I often joke that I grew up in the Valley of the Olive Garden – for all its high-tech wealth, the Silicon Valley has never been a dining mecca. Strip malls and chain restaurants provided most of the fare back then, but there were always a few gems, and most of them are still around. In recent years, my homeland got its first internationally acclaimed restaurant, Manresa, and things seem to be looking up for Valley dwellers. Here are a few of my favorite places to eat down south, past, and present:

Manresa (“Seasonal & Spontaneous” tasting menu)
320 Village Ln. (N. Santa Cruz Ave.), Los Gatos, 408-354-4330, www.manresarestaurant.com
Magical is the only way to describe the dining experience at Manresa in Los Gatos. David Kinch’s inventive tasting menu leads diners on a culinary adventure as his cooking tells the story of the marriage of seasonal, local ingredients with flawless cooking techniques. That story generally entails excursions to the recipes of France, Spain, and Japan, and occasionally flirts with the scientific cooking methods of Harold McGee, yet it never loses focus from the main characters – the perfection of the flavors culminating in each thoughtfully conceived dish. Everything from the starting tastes of the sherry cream egg (Kinch’s riff on the famous Arpege Egg), and the fried “gumball,” filled with either sweet corn gelatin or sumptuous foie gras cream, to the concluding dessert amuse of vanilla madeleine and fruit jelly are unforgettable.

The Village Pub
2967 Woodside Rd., Woodside, 650-851-9888, www.thevillagepub.net
The Village Pub effortlessly blends comfort food and haute cuisine into a single seamless setting. The burgundy velvet banquettes, faux fireplace (which is actually an almond wood oven that opens into the dining room), and mahogany bar where locals come for their favorite chilled martini and other expertly made cocktails, all combine to create a luxurious yet casual setting, sort of like cuddling into a set of cashmere pajamas. The best part may be the expertise of chef Mark Sullivan, whose finesse for flavor and sensitivity to ingredients is apparent in every dish, from his classic pub burger to the house-cured charcuterie and crispy sweetbreads with poached egg and brown butter, not to mention pasta dishes executed as though he were channeling Marcella Hazan. Oenophiles shouldn’t miss the amazing wine list compiled by Andrew Green, one of our Northside SF Best Sommeliers of 2006, containing gems from California and around the world.

ARCADIA
100 W. San Carlos St. (at Market St.), San Jose, 408-278-4555, www.michaelmina.net
Talented chef du jour Michael Mina has found a winning formula with his updated menu – one part steakhouse, one part Michael Mina classics. Now you can get prime cuts of beef and bone-in meats as well as seafood, and it’s all good, but the real draw is the upscale comfort food we love Chef Mina for – whole fried chicken, lobster corndogs, and lobster pot pie.

Sushi Sam’s
218 3rd Ave. (at B St.), San Mateo, 650-344-0888, www.sushisams.com
I first discovered Sushi Sam’s over a decade ago while working as a temp in San Mateo. I loved it so much that I ate there every single day (except Mondays, when they’re closed) for three months. As busy as I am, I still try to make a trip there at least once a month, and I’m not alone – ask top chefs like Thomas Keller, Laurent Manrique, Ron Siegel, and Joel Huff where they go for sushi and they’ll tell you Sushi Sam’s. Named for owner Osamu (“Sam”) Sugiyama, the casual ambiance and reasonable prices are polar opposites from the dining experience – not only does Sam get sparklingly fresh seafood, he features some of the most unusual and hard-to-find fish around. I adore the arctic char, which resembles salmon but has a milder taste like its cousin, trout. The staff is emphatic that the char not be dipped in soy sauce – it is dressed simply in house-made yuzu vinegar, which enhances the rich flavor of the slightly fatty fish. While most unagi comes vacuum-packed from China, Sam gets his fresh from a retired eel farmer in Japan who sells only to friends. The eel is grilled over coals prior to shipping, lending a subtle, smoky flavor to the uncommonly delicate flesh. They must save a lot of money on soy sauce at Sam’s – the staff also insists the unagi be eaten sans soy – but as with the char, after one bite, you’ll understand why. For incredibly rich, butter-textured tuna belly, Sam offers the option of having one slice seared, creating a beautiful presentation atop the petite mounds of rice. Other highlights included bittersweet crab butter (brains), white King and Alaskan Yukon salmon, rarely seen long shell scallop and live scallop, and baby lobster tail topped with homemade tobiko-mayo.

