Cascal in the valley

It's been at least two years since I last went to Cascal, the Spanish restaurant at the end of Castro St in Mountain View. Unfortunately, the only reason we went there was because Nami Nami was closed on the Monday night we were there. My memories of Cascal were mostly of the amazing sangrias on the menu, but i have to admit the food is pretty decent as well, not the small tapas sizes common in San Francisco, but much larger variety found in the south bay. Quality does not always equal quantity, and there was nothing 'tapas sized' at all with the dishes.

My favorite dish that evening was the Mexico City style beef shortribs, tender, juicy and flavorful, and in some ways reminded me of the Indonesian beef rendang dish. The tuna tartar didn't turn out the way I expected, it didn't look tartar-ish at all. More like a salad, but nonetheless still quite savory and tasty.

Thea Mediterranean on Santana Row

I stumbled upon this place at a quiet corner of Santana Row some time back, but never got round to writing a blog entry until now. In some ways, the cuisine at Thea reminds me of Kokkari, another wonderful Greek establishment in San Francisco. But Thea brings modern Greek fine dining to suburban San jose, and does it with a lot of flair. As you enter the main entrance you are greeted by the high ceiling and the luxurious decor enveloping the restaurant in a Mediterranean island atmosphere.

Tonight, I we ordered the usual Saganaki Opai appetizer, a Greek cheese flamed with brandy and lemon right by the tableside. This is one dish you would want to order to impress your date or partner. The lemon juice imparts a zesty flavor to the aromatic cheese that melts in your mouth. Sometimes I'd go for the Soupa Avgolemono, a traditional Greek chicken soup flavored with lemon, egg and rice.


Seafood has always been very fresh at Thea, and one of my other favorite mains is the Garides - grilled large prawns in greek spices over zucchini cake and argula salad. If you want something more hearty, then the moussaka is the other favorite option that never fails to disappoint.

Unlike most San Jose restaurants, Thea stay open late, and even after 10:30pm, you can get a table by the bar and order drinks and some selected bar foods from the dinner menu. The cocktails are also expertly concocted by resident bartender Asia, who does a mean lychee martini.