{"id":15883,"date":"2010-09-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-09-22T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.metroactive.com\/best-of-silicon-valley\/2010\/classics.html"},"modified":"2010-09-22T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2010-09-22T00:00:00","slug":"classics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metrosiliconvalley.com\/classics\/","title":{"rendered":"Classics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n
<\/a>
In 1991, we honored the ubiquitous Flying Toasters screen saver.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n \n\n

Best Supermarket<\/h3>\n

Cosentino’s Markets<\/strong>
\n2666 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose; 408.377.6661. “The place to break a food budget unless discipline and restraint are exercised.” (1986)\nOther past wins: Best Independent Grocer \n<\/p>\n\n

Best Jazz\/Blues Club<\/h3>\n

JJ’s Blues<\/strong>
\n3439 Stevens Creek Blvd., San Jose; 408.243.6441. “The kind of club you wouldn’t take your mom to, unless your mom was Etta James.” (2009)\nOther past wins: Best R&B and Blues Club, Best Bar for Live Music\n<\/p>\n\n

Best Scotch Selection<\/h3>\n

CB Hannegan’s<\/strong>
\n208 Bachman Ave., Los Gatos; 408.395.1233. “A remarkable collection of 83 outstandingly diverse single-malt Scotch whiskies (representing 59 different distilleries).” (1989)\nOther past wins: Best Neighborhood Bar\n<\/p>\n\n

Best Hotel<\/h3>\n

Fairmont Hotel<\/strong>
\n170 S. Market St., San Jose; 408.998.1900. “The high life in the South Bay.” (1990)\nOther past wins: Best Hotel, Best Brunch, Best Hotel Powder Room, Best Late-Night Sugar Fix, Best Place for an Illicit Tryst\n<\/p>\n\n

Best Kamikaze<\/h3>\n

The Black Watch<\/strong>
\n141 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos; 408.354.2200. “They may not have invented the Kamikaze, but they sure perfected it.” (1986)\nOther past wins: Best Dive Bar, Metro’s 1999 Hall of Fame, Best Bar\u2014West Valley, Best Shots\n<\/p>\n\n

Best Coffee Beans<\/h3>\n

Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Co.<\/strong>
\n101 W. Main St., Los Gatos; 408.354.3263. “Look for the exotic rare blends as well, including the legendary Jamaican Blue Mountain, the Rolls Royce of javas.” (1987)\nOther past wins: Best Coffee, Best Coffee Bar, Best Yupscale Coffeehouse, Best Coffeehouse Ambience, Best Local Coffeehouse\n<\/p>\n\n

Best Used Paperback Bookstore<\/h3>\n

Recycle Bookstore<\/strong>
\n275 E. Campbell Ave., Campbell, 408.370.3514; 1066 The Alameda, San Jose, 408.286.6275. “A comfortably shabby store in a seedy downtown neighborhood, staffed by comfortably shabby, friendly clerks.” (1989)\nOther past wins: Best Used-Book Store, Best Store for Used Books, Best Bookstore\u2014Used, Best Local Bookstore\n<\/p>\n\n

Best Car Wash<\/h3>\n

Lozano Brushless<\/strong>
\n2690 W. El Camino Real, Mountain View, 650.941.0590; 610 Grape Ave., Sunnyvale, 408.245.7737. “Signs at the wash use words like ‘massaged’ and ‘ultra modern,’ and we like the functional perforated I-beam authentic 1950s motif.” (1986)\n<\/p>\n\n

Best Used Record Store<\/h3>\n

Streetlight Records<\/strong>
\n980 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose; 408.292.1404. “The nondescript storefront appearance doesn’t prepare the casual shopper for what awaits inside: record heaven.” (1989)\nOther past wins: Best Place to Rock and Shop, Best Independent CD Store, Best Used CDs and Records, Best Place to Buy Vinyl, Best Place for a Soundtrack, Metro’s 1999 Hall of Fame\n<\/p>\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n

<\/a>
Randall King enjoyed dressing as Jack Nicholson’s The Joker<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Best Oyster Bar<\/h3>\n

