Fremont Restaurant Week offers 70 deals

DINING SCENE

Massimo’s, a Fremont mainstay and regional dining favorite since 1976, is offering three-course prix fixe dinners for Fremont Restaurant Week. courtesy of Massimo’s

Among the entree offerings at Federico’s Grill for Fremont Restaurant Week is the Creamy Tuscan Salmon, with soup or salad plus dessert. courtesy of Federico’s Grill

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By Linda Zavoral and John Metcalfe

Staff writers

Again this year, restaurants in Fremont are enticing food lovers with the opportunity to save money while discovering new places and revisiting old favorites.

The fourth annual Fremont Restaurant Week runs from Thursday through March 15, with prix fixe menus, specials and new menu offerings. Leading the array of 70 restaurants are several favorites that have been in business for decades: Massimo’s, Papillon, El Patio and Spin A Yarn. Joining them are restaurants, cafes and more in all corners of the city, from Ardenwood to Warm Springs.

The Fremont Restaurant Week website lists all of the deals and, with partner Yelp, maps them, too. Some deals are offered only certain days, hours. For details, go to www.fremont restaurantweek.com. Here’s a sampling:

Bismallah: Tandoori Chicken with chickpea curry and naan, $16.99.

Cafe Mei: Combos priced at $15 each: Black Pepper Noodle Combo or Bento Combos.

Cantaritos: Birria Quesadillas entree, $15.

De Afghanan: Chicken Wrap with greens, garlic sour cream, $9.50.

Dino’s Family Restaurant: 16-ounce Ribeye Steak and Eggs, with potatoes and toast. $26.95.

El Patio: $10 specials on all of these: two Fish Tacos, three Street Tacos, Veggie Quesadilla, Fish Bowl Margarita.

Federico’s Grill: Three-course prix fixe dinner for $35, with soup or salad, choice of entree (Creamy Tuscan Salmon, Veggie Ravioli, Porcini Mushroom Beef or Chicken Piccata) plus tiramisu or cannoli.

iniBurger: Purchase any Smash Burger for 50% off.

Joyful Dim Sum Bistro: Get a Joyful Combo — BBQ Pork Bun, Pork & Veggie Bun, Custard Bun — for $5.18.

Mamahouse Bakeshop: Get a trio of mini kouign amann for $14.25 or a trio of large ones for $22.50.

Massimo’s: Three-course prix fixe dinner for $42 (choice of three pasta entrees) or $54 (Braised Short Rib or Lamb Shank, Chicken Piccata or Grilled Fresh Fish) plus soup/salad and dessert.

Mr. Sun Tea: Get 2 boba drinks for $10.99.

Spin A Yarn: Receive a free glass of wine or free dessert with the purchase of an entree.

ZhangFei Hot Pot: All-you-can-eat price of $25 weekday lunch. At dinner, $35 any night, plus one free plate of Wagyu beef per table.

Downtown San Jose’s Rollati space finds a new tenant

The Rollati Ristorante space across from San Jose City Hall won’t stay vacant much longer.

The entrepreneurs behind such successful downtown restaurants and bars as Eos & Nyx, Paper Plane, Miniboss and Alter Ego/Still OG are taking over the large, upscale space that became available when Rollati abruptly closed last August. The new, seasonal concept they’ll be unveiling soon will be called Strata, according to Dan Phan, speaking on behalf of the partnership group. “Strata comes from the geological term for layers formed over time. The idea resonated with us because the restaurant is designed to evolve,” he told the Mercury News.

Details: 181 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose.

Swiss chocolatier brings bars, bonbons to Walnut Creek

A chocolate-making giant from Switzerland is planning to open a shop at downtown Walnut Creek’s Broadway Plaza, providing a crucial drop-point for sweet reloads for date nights, anniversaries and sheepish apologies.

Läderach, founded in 1962, has 220-plus locations worldwide, including Bay Area stores at Valley Fair in Santa Clara, Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto and in Livermore. It’s been run by three generations of the same family, with Elias Läderach serving as its current head chocolatier.

In 2018, Elias won the title of “World Chocolate Master” at a Paris competition among the planet’s reigning confectioners. More recently, according to his Instagram, he has sculpted a chocolate violin for the San Diego Orchestra and a cow-shaped centerpiece for a Swiss athletic festival so big it had to be lifted via helicopter.

At the Walnut Creek store, customers will find truffles, pralines, “tablets” and “slabs” of chocolate (including vegan options) and niche items like Dubai chocolate and boozy bonbons.

Details: Opening soon at 138 Broadway Plaza, Suite 1124, Walnut Creek; laderach.com

Send restaurant news tips to Linda Zavoral at lzavoral@bayareanewsgroup.com, Kate Bradshaw at kbradshaw@bayareanewsgroup.com or John Metcalfe at jmetcalfe@bayareanewsgroup.com.