A picture from a past Neighborfood event. Credits: Andy Lee

On Wednesday, June 19, 2013 from 5 to 8 p.m., food lovers have the chance to get a sneak preview of some of the downtown restaurants that will participate in Dine Downtown 2013, hosted by the San Jose Downtown Association, which takes place June 21-30.

Neighborfood Preview: Dine Downtown Edition is organized by Dishcawl and is a great opportunity to check out some new restaurants or return to an old favorite. “With participating locations like 19 Market and Billy Berk’s, Dine Downtown is sure to be a successful restaurant week and Dishcrawl is giving people a VIP exclusive,” says Kirby Ptacek, Dishcrawl ambassador.

For $5 – tickets can be purchased online – diners get entry to the event, a cupcake, and the chance to win $500. Neighborfood is a self-guided tour through the participating restaurants diners choose to visit, and food tickets are available at the event for $5 each. There are many mouthwatering offerings to choose from. While strolling through downtown, Neighborfood participants also get to socialize with new and old friends.

Following is a list of participating restaurants and what they are going to offer:

• Bella Mia: Petite white chocolate cheesecake
• Cafe Stritch: Classic burger slider with fries.
• Mezcal: Chicken tamales with mole negro wrapped in banana leaves, served with chips and salsa, and a side of chapulines.
• 19Market: Vietnamese taco with bbq pork, shredded cabbage, & spicy sauce
• Billy Berk’s: Mojito glazed skirt steak topped with a fried jalapeño and mango jicama salad crostini
• Vino Vino: Brie, fig, & prosciutto crostini
• Fahrenheit: Spicy garlic noodles with chicken
• Paolo’s: Calamari fritto misto

Dishcrawl will donate some proceeds of the event to local organizations, such as San Jose Day Nursery and Arts Council Silicon Valley.

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Good beer in Silicon Valley. Credits: Andy Lee

The following is a quick listing of upcoming South Bay beer events, including brewery nights and other special happenings taking place throughout the valley at places like Harry’s Hofbrau San Jose, Jack’s Bar & Lounge, Original Gravity Public House, Tied House Microbrewery, O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub, and Steins Beer Garden & Restaurant.

There is also the Better Brew Tasting Garden (last year’s event was a resounding success) taking place at this Friday’s SubZERO Festival, this month’s membership drive for the San Jose Co-op Brewpub this Saturday, and the schedule for this year’s remaining three Beerwalks.

Most if not all of these dates and events have been culled from the respective Facebook event pages.

Thur., June 6, 6pm: Fifty-Fifty Brewing Co. Night at Harry’s Hofbrau San Jose

Thur., June 6, 6pm-close: Anchor Steam Fort Ross Farmhouse Ale & OBA Night at Jack’s Bar & Lounge

Thur., June 6, 5-8pm: Heretic Brewing Tap Room Opening Celebration at Original Gravity Public House

Fri., June 7, 5pm: Firkin Friday featuring Super Hoptopia with Centennial and Cascade hops at Tied House Microbrewery

Fri., June 7, Better Brew Beer Garden

Sat., June 8, 2-4pm: Drake’s Beer Club Event at O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub

Sat., June 8, 2-5pm: San Jose Co-op Brewpub Membership Drive at Steins Beer Garden & Restaurant

Thur., June 13, 6pm-close: Hermitage Brewing Company Hoptopia and Citra Night at Jack’s Bar & Lounge

Thur., June 13, 5-11pm: Port/Lost Abbey Tap Takeover at Original Gravity Public House

Thur., June 20, 6pm-close: Goose Island Honkers and IPA at Jack’s Bar & Lounge

Thur., June 20, 5-11pm: Allagash Tap Takeover at Original Gravity Public House

Thur., June 27, 6pm-close: Firestone Walker Union Jack and Wookie Jack at Jack’s Bar & Lounge

Thur., June 27, 5-11pm: Uinta Tap Takeover at Original Gravity Public House

July 28-Aug. 3: Silicon Valley Beer Week

Wed., July 31, 6-9pm: 2nd Annual Campbell Beerwalk

Wed., Aug. 28, 6-9pm: Santana Row Beerwalk

Sat., Oct 26, 2-6pm: Willow Glen Beerwalk, Halloween Edition

Keep in mind that there are other South Bay establishments that host ongoing events and specials; the information just is not in the public sphere yet. And don’t forget the many South Bay brewpubs and stores that sell good beer.

