Part of selling real estate in Silicon Valley is the fact that I am passionate about the area where we live – here, I’m putting together another one of my “favorites” lists. This time, it’s non-giant-corporate coffee shops and bakeries. For the first time in awhile, lots of indies are popping up and they are worth a try. Each has a place to sit down & meet friends or family for catching up. (i.e., some bakeries were not included due to counter service only) Most also have some type of worthy pastries. These are my go to spots when I get tired of Starbucks and Peet’s.

The Latte Art bunch:

Bitter + Sweet; www.bitter-sweet.com; 20560 Town Center Lane, Cupertino CA 408-255-2600 (Sightglass coffee, Humphrey Slocombe ice cream, Satura pastries–try the Kouignamann, etc.) Espresso drinks, teas & single pour coffees.

Barefoot Coffee; www.barefootcampbell.com 1819 S. Bascom Ave., Campbell CA 408-340-5026; www.barefootcoffee.com 5237 Stevens Creek Blvd., Santa Clara CA 408-248-4500, 15567 Union Ave. Los Gatos CA 408-377-1052.

Philz Coffee; www.philzcoffee.com; 3191 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto CA; 101 Forest Ave., Palo Alto CA; 118 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose CA.

Roy’s Station; www.roys-station.com; 197 Jackson Street San Jose CA (Japantown) 408-286-2236. A revival of a landmark, with plenty of outdoor seating (plus ample indoor).

Other coffee spots:

Crema, www.cremacoffeeco.com, 950 The Alameda San Jose CA, 408-295-5690 & 50 W. San Fernando St. #120 San Jose CA 408-287-4111. Outdoor seating at the location on The Alamaeda.

Cafe Venetia, www.cafevenetia.com, 419 University Ave. Palo Alto CA, 650-323-3600. Experience the good side of pretentious Italian coffee service.

Cafe Borrone, www.cafeborrone.com, 1010 El Camino Real Menlo Park CA 650-327-0830, a Silicon Valley stalwart. Don’t miss any of the cafes on this list, but you might want to start here from the longstanding historical standpoint.

Bakeries with coffee and tea:

Paris Baguette; 3561 El Camino Real #75 Santa Clara CA, 408-260-0404, 383 University Ave. Palo Alto CA 650-838-0404. A Korean-run French bakery with huge selection. Gift cakes are packaged in gorgeous presentation boxes. Pastries are reasonably priced.

Fleur de Cocoa; www.fleurdecocoa.com, 39 N. Santa Cruz Los Gatos CA, 408-354-3574. Authentic French bakery run by Pascal de Janvier who wins pastry competitions all over the world.

Cocola; www.cocolabakery.com, 333 Santana Row #1045, San Jose CA 408-551-0018. I like their Palmiers, Creme Feuillette & more. Plus it’s nice to have a unique spot to people watch in Santana Row.

Flower Flour; www.flower-flour.com, 896 Willow Street San Jose CA (Willow Glen), 408-279-0843. To-die-for chocolate chip cookies. Coffee is decent — but it is more the baked goods, homemade lunches and in-house florist that make this noteworthy.

If I have missed a notable spot, please let me know about it & why you like it. I’ll give it a try!

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My main business is to help people with home buying and home selling in Silicon Valley, San Jose & the South Bay. Contact me if you need to buy a house or if you are getting your house ready to sell.

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• Our Silicon Valley/Santa Clara County inventory is sitting at 2516 residences on the market–1834 single family and 682 townhouse/condo. The average days on market is 77. This is a change from last year at the same time when there were 3924 residences on the market and an average of 86 DOM. From my vantage point, it feels like things are heating up a *little* bit. Hey, but we’ll take it!
• The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index rose to 56% in November up from October’s 40.9.
• Nationally home prices are back to Q1 2003 levels.
• Mortgage rates are the lowest they have been in 6 decades, hovering right around 4% for a 30 year fixed.
• Monthly mortgage payments are actually lower across the board than renting in 12 metro areas.
• Housing starts are up in California — builders pulled 17% more permits currently than the same time last year.
• 1 in 5 mortgaged households is underwater on their loan.