Alexander’s Steakhouse
10330 N. Wolfe Rd. (at Stevens Creek Blvd.), Cupertino, 408-446-2222, www.alexanderssteakhouse.com
The space that now houses this visually stunning destination restaurant was once an El Torito – that’s how far the South Bay has come up in the culinary world. This is a prime place for red meat lovers, but executive chef Jeffrey Stout is also very talented, managing to fuse the contemporary American steakhouse fare with intriguing pan-Asian influences. The last time I visited, they had Kobe beef straight from Japan and it was an unbelievably mouthwatering piece of heaven on a plate – so marbled it’s almost white when raw, expert cooking is required, especially in light of the $150 price tag (hey, it was a once-in-the-South Bay experience). If overcooked just a split second, the fat can run out and you’ll end up with a piece of shoe leather. Fortunately, the folks at Alexander’s know what they’re doing – the beef was exquisitely tender and flavorful, and none of the beautiful marbling was lost on the grill.

Andy’s Bar-B-Que
2367 El Camino Real (at San Thomas Expy.), Santa Clara, 408-249-8158, www.andysbbq.com
Loyal devotees – and that includes me – were devastated when Andy’s lost its lease in Campbell to developers and had to shut down after over 40 years, but we didn’t have to go through ribs withdrawal for long – Andy’s is back. You’ll still find the same great oak wood-smoked meats, reasonable prices and hopping bar scene along with most of the old employees (some, like “The Twins,” have been with Andy’s for more than three decades). Try a half-slab of tender, smoky baby-back ribs slathered with Andy’s tangy, messy homemade barbecue sauce. Sliced beef brisket is also a winner, as is the sliced tri-tip. Sides include a fat baked potato smothered in cheese sauce and mushrooms sautéed in garlic, butter, and wine.

The Cats Barbecue Restaurant
17533 Santa Cruz Hwy. (at Alma College Rd.), Los Gatos, 408-354-4020
My other favorite barbecue joint down south is the Cats, a South Bay institution. You can’t miss the “Saloon” sign and two giant white cat pillars at the base of the mountain as you head over Highway 17. (The first time we went to the Cats when I was a kid, my dad accidentally drove past those cat pillars up a dirt road and found himself at the end of a shotgun, so stay to the left.) Once a brothel catering to loggers driving down Highway 17, the Cats still has that bordello feel with dark wood paneling and soft pink light from silk covered lamps. It’s one of those great old places where you order from the menu above the host’s head and then relax in the bar while they prepare your table. They serve steaks, chicken, and ribs, and one of the best baked potatoes we’ve ever had, cooked slowly up in the wood-burning brick oven until the flesh is perfectly soft and served buried beneath a mountain of chive butter and sour cream. When you sit down, your salad awaits you along with a basket of garlic bread – ask for it “on the grill” and they’ll toast the bread in the brick oven just like the behemoth spud. The basic steak is tough but tasty, so opt instead for the filet. Enjoy a garlicky, buttery side of button mushrooms as you watch the adept cook do his thing.

Las Palmas
1495 The Alameda (at Pershing Ave.), San Jose, 408-295-3132
I’ve been eating at Las Palmas since I was in diapers, and it’s still one of my go-to places when I’m visiting my folks. Even though the family sold the restaurant last year, the new owner is smart enough to keep using the same family recipes they’ve used for over 50 years. Tortillas freshly made, the burritos are as big as your head, and the chiles rellenos are some of the best I’ve ever had. Most taquerias prepare their rellenos ahead of time and reheat them in the microwave, but Las Palmas makes theirs to order – a poblano pepper filled with molten Mexican cheese, egg-dipped and fried until the pepper is so tender you can cut it with a fork, and topped with chili-seasoned tomato sauce. For the tacos, the corn tortilla hits the fryer when you order and it arrives piping hot, filled with spiced ground beef and topped with salsa, lettuce, and “the Parmesan of Mexico,” cotija cheese. For dessert, I have the taquitos, two crisp rolled tortillas stuffed with carnitas and topped with creamy guacamole. If you’re looking for great Mexican food at rock bottom prices, this is your place.

Santana Row
368 Santana Row (at Olin), San Jose, 408-551-4611, www.santanarow.com
Santana Row is the Little San Francisco of the South Bay, a premier living, shopping, and entertainment destination all rolled into one vibrant little community. Besides luxury apartments and condominiums, upscale shopping, a full-service hotel, and some amazing spas, you’ll also find restaurants and gourmet shops including Joseph Schmidt Chocolates, Left Bank, Yankee Pier, Blow Fish Sushi, and Straits Café. The streets, closed to cars, feel like the ones in a small French town, replete with fountains, a farmers’ market, and occasional concerts.