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This event marks the first time that the popular Beerwalk series will be held in Mountain View, as previous Beerwalks have taken place in Japantown San Jose, downtown Campbell, and Willow Glen.

The complete list of participating breweries (including Tied House, Strike, Faultline, Gordon Biersch, Hermitage, and the new San Jose brewing company Santa Clara Valley Brewing) and tasting locations (including Tied House, Steak Out Burgers and Beer Garden, Jane’s Beer Store, and the recently opened Steins Beer Garden & Restaurant) is available on The Beerwalk Mountain View website.

Tickets are $30 if purchased in advance, and check-in for the Beerwalk starts at noon at Tied House.

Director of marketing for Tied House Carolyn Hopkins-Vasquez says, “Tied House has been fortunate to be a part of this amazing community for 25 years. To celebrate, we are excited to work with Beerwalk to show off the vibrant, local business scene on and around Castro Street, and to introduce Mountain View to some of the best regional craft beer.”

Hopkins-Vasquez began working at Tied House eight years ago as a server prior to overseeing the marketing functions. She credits the successful run of Tied House to its founder and owner Lou Jemison, a Santa Cruz native.

After graduating from UC Berkeley with a history degree, Jemison opened one of the first “fern bars” in the Los Angeles area, calling it The San Francisco Saloon Company. During this time, Jemison acquired Ford’s Fountain in Watsonville, a coffee shop and bakery, which he managed after selling his share of The San Francisco Saloon Company and moving back to the Bay Area. He began a catering company from Ford’s and then in 1986, planted the seeds for Tied House.

Hopkins-Vasquez shares, “Lou is not one for many words. He is passionate about his company, and also about keeping talent and fostering employee talent. For example, he allowed me to create my own job, essentially as a cheerleader for the company. That speaks to the nature of his leadership style.

His quiet but supportive leadership is what keeps the company prosperous and maintains a healthy work environment. I like to think his style is right on par with the whole of Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial spirit and creative nature.”

Jemison recently took the time to answer some questions, including how the idea for starting Tied House Microbrewery came about.

How does it feel reaching this milestone number of 25 years? What does it mean for you?

Our parent company, a family owned farm and land company in Watsonville, just turned 84, so 25 seems like yesterday.

How did the idea for Tied House come about?

In 1986, I traveled to Baden Baden, in what was then West Germany, to visit a friend. While there, I went to several brewery-restaurants and was impressed with the concept. I also loved the idea of having a view of the brewery machinery and the brewing process; something about the ambiance struck me.

When I returned to California, I found out a recent law had been passed making it legal to manufacture and sell beer at the same site. The idea for the name, as well as the concept, of Tied House was born.

We brought in Cheuck H. Tom as our Brewmaster, who previously worked as Chief Chemist and Brewer/Assistant Brewmaster at San Miguel Brewery in Hong Kong and Assistant Brewmaster at Anheuser-Busch in Los Angeles. Under his leadership, Tied House quickly earned multiple GABF and World Beer Cup medals.

The recipes he developed are still made today, and held to the highest standards of brewing, by Brewmaster Ron Manabe and his team.

Why did you select downtown Mountain View as the location to open Tied House?

The Mountain View City Manager called me up and convinced me to open in Mountain View instead of a neighboring town. The city owned the building we are in and sold it to us.

What Tied House achievement are you proudest of?

Being part of creating a quality locally-produced and locally-consumed product in a friendly, open setting is what I am most proud of.

What are your hopes for the next 25 years?

