gooey brownie and vegan roasted strawberry coconut.
And, yes, you can expect the unconventional holiday flavors. Salt & Straw has become known for some wacky ice cream experiments, like Dracula’s Blood Pudding on Halloween and buttered mashed potatoes and gravy on Thanksgiving, in addition to its work with inner-city schools and student inventor flavors, like nacho cheese ice cream, which we tried.
The two new Salt & Straw shops will be located at 1309 Burlingame Ave. in Burlingame and 250 University Ave. in Palo Alto. Check back for opening dates.
The Halal Guys take over former Locol digs in Oakland
The Halal Guys, the fast-casual restaurant best known for its sauce-laden gyro and chicken over rice, is taking over the spot formerly housing Locol and Plum Bar in North Oakland.
The Middle Eastern restaurant, which will be located at 2214 Broadway, is the fourth Bay Area location for The Halal Guys, which started as a hot dog cart in New York City.
It is set to open this summer, and given the success of the Berkeley, San Jose and San Francisco locations, The Halal Guys should do well in the North Oakland spot despite the struggles of former tenants. Stay tuned for opening dates.
Philz heads for Lafayette; Coffee Shop comes to Concord, Danville
Central Contra Costa County is about to get a major caffeine boost as two gourmet coffeehouses make their way to Lafayette, Concord and Danville.
First, there’s Philz Coffee, which has announced the sixth East Bay location for its hand-poured, mint-topped java, in Lafayette. Philz, which is also known for tasty kouign aman and hummusslathered bagels, will take over the spot formerly occupied by Homegrown Sustainable Sandwiches at 3597 Mt. Diablo Blvd. It’s one of many new options along the boulevard where the stylish Batch & Brine recently opened. For more information, go to www.philzcoffee.com.
Coffee Shop, which doubles as a popular wine and beer spot for coffee drinkers in Walnut Creek, Lafayette and Alamo, announced plans to move into The Veranda in Concord this summer as well as another location in Danville. For more information, go to www. coffeeshop411.com.