Mar y Tierra Mexican Restaurant in San Jose

That might look like just a plate of chips and salsa, but it's actually a rather generous serving of ceviche. And best of all, it was free during happy hour as long as one ordered a drink at this unassuming little place (1373 Kooser Road Suite B, 408-613-2534). What particularly excited me was how their menu specialized in food from Mazatlan, which meant that it was very seafood-centric: fish, shrimp, oysters, scallops, and octopus in all sorts of grilled, fried, raw, and cured forms. Admittedly, the freebie above filled me to the point where I couldn't eat anymore. But I'm definitely heading back, preferably with others to hit up one of those gigantic aguachile platters. I'm so excited!

Pho Luc Lac at Branham Center, San Jose

I didn't realize the meaning of this shop until afterwards (1705 Branham Lane B3, 408-622-8115). See, they have the usual Vietnamese dishes that you'd find at a strip mall in San Jose. But they also had their namesake phở lúc lắc above, which the menu said was served in a house special soy sauce-based broth that is different from the normal phở broth. Only later did I realize that this is basically a marriage of bò lúc lắc shaking beef and phở, thus explaining the very tender cuts of filet mignon in there. But it also ended up putting minced garlic in the bottom of the bowl, which I wasn't a fan of despite the depth of the broth. I don't need to get it again.

Mountain View’s Casa Mia Restaurant

I grabbed those chilaquiles above this morning. Admittedly, it was from a slightly dressed-up breakfast place whose menu even included a Cobb salad and patty melt, so I wasn't getting my hopes up. But the quality of the chips was pretty good, and I ate this easily. I was also able to get a spiced coffee called café de olla, which was served in a cute little clay vessel.

Blue Line Pizza in Campbell, California

Hey this place was pretty good (415 East Campbell Avenue, 408-378-2800). That's a deep dish pizza above, but it wasn't Chicago style. They used cornmeal, which gave it a wonderfully gritty texture that made the thick buttery crust fun to eat. Their namesake version above featured spinach and ricotta underneath those tangy tomatoes. Sure, the roasted garlic was a tad pronounced, but I was still happy to eat it, especially when washed down with suds from their impressive array of taps. I should spend more time exploring this downtown Campbell area by the way.

Brittania Arms Almaden in San Jose, California

From what I could tell, not every outlet of Brittania Arms serves corned beef and cabbage. The one at Robertson Square does though (5027 Almaden Expressway, 408-266-0550). It didn't look like much when it came out, but I was happy with the crumbly yet savory texture of the meat as well as the soft cabbage that it came with. These guys have a decent selection of beers on tap too. We originally came here for nostalgic amusement, but I might actually go back regularly for this, especially since the service is super friendly.

La Playita at Redwood Plaza in San Jose

I originally thought this was a small taco counter that I could grab a quick bite at (1169 Redmond Avenue, 408-997-7201). Instead, it turned out to be a family-run sit-down restaurant serving old school plates of things like burritos and chile relleno. It was still pretty fast though, and I cleared the food quickly despite the fact that the carnitas inside that enchilada above was a bit dry and thick. Still, it was neat that the sauce on top was a little creamy, and that the meat was a little citrusy. The super thin chips and fresh salsa were nice as well.

Chalateco in San Jose, California

I think the only thing that I know about Salvadoran food is pupusas. So when I went to an outlet of this small San Jose chain, that's what I was looking for. And in particular, I wanted to try one featuring loroco flower buds, which sounded interesting. But then I noticed that they also did loroco with eggs, saying that it was a Salvadoran breakfast staple. I quickly changed my mind and got that plate above instead.

I have to admit, I didn't really taste the loroco. Granted, it's supposed to be pretty mild, and I should have slowed down to try to detect its allgedly nutty aroma. But in my haste to consume it, I could really only taste the eggs, with those little green loroco bits seemingly like nopales cactus in that it was more about bulk than bite. The more memorable thing for me was the mild-tasting blocks of queso fresco that it came with.