World peace… and I can stay healthy for most of those 25 years.

Anything else to add?

Go Sharks! Go Giants! What about those 49ers?!

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In reaching the 25-year milestone, Tied House shows no signs of slowing down, no doubt buoyed by a strong management team, solid food, good beer, a fun and open environment, and friendly customer service.

Indeed, several recent mid-afternoon lunch visits to Tied House consisted of great food, tasty beers, and excellent service, prompting immediate planning for return visits. That the establishment is guided by such a respected owner, and an avid Bay Area sports fan to boot, makes it all the better.

Tied House Microbrewery founder and owner Lou Jemison (r) chatting with Hermitage Brewing brewmaster Peter Licht (l), May 2012. Credits: Andy Lee

About Tied House Microbrewery: Tied House was founded in 1987 and poured its first pint in January of 1988. Twenty-Five years later, Tied House continues its loyalty to the community and provides a dynamic, fun space where guest can continue to enjoy their favorite Tied House beer. In 2010 and 2011, Tied House acquired over ten awards, including back-to-back Gold Medals for its Ironwood Dark from the California State Commercial Craft Brewers Competition.

About Beerwalk: The Beerwalk is an event that engages the community and presents a great opportunity for them to get to know their neighborhood better, all while enjoying craft beer. Jordan Trigg and Charlie Mann, who own several small businesses in San Jose and Campbell, founded Beerwalk. The Beerwalk’s mission is to provide a social outlet for local communities and neighborhoods, while highlighting small businesses and raising funds for their business associations. Beerwalks give “Beerwalkers” the opportunity to visit new stores and restaurants while tasting local and imported beers.

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To receive updates whenever a new article is published, click on the subscribe link near the top of this article. For Twitter updates, follow me at @gratefulhubby. Please drink responsibly. Cheers! Prost! Gun bae!

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Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant in downtown San Jose and Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery in Campbell have released their American Craft Beer Week schedules of events and daily specials. They are listed below.

Mon., May 13

Gordon Biersch: Happy hour pizza and 21 oz. GB craft beer $10 (available in the bar, cocktail, and patio areas only during happy hour).

Rock Bottom: $10 pizza and a craft beer during happy hour.

Tues., May 14

Gordon Biersch: Brewery tour with free craft beer samples.

Rock Bottom: Brewery tours and sampling.

Wed., May 15

Gordon Biersch: $6 GB cheeseburger with purchase of GB craft beer (available in the bar, cocktail, and patio areas only during happy hour).

Rock Bottom: $5 classic burger with purchase of any craft beer during happy hour.

Thurs., May 16

Gordon Biersch: $5 happy hour (available in the bar, cocktail, and patio areas only during happy hour) appetizers (excludes Chef’s Sampler and Brewhouse Platter).

Rock Bottom: $5 appetizers during happy hour (excludes Brewery Platter).

Fri., May 17

Gordon Biersch: Beer samplers $5.75 all day.

Rock Bottom: $5 chocolate stout cupcakes all day.

Sat., May 18

Gordon Biersch: Garlic fries $5 all day.

Rock Bottom: $6 six-beer sampler all day.

Sun., May 19

Gordon Biersch: GB 21 oz. craft beers $4 all day.

Rock Bottom: $4 craft beers all day.

Those especially excited about a particular event might consider checking with the host establishment to confirm details.

Rock Bottom Campbell brewmaster Russell Clements providing a brewery tour during American Craft Beer Week 2012. Credits: Andy Lee

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To receive updates whenever a new article is published, click on the subscribe link near the top of this article. For Twitter updates, follow me at @gratefulhubby. Please drink responsibly. Cheers! Prost! Gun bae!