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The Listing Look Realtor Kelsey Lane (Coldwell Banker) just listed this fabulous Sunnyvale house:

Abundance of natural light in this fabulous Sunnyvale house

Welcome to this American Housing Guild-built home featuring an enclosed atrium with windows galore. Many floor to ceiling dual-paned windows let in an abundance of natural light. The open floor plan of this Sunnyvale house encompasses 1671 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 ½ bathrooms. Enjoy the soft, earthy color palette…high ceilings…neutral carpeting…and mature landscaping in the front & back yards (6014 square foot lot). Highlights in the kitchen include stainless & black appliances, skylight, as well as granite that ties all the colors of the home together. Newer upgrades include furnace, carpeting, windows, and several freshly painted rooms. Other features are copper plumbing, Hunter Douglas honeycomb shades, and automatically timed sprinklers. 2-car garage. Seller to provide Section 1 clearance per seller report. Move in condition! Schools associated are Stocklmeir Elementary, Cupertino Middle & Fremont High. For an exclusive showing of this fine Sunnyvale house, please contact Kelsey Lane at 408-316-0660.

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I stumbled onto the restaurant for the first time kind of by mistake. I was at The Pruneyard in Campbell CA and noticed the red and white retro space wedged in between the Barnes & Noble and the Trader Joe’s stores. It was getting close to dinner time and I hadn’t thought about what to make so I poked my head in the door. The first thing that struck me was the smell of the meat cooking. Hamburger cooking on a grill gets me every time.  I studied the menu board, placed my first order, and I have been a fan of the restaurant ever since.

These days I frequent their business at the Willow Glen area restaurant in San Jose CA. It’s a short drive from my house to their store front so it’s an easy place to get my fill of cheeseburgers. My order tends to be the same on every visit – a double cheeseburger (called a “Double Mojo”) with onion rings and a soda. There is a lot to sink your teeth into when you get a Double Mojo. There are two patties and slices of cheese for each along with tomatoes, pickles, lettuce and onions all on a toasted bun.  It does get a little messy but that might just be from the fact it’s a double cheeseburger instead of the smaller single hamburger or one of the other sandwiches that they have on the menu.

As a side dish, I always go with the onion rings. The mix of crunchy batter outside and sweet onion inside always makes me a very happy eater and I think that they make a very good onion ring. Their fries are just as good, by the way. Round it off with a soda and my meal is complete.  If you eat there as opposed to taking it out, it’s the stereotypical red basket lined with napkins and that is it. You don’t need a lot of adornment when the food tastes this good.

I must admit the food is a little more expensive than at the larger fast food chain restaurants. My normal order comes out to around $12 for everything but for me that added expense is definitely worth it. The food is always top notch and the service is always strong and helpful with whatever you might ask for. If you’re anywhere near one of their three current stores, I would definitely recommend you giving them a try.

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Flemings
180 El Camino Real (2 Stanford Shopping Center), Palo Alto, CA 94304
Phone: (650) 329-8457
http://www.flemingssteakhouse.com/locations/ca/palo-alto
“5 For $6 ’Til 7” bar menu, featuring 5 tempting appetizers, 5 premium cocktails and 5 distinctive wines by the glass — each priced at $6 and served nightly from 5-7 pm.

Rock Bottom Brewery
1875 South Bascom Ave. Unit 700, Campbell, CA 95008
Phone: (408) 377-0707
http://www.rockbottom.com/san-jose/specials
Happy hour in the bar and on the patio (weather permitting) on: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday from 3pm – 6pm and 10pm to close, plus ALL DAY Wednesday for great food and drink specials!

Yard House
300 Santana Row, San Jose, CA 95128
Phone: (408) 241-9273
http://www.yardhouse.com/CA/san_jose/
Monday – Friday: 3pm – 6pm
Sunday – Wednesday:  10pm – Close

Martinis & Beer
Domestic Pints $3.50
Craft/Import Pints $4.25-4.75
Goblets $4.75-5.25 Half Yards (M-F, 3-6 only) $7.00-9.25
Well Drinks $4.25-4.75
House Martinis $6.00
Wine By The Glass $2.00 off

Half Yards not available for Late Night Happy Hour. Brands noted on menu with a single asterisk (*) or double asterisk (**) are not available in a Half Yard.