Walia Ethiopian Cuisine in San Jose, California

I'm finally getting around to checking out more of the Ethiopian restaurant corridor in San Jose, with this one being a restaurant on the other end of San Carlos Street at the intersection of Bascom Avenue (2208 Business Circle, 408-772-9113).

We went for this two person meat and veggie combo, featuring beef, chicken, and lamb done in a tibs wot style. If I understood it correctly, that means that the meat is pan-seared first before being put into the traditional stew-like sauce. It tasted a bit like an Indian curry, but thicker and deeper without as much breadth. I particularly liked how the chicken was seared, and suspect it would be even better had we opted to pay a few bucks more for the option to make it less saucy. I loved the presence of those collard greens, lentils, and cabbage, and could have used more of that injera flatbread to mop it all up (although my hand skills need more work).

Next time I want to try some of the dryer styles like the grilled and sauteed varieties. It looks like they also serve breakfast from 9 AM - 3 PM, and that breakfast menu includes ful. These guys even have some platters named after some famous tech executives who have visited.

Birria Phở from Pho Hoa + Jazen Tea in San Jose

Now here's a chain that I haven't seen in ages. I had to come to this specific dual-branded outlet at Lion Plaza today because they are one of the few shops around here doing that dish above (1834 Tully Road, 408-238-1481). Specifically, it's birria phở, or birria de consomé combined with rice noodles and the usual range of phở accompaniments. The combination of Mexican and Vietnamese ingredients sounds like the epitome of San Jose to me, and yet it's surprisingly not common at all, perhaps because birria ramen is simpler. Even Tacos y Birria el Chole didn't serve it anymore today despite my previous sighting.

Anyway, the bowl was an interesting break from typical phở, as The broth was not as spicy as its red hue made it out to be, but it was savory and fun to drink with things like bean sprouts. The meat was cut into gigantic cubes that were tough in some parts and yet fatty in others. Any meat that was attached to that bone was obviously the tastiest, but it required hands-on work. Either way, I wonder how Taqueria Azteca up in Dublin does it, as they would be approaching it from the perspective of a Mexican restaurant rather than a Vietnamese one.

Breaking Dawn Brunch in Los Gatos, California

Here's something rather unique: a Vietnamese-American brunch specialist in downtown Los Gatos that has apparently been quite popular on the weekend for its boozy parties complete with a DJ (160 West Main Street, 669-297-8888). I was rather concerned when I walked in, especially given the gaudy gold-on-black decor and even some kind of a robotic hamburger machine in the back. It looked like this place was more glamour than gourmet.

So I was a bit surprised to find that I was rather happy with my phở bánh mì dip above. Yep, it was a bánh mì, but pressed flat like a panini or Cubano and filled with brisket. It came with a small bowl of phở broth on the side so that one could consume it like a French Dip. It sounded gimmicky, but it was actually decently enjoyable, especially since they did an impressive jalapeno puree sauce for it too. I was not expecting to like it as much as I did, atlhough I won't go back for it either unless a boozy lunch is the intention.

My Roast Beef and Chowder at Kelly's

I was craving some roast beef when I got to Logan Airport today, and fortunately there was an outlet of Kelly's at my terminal. I made sure NOT to get the "three way" this time and instead tried to keep it minimal with just a few veggies plus horseradish and au jus, the latter of which was so deliciously savory that I drank it out of the little plastic cup. I'm still missing something in my configuration though (mustard, perhaps?) so I'll have to fiddle with it more next time. And I'll be sure to get a cup of their clam chowder again, as I liked how it was thin and savory. Actually, I didn't even realize that Kelly's did seafood; they have lobster rolls on the menu too.

My Steak and Lobster from Del Frisco's

This chain was selected for our team dinner tonight. I figured that I might as well grab one of their steaks, not to mention indulge in one of the petite lobster tails that they offered as a side. I realize now though that the lobster wasn't local from New England, but instead centrally sourced from Australia for all outlets nationwide, if I understood it correctly.

I didn't care too much for the quality of the beef nor the service tonight either, especially at the sky high prices that they charge. Well, I guess that it is in line with that "going large" type of image that they seem to be going for. If by chance we end up here again next time, then I should remember to ask if the other seafood like oysters and fish are locally sourced.