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California Café in Los Gatos, located at 50 University Avenue, Suite 260, will serve a 3-course Mother’s Day brunch on Mother’s Day. There are many mouthwatering first, second, and third course choices on the Mother’s Day Brunch menu. To start the meal, diners get to choose between New England clam chowder, a seasonal fruit medley, baby back ribs, crispy citrus calamari, and more. Second course choices range from a spring vegetable frittata to eggs Los Gatos to an Asian chicken salad. To finish the meal, diners can enjoy either a cheese plate, cheesecake, apple cobbler, or tiramisu. The 3-course meal costs $42 per person, and a kids’ buffet is available for $15. For more information, call (408) 354-8118.

LB Steak Santana Row. Credits: Andy Lee

LB Steak, located at 334 Santana Row, will have brunch and all day menu additions on Mother’s Day as well as “Mom-osas” at brunch. A limited regular menu will also be available. Bananas foster brioche toast and a crab and asparagus omelet will be added to the menu for brunch. All day menu additions are seafood bouquets with oysters, shrimp cocktail, tuna poke, lobster ceviche, and smoked sturgeon spread. There are also Dungeness crab cakes, prime rib, and a butter poached lobster tail and pan seared filet “surf ‘n’ turf.” Reservations can be made by calling (408) 244-1180 or online.

To let me know about upcoming restaurant and food events in the South Bay, please email me at andreaswellnessnotes@gmail.com.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to receive updates whenever a new article is published, please click on the subscribe button at the top of this post.

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Enjoying good beer in the South Bay. Credits: Andy Lee

Below is a list of craft beer and related events taking place throughout Silicon Valley in the near future and beyond.

Friday, May 3, 2013: At 5 p.m., a cask of El Dorado Single Hop IPA from San Jose’s Hermitage Brewing Company will be tapped at Tied House Brewery and Café in Mountain View as part of their monthly Firkin Fridays. The El Dorado IPA is the latest addition to the Hermitage Brewing Single Hop Series.

Saturday, May 4, 2013, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.: As part of the American Homebrewers Association “Big Brew” event celebrating National Homebrew Day, the Silicon Valley Sudzers homebrew club will do a brewing demonstration at the MoreBeer homebrew supply shop in Los Altos. Club members will brew a clone of Russian River Brewing’s Pliny the Younger Triple IPA.

Saturday, May 4, 2013: O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub in San Jose hosts their monthly beer club event. This month’s featured brewery is Hangar 24.

Monday, May 6, 2013, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Wine Affairs in San Jose hosts their weekly beer tastings with “Cinco de Mayo spicy beers” featuring Ballast Point Thai Chili Wahoo Wheat, scheduled to be tapped at 4 pm. There will also be spicy treats from Rogue, Mikkeller, and Cambridge Brewing. $10 per person or free for beer club members.

Friday, May 10, 2013: San Jose’s Santa Clara Valley Brewing debuts their inaugural beer, Electric Tower IPA, on tap at Rose and Crown English Pub and Restaurant in Palo Alto.

Saturday, May 11, 2013, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Following their second public event held last month, the group behind the San Jose Co-operative Brewpub initiative, up to 179 member-owners at last count, hosts their third ongoing information and membership drive. This time, the SJ Co-op Brewpub group has selected Café Stritch in downtown San Jose for the event location.

Saturday, May 11, 2013: Starting at 1 p.m., Wine Affairs in San Jose hosts an “Undercover Shutdown Party.”

Monday, May 13, 2013 – Sunday, May 19, 2013: This week has been designated American Craft Beer Week, also known as “the mother of all beer weeks.” A number of South Bay brewpubs and bars will offer specials and host events to commemorate this week.

Saturday, May 18, 2013, 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.: Gordon Biersch celebrates their 25th anniversary with a “Gordon Biersch Big Bands and BBQ 25th Anniversary Bash.” An all-ages event that the whole family can enjoy, admission is $10 and includes a commemorative glass and six tastes of Gordon Biersch brews. There will be live music and plenty of food, root beer floats, and more Gordon Biersch beers to purchase.

[Update received May 3, 2013: The following Brew Benefit event has been indefinitely postponed.] Sunday, May 19, 2013. The South Bay debut of Brew Benefit takes place. Presented by Dishcrawl, this event will feature local breweries and restaurants with proceeds helping a local non-profit. Brew Benefit participants will explore downtown San Jose through beer at six different restaurants and bars, sampling 12 different locally made beers. Stay tuned for more information.