Select Half-Priced Appetizers & Pizzas:

PIZZAS: BBQ Chicken · Four Cheese · Margherita · Pepperoni & Mushroom · Ham & Pineapple · Spicy Thai Chicken

APPETIZERS: Spinach Cheese Dip · Moo Shu Egg Rolls · Fried Calamari · Fried Chicken Strips · Chinese Garlic Noodles · Onion Ring Tower · Chicken Nachos · Hawaiian Poke Stack · Seared Ahi Sashimi · Chicken Lettuce Wraps · Spicy Tuna Roll · California Roll · Blue Crab Cakes · Wings: Traditional, Boneless or Veggie

SLIDERS: Classic, Béarnaise, Pastrami, Turkey Burger or Veggie, $6.75
Ahi Sliders, $9.95

Rosie McCann’s
355 Santana Row # 1060, San Jose, CA 95128
Phone: (408) 247-1706
http://www.rosiemccanns.com/

Sino
377 Santana Row, Suite 1000, San Jose, CA 95128
Phone: (408) 247 8880
http://www.straitsrestaurants.com/sino—santana-row-pages-8.php/sino—santana-row-pages-8.php
Happy Hour 4-7pm Monday – Friday
Wine & Well Drinks: $5/glass, Bar Features: $7/glass; Appetizers: $5/item

Straits
333 Santana Row, Suite 1100, San Jose, CA 95128
Phone: (408) 246-6320
http://www.straitsrestaurants.com/sino—santana-row-pages-8.php
Happy Hour 3-6pm Monday – Friday
Cocktails/Wine: $5, Beer: $3; Appetizers: $3 and $5/item

Elephant Bar
499 E. Hamilton Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008
Phone: (408) 871-8401
http://elephantbar.com/
Monday-Friday 3-7pm, and 7 Days A Week 9pm-Close (in bar only)
Food $3-7, drinks $2-5, and cheeseburger, fries, and beer combos $6.50-8.50

Capers Eat and Drink
1710 West Campbell Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008
Phone: (408) 374-5777
http://caperseatanddrink.com/
Monday–Friday 3PM to 7PM (Bar areas only)
Draft Beers, Glass of House White or Red Wines, Well Drinks $5.00, Appetizers $6.00
Monday & Tuesday: 2-for-1 Martinis (well only), Wednesday: 2-for-1 Pasta Dishes (menu items only), Thursday: 2-for-1 Margaritas (well only), Sunday: No Corkage Fee and Complimentary Dessert with the purchase of two entrees

LB Steak
334 Santana Row, Suite 1000, San Jose, California, 95128
Phone: (408) 244-1180
www.lbsteak.com
Happy Hour offered Monday – Friday 2 – 6pm

Left Bank Brasserie
377 Santana Row, Suite 1100, San Jose, California 95128
Phone: (408) 984-3500
www.LeftBank.com
Happy Hour offered Monday-Friday 4-6pm and 9pm-close (bar only)

Left Bank Brasserie
635 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Phone: (650) 473-6543
www.leftbank.com
Happy Hour offered every night 3 – 6pm and 9pm-close (bar and patio only)

Fahrenheit Restaurant & Lounge
99 East San Fernando Street, San Jose, CA 95113
Phone: (408) 274-9998
www.fahrenheitsj.com
Monday-Saturday 5-7pm
Drinks:  ½ price beer, well, and specialty drink (16 specialty seasonal cocktails)
Food:  $3, $4, and $5 menu items

Azucar

71 E. San Fernando Street, San Jose; 408-293-8482

www.azucarsj.com

Sunday-Friday 5-7 pm and 9-11 pm $3 Mojitos/Wells/Beers and $2 Tapas

 Zen Lounge

251 Castro Street, Mountain View; 650-969-4847

www.zenmv.com

Thurs-Sat 7-10pm, $2 Beer/Champagne, $4 Tequila shots, $5 Sake Bombs

 Shokolaat

516 University Ave., Palo Alto, 650-289-0719

www.shokolaat.com

Tues-Sat 5:30-6:30, half price appetizers, well drinks & wines by the glass. Domestic beer $3.

Viva

15970 Los Gatos Blvd., Los Gatos. 408-356-4902

www.vivalosgatos.com

Daily 3:30-6:30

OTHER DEALS

Los Altos Grill
233 3^rd Street
San Jose, CA 94022
Phone: (650) 948-3524
Fax: (650) 948-5561
http://www.hillstone.com/#/restaurants/losAltosGrill/
No corkage fee

Country Gourmet
2098 W. El Camino Real
Mountain View, CA 94040
Phone: (650) 962-1700
Fax: (650) 938-8367
http://www.cgmountainview.com/
$3.95 corkage fee

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Looking to buy a house in the Silicon Valley area? You can either request a property list through this blog, or The Listing Look has a complimentary home search page through Realtor Kelsey Lane: Search Santa Clara County property

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