Steamer’s Grillhouse<\/strong>
\n31 University Ave., Los Gatos; 408.395.2722. “The oysters at Steamer’s are served up fresh, or they aren’t served at all.” (1987)\nOther past wins: Best Fish House, Best Margarita\n<\/p>\n\n

Best Local Made Beer- Amber Ale<\/h3>\n

Tied House Cafe and Brewery<\/strong>
\n954 Villa St., Mountain View; 650.965.2739. “This ale hits an spot with a crisp, zingy finish.” (1989)\nOther past wins: Best Micro-brewery, Best Place to Pick Up an Engineer, Best Beer on Tap, Best Beer Selection\n<\/p>\n\n\n

Best Computer Store<\/h3>\n

Fry’s Electronics<\/strong>
\nMultiple locations. “Among the glut of computer and electronic gizmos, the store also sells fuel for computer nerds and hackers: magazines, sodas, cookies.” (1990)\nOther past wins: Place to Buy a Computer\n<\/p>\n\n

Best Use of a Banana<\/h3>\n

Falafel’s Drive In<\/strong>
\n2301 Stevens Creek Blvd., San Jose; 408.294.7886. “Smoothie joints may be all the rage, but for over 30 years fans have flocked to this unassuming roadside drive-in for delicious Middle Eastern and American specialties, salty fries and his timeless banana shakes.” (1998)\nOther past wins: Best Falafel, Best Middle Eastern, Best Takeout\/Quick Grab, Best Perennial ‘Best Of’ Falafel Winner, Best Place to Eat Up When Stocks Drop, Best Vegetarian Overall\n<\/p>\n\n\n

Best Mom ‘n’ Pop Italian Deli<\/h3>\n

Paradiso Delicatessen<\/strong>
\n791 Auzerais Ave., San Jose; 408.295.6459. “Sweet grandmotherly ladies serve up steaming trays of ravioli, quiche, lasagna, sausages, spaghetti and meatballs, sandwiches on Italian bread.” (1988)\n<\/p>\n\n\n

Best-Tasting Time Warp<\/h3>\n

Peninsula Fountain & Grill<\/strong>
\n566 Emerson Ave., Palo Alto; 650.323.3131. “Where the clock stopped somewhere in the early ’50s.” (1999)\nOther past wins: Best Lunch Counter, Best Old-Fashioned Milk Shake\n<\/p>\n\n\n

Best Handmade Burritos<\/h3>\n

Guadalajara Market No.2<\/strong>
\n452 E. Empire St., San Jose; 408.294.0545. “Inexpensive, portable and delicioso.” (1986)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Gallery for Weird Art<\/h3>\n

WORKS\/San Jose<\/strong>
\n451 S. First St., San Jose; 408.286.6800. “Most galleries have art work just framed and on the wall. WORKS will have things coming out of the wall, out of the floor, out of the ceiling.” (1986)\nOther past wins: Best Place to Crash a Wedding Reception and Never Know It\n<\/p>\n\n\n

Best Name for a Downtown Store<\/h3>\n

Hammer & Lewis Fashions<\/strong>
\n19 S. First St., San Jose, 408.295.5808; 1040 S. White Road, San Jose, 408.259.7656. “The store has been around since 1921, long before Susan Hammer and Shirley Lewis decided to run against each other for mayor of San Jose.” (1990)\nOther past wins: Best Bolo Ties\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Sports Shop<\/h3>\n

Charlie Rose Baseball<\/strong>
\n161 Curtner Ave., Campbell; 408.559.7673. “Owner Charlie Rose says, ‘We have people that stop in to browse from all over. They just can’t believe that one store can have so much variety in any one item.'” (1987)\n(Note: Charlie Rose passed away in 1988, and Pat McCann purchased the shop from Rose’s family.)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n

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Olympic Gold Medal Winner Pablo Morales was a good sport when we asked him to recreate Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind.’\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\n