Saturday, June 1, 2013, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.: The next installment of the popular and well-coordinated Beerwalk series takes place in downtown Mountain View. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $30 online.

Sunday, July 28, 2013 – Saturday, August 3, 2013: The First Annual Silicon Valley Beer Week will take place this week and will feature five days of hosted events throughout the valley.

Saturday, August 3, 2013: The Summer KraftBrew Beer Fest serves as the closing event to the inaugural Silicon Valley Beer Week.

Keep in mind that there are other South Bay establishments that host ongoing events and specials, namely Harry’s Hofbrau, Poor House Bistro, Jack’s Bar & Lounge, Original Gravity Public House, SmokeEaters, and Wicked Chicken, as well as the many South Bay brewpubs and stores that sell good beer.

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To receive updates whenever a new article is published, click on the subscribe link near the top of this article. For Twitter updates, follow me at @gratefulhubby. Please drink responsibly. Cheers! Prost! Gun bae!

[Note: An earlier version of this post was published on Examiner.com.]

Steve Donohue – a popular South Bay figure

Donohue is active on social media and possesses a down-to-earth personality and an endearing dry sense of humor. He also makes consistently well-regarded beer and has the remarkable distinction of having recently won four consecutive medals at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival from 2008 to 2011.

Santa Clara Valley Brewing – progress updates

Donohue has been providing updates through Facebook and Twitter, including the following progress information:

• Dec. 2012: Leasing of building space to house among other things, an office, a cold box unit, kegs, and other supplies.

• March 2013: TTB and California ABC license approvals.

• March 25, 2013: The brewing of a collaboration beer to be aged in wine barrels and ready in June 2014. Hermitage Brewing Company noted that their collaboration beer is a sour ale with a base beer that is pale golden yellow comprising of barley malt and lots of wheat. Fermented with brettanomyces, the ABV for the finished product will be about 4.5%.

• April 26, 2013: The brewing of the inaugural batch of Santa Clara Valley Brewing’s first solo effort, an IPA, which will be available in two to three weeks.

Inaugural batch

When visiting with Donohue at Hermitage Brewing this past Friday (Santa Clara Valley Brewing will be contract brewing until they open a brewing facility of their own), he was busy tending to his inaugural batch of beer, an IPA. Assuming the beer label is approved in time, the IPA will be released in a couple of weeks in bottles and kegs and called Electric Tower IPA.

To help mark this milestone brewing day, Donohue was soon joined by his business partner, Tom Clark, and their respective spouses. They had arrived in time to see the addition of the first hops to the IPA.

Q & A with Santa Clara Valley Brewing CEO Tom Clark

Tom Clark is the CEO of Santa Clara Valley Brewing. Friendly, smart, and down-to-earth, Clark has maintained a low profile with regards to his role in creating Santa Clara Valley Brewing; until now, that is.

He has taken time to share a bit of his background, how Santa Clara Valley Brewing and his partnership with Donohue formed, how the name Santa Clara Valley Brewing came about, what he has learned so far, and when and where he expects to establish their own brewery.

What is your general background?

I’m originally from the Northeast. I went to UMass in Lowell for my BS in Computer Science. After graduation I was recruited by Apple, and my wife and I moved here in 1991. We bought our house in Willow Glen in 1993 and have lived here ever since. Currently I manage an engineering team at Apple.

How did Santa Clara Valley Brewing come about? How did your partnership with Steve Donohue come about?

I have been homebrewing off and on for the past 20 years, and when you homebrew everybody asks, “When are you going to open your own place?” I never really thought about doing that until a few years ago when it occurred to me that San Jose was really lacking when it came to a “local” beer scene.

I then started coming up with the concept of a local craft brewery that area residents could identify with and call their own. I casually pitched the idea to friends and eventually one of my buddies contacted me and told me that he knew a local award-winning brewer who was interested in starting his own brewery. This was about 18 months ago.

