Suspiro is unlike any cuisine on Santana Row, although it shares a dish or two—namely ceviches—as well as executive chef Yerika Munoz Rodriguez with its sister restaurants Zazil and El Jardin.
Helmed by chef de cuisine Oscar Santos, Suspiro plumbs the depths of Peruvian cuisine, with a generous side of Barcelona. There is plenty of spice here—some subtle, some not—and diners may come across new-to-them chile peppers. Lunch can be a dip into the sea of Peruvian ceviche, or perhaps into empanadas, both traditional foods of the country.
The fusion magic occurs with dishes like Berenjena Asada, baked eggplant and leeks smothered in Manchego cream sauce, as well as Anticucho de Pollo, a stew of chicken, potatoes and corn puree.
Another Peruvian specialty is Causa de Cangrejo Y Camaron, essentially tempura prawn croquettes made with purple potatoes, crabmeat and shrimp atop a sneakily spicy Huancaina sauce made of aji peppers, queso fresco and onions. The tasty Tortilla Abierta is a thin open-faced omelet topped with smoked sausage and shitake mushrooms.
For dinner, Suspiro serves paellas, including two seafood versions (one made with thin pasta), a vegetarian option (mushroom, snow peas, carrots and broccoli) and one with pork and chicken.
Beautifully presented cocktails, crafted by mixologist Nick Varsic, include the traditional pisco sour and the Poncho, made with Cazadores tequila, prickly pear, sherry and orange liqueur.
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The rather well-hidden SpeakEasy may be an ill-kept secret, but it’s clubby and ultracool, with its outdoor garden cabana area and hip cave-like cocktail lounge featuring a DJ spinning vinyl.
There’s a separate cocktail menu here that honors the golden eras of mixology, along with a few light bites. This is the private place to hang out before a movie or after shopping, or perhaps enjoy a post-dinner nightcap. No phone calls and no flash photos. 3060 Olsen Drive.
Also at Santana Row, Cielo Rooftop Bar at Hotel Valencia is now open for the season, celebrating the return of the summer sunshine and later sunsets. Enjoy the best of California’s wine country with a curated selection of wine, beer and cocktails, light bites and cozy fireplaces overlooking the Santa Cruz Mountains. Cielo is open Tuesday-Sunday, 5:30-10 p.m.
For those yearning for real Neapolitan pizza and freshly made pasta in the South Bay, the beloved Doppio Zero Italian restaurant, pizzeria and bar that has thrilled Mountain View diners for the last 10 years just opened a location in Campbell. Known for its Italian cuisine and bustling atmosphere, Doppio Zero also has locations in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley and in Concord at The Veranda shopping mall.
Doppio Zero, named for the double zero flour used in its pizza crusts, was founded by Gianni Chiloiro of Taranto, Italy and Angelo Sannino of Naples, Italy. Find pizza nirvana at 220 E. Campbell Ave, Campbell. 669-300-6574; www.dzpizzeria.com
Shepherd & Sims is ready to serve graduation party needs in Los Gatos, and is open for weekday lunch from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., followed by happy hour (bar and patio only) from 2-5:30 p.m., dinner from 5-9 p.m. (Friday-Saturday until 9:30 p.m. and Sunday until 8 p.m.). Reverse happy hour (bar and patio only) is Friday-Saturday, 9-10:30 p.m. Brunch is served weekends from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Super Duper Burgers, the beloved burger chain born in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood, is now open in San Mateo. Based on the ethos of fast food burgers with slow food values, Super Duper features all natural, vegetarian-fed freshly ground beef from Brandt Beef, along with free-range chicken sandwiches, organic veggie burgers, French fries and garlic fries topped with six-month aged cheddar.
The menu also boasts an all-day breakfast sandwich, house-made pickles, house-made brown sugar lemonade, and organic milkshakes and ice cream cones made in partnership with Straus Creamery. 1100 Park Place, San Mateo. www.superdupersf.com