Best Fish Market<\/h3>\n

Race Street Fish and Poultry<\/strong>
\n253 Race St., San Jose; 408.294.4857. “If caught this morning, it’s at Race Street today.” (1986)\nOther past wins: Best Seafood, Best Place to Flex Your Mussels\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Best Tacos<\/h3>\n

Tacos Al Pastor<\/strong>
\n400 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose, 408.275.1619; 1629 Meridian Ave., San Jose, 408.265.1198; 6469 Almaden Expwy., San Jose, 408.997.3548,\n“Word is spreading about this unpretentious, reasonably priced Mexican kitchen.” (1987)\nOther past wins: Best Place to “Q” Up for Barbecue\n<\/p>\n\n\n

Best Newsstand<\/h3>\n

Mac’s Smoke Shop<\/strong>
\n534 Emerson St., Palo Alto; 650.323.3724. “Besides being the ‘Headquarters for Imported and Domestic Cigars and Pipes,’ Mac’s is also a great local newsstand.” (1987)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Best Dry Cleaner<\/h3>\n

Diamond Laundry and Cleaners<\/strong>
\n398 W. San Carlos St., San Jose; 408.295.3223. “This establishment has been operated by the same owner for more than a half-century and prides itself in offering customers old-fashioned service.” (1988)\nOther past wins: Best Old-Fashioned Dry Cleaner\n<\/p>\n\n\n

Best Vietnamese Market<\/h3>\n

Dai-Thanh Market<\/strong>
\n420 S. Second St., San Jose; 408.287.3744. “The store is always full of locals pinching and squeezing the fruits and vegetables in the large produce section.” (1989)\n<\/p>\n\n\n

Best Place to Eat Ostrich in Style <\/h3>\n

California Cafe <\/strong>
\nMultiple locations. “Amazing grilled ostrich.” (2000)\nOther past wins: Best California Cuisine, Best Regional Restaurant\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Budget Gourmet Selection<\/h3>\n

Trader Joe’s<\/strong>
\nMultiple locations. “After 35 years in Southern California, the Trader Joe’s phenomenon has finally expanded into our neck of the woods.” (1990)\nOther past wins: Best Place to Buy Organic Groceries, Best Thing to Happen to Downtown, Ever, Metro’s 1994 Lifetime Achievement Award\n<\/p>\n\n\n

Best Chocolate Shop<\/h3>\n

Schurra’s<\/strong>
\n840 The Alameda, San Jose; 408.289.1562. “A wide variety of candy molds and exquisite craftsmanship.” (1990)\n<\/p>\n\n\n

Best Omelets<\/h3>\n

Hobee’s<\/strong>
\nMultiple locations.\n“Just seven varieties are listed on the menu, but Hobee’s captured your omelet-loving hearts by using only fresh ingredients.” (1990)\nOther past wins: Best Breakfast, Best Brunch Spot, Best Place to Catch Venture Capitalists Sunny Side Up\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Best Local Jazz Group<\/h3>\n

Spang-a-Lang<\/strong>
\n“The band’s fine musicianship and funky rhythms satisfy both jazz aficionados and dancing fools; the happy crowds make nightclub owners ecstatic.” (1990)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Best Beachwear\/Swimwear Shop<\/h3>\n

Ujena Swimwear<\/strong>
\n1931-A Old Middlefield Way, Mountain View; 800.448.5362\n“Suede bathing suits, screaming neon bikinis, matching suit-dress-pantsets.” (1990)\nOther past wins: Best Party in Mexico (by a Mountain View Company)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Best Margarita<\/h3>\n

Pedro’s<\/strong>
\n316 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos; 408.354.7570\n“Other versions exist, but these are worth fighting the parking situation in Los Gatos for.” (2005)\nOther past wins: Best Mexican Food, Best Happy Hour\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Read the latest features and columns from the South Bay’s Metro Newspaper, and find information on upcoming events, lifestyle, the arts and more. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14575,"featured_media":15884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_expiration-date-status":"","_expiration-date":0,"_expiration-date-type":"","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[]},"categories":[1910],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n