I subsequently contacted Steve and we met up to talk about our ideas. Turns out we had a very similar vision, and we lived about a mile and a half away from each other!

How did you guys come up with the name Santa Clara Valley Brewing?

We wanted to identify the company with the region, so we kicked around a lot of possibilities. We are proud of the heritage of the area, from the early settlements through its agricultural past and up to today’s Silicon Valley, so we liked the idea of using “Santa Clara Valley” to encompass all of that.

Steve has already leaked the names of our first two offerings, Electric Tower IPA and Peralta Porter, so I’ll leave that up to you to investigate the genesis of those names.

All of our beers will pay homage to the valley’s history.

Your first beers will soon hit the market. What have you learned up to this point? How will you deal with the pressures?

The buzz has been incredible. I never thought we’d have so many beer bars, bottle shops and restaurants already anticipating our first release.

For me it’s been a real eye opening experience. Steve and I have had “staff meetings” at many local establishments and it seems like wherever we go somebody comes up and says, “Aren’t you Steve Donohue?”

Steve really knows his stuff and I couldn’t be happier with the partnership we’ve established.

When can we expect a brewery facility?

That’s an idea we’ve tossed around from the start. We’d like to cement our brand first and then concentrate on establishing a “home base” where we can brew on our own schedule and also offer tastings, much like our local wineries do. Look for that in the next year or so.

Do you guys plan on opening your brewery in San Jose?

Yes, our plan includes a tasting room, so we’d like to open a facility someplace close to downtown, where we can anticipate plenty of foot traffic.

Would you like to add anything else?

Just that we’ve had an incredible amount of support from our friends and families, whom we thank immensely.

Santa Clara Valley Brewing brewmaster Steve Donohue (l) and CEO Tom Clark (r) on their inaugural brew day, April 26, 2013. Credits: Andy Lee

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To receive updates whenever a new article is published, click on the subscribe link near the top of this article. For Twitter updates, follow me at @gratefulhubby. Please drink responsibly. Cheers! Prost! Gun bae!

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Here are some of the new dishes that will be featured at the event:

• Chicken Musubi from Rice Rockit
• Fried Eggplant over Rice from Arabian Bites
• Vietnamese Caramelized Shrimp on Vermicelli Noodles from O Mi Ninja
• Dungeness Crab Rangoon from Eat on Monday
• Ground Lamb Dolmas from Brothers Gow Chow
• Frozen Fosters Waffle from Waffle Amore
• Glass Noodles, Shiitake Mushrooms, Cabbage and Carrots (gluten-free!) from Yummi BBQ
• Silician Sausage & Onions from Speedy Panini
• Egg in the Hole Burger from Eat on Monday
• Banana Split…CUPCAKE from Fairy Cakes

In addition to the food, there will also be a special musical performance by local artist Peter Chung.

Tickets to the event can be purchased in advance for $2 ($5 at the door). Vegetarian options will be available, and all dishes are priced $3-$5.

Treatbot Ice Cream Truck. Credit: Andy Lee

To let me know about upcoming restaurant and food events in the South Bay, please email me at andreaswellnessnotes@gmail.com.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to receive updates whenever a new article is published, please click on the subscribe button at the top of this post.

To get updates via Twitter, follow me at @wellandrea.

[Note: An earlier version of this post was published on Examiner.com.]

Here is a link to a list of participating restaurants, menus, and online reservations.

On the list are numerous restaurants in San Jose as well as restaurants in Milpitas, Campbell, Los Gatos, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Redwood City.

