The Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl takes great advantage of the perfect summer evening weather in Los Angeles - viewing an outdoor performance while eating/drinking is fantastic. I've seen many performances here and I've never been disappointed.
Bring with you:
- Seat cushions - the seats can be hard and cold
- Food + drink - the food there is a bit fast-foody and expensive
- Binoculars - especially if you get the cheap seats in the back like I do
- Warm clothes or blanket - even in the summer it can get a touch chilly
Via Cafe
It is tough to find a bowl of vegetarian Pho, but they serve it up here (it is not on the menu). Their spring rolls and slushes are quite good too. Parking is around the corner for 60 cents every half hour.
PROS: Good, cheap vietnamse food
CONS: Credit cards not taken here
Native Foods Cafe
Great place to eat - we came here in the evening and the outdoor eating felt sheltered but still open. Definitely my favorite of the Native Foods restaruants I've been to. I recommend the Bali Burger or the Mad Cowboy.
PROS: Nice outdoor area
CONS:
Madras Cafe
Definitely a diamond in the rough - this place is in a nondescript strip mall near a Carl's Jr and McDonalds, but it would be a crime to go to either of these when Madras Cafe is so close-by.
The interior is clean but nothing fancy - and the ordering is more akin to a fast food restaurant.
The food, however, is quite excellent. I enjoyed my idlys and Rava Masala Dosa. The sambar was quite spicy but so good that I ate the whole thing as soup. My idly came with Podi which was quite potent.
Definitely one of the standouts of Southern Indian Cuisine in Sunnyvale.
PROS: Great dosas and idlys
CONS: Nondescript interior and exterior
Udupi Palace
Sunnyvale is full of great Southern Indian restaurants, and this is one of the best of them. The interior is not much to look at but the food is amazing.
I enjoyed the Special Thali which is a sampler of all kinds of sauces. The Special Rava Masala Dosa was also amazing, with a great filling. We also had an appetizer sampler which had all kinds of idlys and lentil donuts and such.
The food is spicy but not too hot so you won't be dying at the end of your meal.
PROS: Great food, great prices
CONS: Interior not much to look at
Sirayvah Organic Thai
Sirayvah is a little gem in San Carlos - the interior is very serene and appealing with many fountains, bamboo, and little waterfalls.
The food I had (pineapple friend rice) was delicious. I made the mistake of asking for a heat level of "spicy", and was a bit overwhelmed. My taste buds said go, my tear glands said stop! I never knew organic food could hurt so much.
The prices are a bit high but it is worth it for the ambiance and good food.
They are very vegetarian friendly and have a section of the menu dedicated to vegetarian dishes.
Bonus - they have a nice selection of organic wines!
PROS: Great food, spicy, nice interior
CONS: Slightly pricey
Safeway
I dropped by here at 9:30pm on a Monday night and there was a line so massive that I turned around and went right back to my car. I drove to Albertsons about 4 miles away which was much less crowded.
PROS:
CONS: Huge line at night
Thai Pepper Cuisine
Thai Pepper is on the NE corner of Fremont and Sunnyvale-Saratoga. It is a great place - good decor and excellent food. We had some spring rolls for appetizers and they were very delicious. One section of the menu is completely vegetarian.
PROS: Tasty food, vegetarian menu
CONS:
The Ice House
The Ice House is a great resource for folks in Pasadena who don't want to drive into town to watch great comedy. They usually have very funny acts here. I also went here to see my friend's "graduation performance" for his comedy school.
Chan's Market
This is probably the closest market to my house. There really isn't a reason to stop by here unless you live close by, but I do try to support local businesses so I go here.
You might expect that this is an Asian market from the name, but it is actually more of a Mexican market.
PROS: Close to my place
CONS: Not much else reason to come here