Here is an example from Scott’s Seafood in downtown Mountain View:

Come celebrate with us, we’ve got a pre-fixe menu for $35:

Choose one item for each course

FIRST COURSE
~Clam Chowder
~Watermelon Salad (Wild Arugula, Feta Cheese, Pine Nuts, ney Sherry Vinaigrette)

SECOND COURSE
~BBQ Filet of Stripe Bass, Mashed Potatoes, Spinach & Corn
~Southwest Marinade Swordfish, Roasted Potatoes, Mushrooms, Asparagus, Chimichurri Sauce
~Cajun Style Grilled Prawns, Jasmine Rice, Seasonal Vegetables, Burc Blanc Sauce

THIRD COURSE
~Semolina Strawberry Shortcake with Vanilla Gelato
~Resina de Chocolate (white & dark chocolate mousse cake) Raspberry Sauce and Whipped cream

~beverage, tax, and gratuity not included~

Scott's Seafood in Mountain View. Credit: Andy Lee

To let me know about upcoming restaurant and food events in the South Bay, please email me at andreaswellnessnotes@gmail.com.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to receive updates whenever a new article is published, please click on the subscribe button at the top of this post.

To get updates via Twitter, follow me at @wellandrea.

[Note: An earlier version of this post was published on Examiner.com.]

Lagunitas Waldos' Special Ale events in the South Bay. Credits: Andy Lee

South Bay fans of Petaluma’s Lagunitas Brewing Company are in for a treat, especially for those who enjoy a good Double IPA on tap.

The well-regarded Waldos’ Special makes its return, and a couple of local beer spots have already made event announcements on their respective Facebook pages.

San Jose’s Wine Affairs hosts a Lagunitas 4/20 Party on Sat., 4/20/13. On tap will be Lagunitas Waldos’ Special ($4.20 for a 9 oz.) and Lagunitas IPA ($4.20 a pint). Keg tapping begins at 1 p.m., and there will be plenty of bottled beers as well. The Grilled Cheese Bandits food truck is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and indie folk band Dream House is scheduled at 4:20 p.m.

Downtown San Jose’s Original Gravity Public House presents Lagunitas 4/20 Waldos’ Special Release on Sat., 4/20/13 featuring five beers from Lagunitas – Waldo, WTF, IPA, Censored/Maximus, and Fusion 16 – plus a mason jar giveaway with a purchase of Waldo. There will be other offerings, including raffle giveaways.

Look for the following places to also have special Waldo tapping parties:

• Good Karma Vegan Cafe in downtown San Jose
• Market Beer Company (inside the Lusardi Building at San Pedro Square Market) in downtown San Jose
• O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub in downtown San Jose
• Rose and Crown Pub in Palo Alto

Harry’s Hofbrau in San Jose hosts a Lagunitas tap takeover event on Thursday, 4/18/13 as part of their weekly Thursday Pint Nights. There will be a sneak peek of Waldo for the first 42.0 customers starting at 4:20 p.m. The tap list for Lagunitas is as follows:

• Waldo Special Ale (available to the first 42.0 customers that arrive)
• Sonoma County Stout (limited release)
• Fusion 16 (limited release)
• Cappuccino Stout (seasonal)
• Wilco Tango Foxtrot (seasonal)
• Under-Cover Shutdown (seasonal)
• Censored
• Dogtown Pale
• Czech Pils
• Imperial Stout
• A Lil Sumpin Sumpin
• And IPA

A number of these locations will have raffles and prizes to help with the celebrations.

While there are a myriad of events taking place on 4/20, many South Bay beer fans will appreciate the variety of choices on where to satisfy any Lagunitas cravings.

Of note is the cluster of locations – Good Karma, Original Gravity, Market Beer Company, and O’Flaherty’s – pouring Waldo in downtown San Jose; it is by design. “We are trying to make a big stink out of it this year in downtown,” shares Rudy Kuhn, Lagunitas market manager for the Santa Clara County, Central Coast, and Central Valley areas. No doubt that many hop fans will savor the dank, citrusy aromas from the Waldo DIPA.

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To receive updates whenever a new article is published, click on the subscribe link near the top of this article. For Twitter updates, follow me at @gratefulhubby. Please drink responsibly. Cheers! Prost! Gun bae!

[Note: An earlier version of this post was published on Examiner.com.]