Cocktails and barbecue of all types appear to be the theme for brand spanking new openings on the Peninsula and within the South Bay in November. San Carlos acquired a brand new Lebanese barbecue specialist, whereas a robotic waiter is serving up skewered squid in Cupertino. Three new bars made their debut, together with a Korean-French resort bar from a former Spruce chef. Plus, San Jose can rejoice the arrival of cult favourite boba store Tiger Sugar.
Learn on for extra on every opening.
Jood, San Carlos
The husband-and-wife group from Belmont’s standard Center Japanese spot Falafelle have opened a second restaurant specializing in Lebanese barbecue. At Jood in downtown San Carlos, Rawan and Khaled Harbali char meats on traditional metallic skewers over charcoal (they use a Japanese grill) in homage to the widespread grilling traditions of their native Lebanon. Chargrilled meats are consolation meals to the Harbalis, which they sometimes servewith bulgur, spiced rice or wrapped in lavash, a sort of flatbread. Choices right here embody a complete butterflied rooster, hunks of ribeye, plant-based Not possible meat and greens resembling cauliflower and eggplant. The proteins come as plates with sides, like bulgur or grilled baguette slathered with garlicky housemade toum, or as lavash sandwiches. Even salads get the grill remedy, like charred halloumi with kale, walnuts and blood orange.
Jood. Indoor eating and takeout. 11 a.m. to eight p.m. Monday-Saturday. 635 Laurel St., San Carlos. eatjood.com
Bar Bonmot, Cupertino
Smoked date and potato purée with crispy perilla and candied anchovies from Bar Bon Mot in Cupertino.
Courtesy Albert RegulationThe cocktails and meals at Bar Bonmot, newly open contained in the Residence Inn by Marriott resort in Cupertino, showcase chef James Lims’ affinity for enjoying with Korean components and French strategies. Assume a crudo with a French remoulade sauce constructed from Korean doenjang, or a kimchi buckwheat crepe. Drinks incorporate components like roasted barley, perilla shrub and pickled radish water — the bar’s reply to the olive brine for a Korean riff on a grimy martini.
Bar Bonmot. Indoor eating. 19429 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino. 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. barbonmot.com
Wunderbar, San Mateo
A martini and Valiant Quest cocktail served at Wunderbar in San Mateo.
Courtesy Stephanie AmbergThe Peninsula is now house to a different swanky cocktail bar: Wunderbar, a moody speakeasy hidden within the basement of San Mateo restaurant Wursthall. Settle right into a deep pink leather-based chair, seize a bowl of popcorn and order from the tarot card-inspired menu. On one facet is a traditional cocktail, like an quaint or martini, and on the again facet are bar supervisor Kiernan Moran’s remixes. Moran’s riff on the Outdated Common, for instance, will get extra complexity from cocoa bitters and two totally different sorts of amaro: one bitter and one candy, with notes of molasses.
Wunderbar. Indoor eating by reservation solely. Proof of vaccination required. 4:30-11 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday. 4:30-11:30 pm. Friday-Saturday. 310 Baldwin Ave., San Mateo. exploretock.com/wunderbarsanmateo
Tiger Sugar, San Jose
Boba heads, rejoice: San Jose now has its personal outpost of Tiger Sugar, the hit Taiwanese chain that claims to have launched the brown sugar boba pattern. The store’s famed drink is made with a proprietary brown sugar syrup, natural milk from Straus Household Creamery (or soy or oat milk) and tapioca pearls. The menu additionally contains different kinds of milk tea, resembling a inexperienced tea latte with cream mousse, in addition to Tiger Sugar’s standard boba-studded brown sugar ice cream bars. The San Jose retailer joins the chain’s first Northern California location, which opened final fall in Cupertino.
Tiger Sugar. Takeout. 1628 Hostetter Rd Suite H, San Jose. Midday to eight:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, midday to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, midday to 9 p.m. Sunday. fb.com/tigersugarnorcaI
Zest Meals, Cupertino
Head to Zest Meals for Wagyu, squid and rooster hearts grilled on skewers. For vegetarians, there are many barbecued greens: chives, corn on the cob and complete cloves of garlic. Zest Meals can also be the most recent Bay Space restaurant to make use of a robotic server, which roams the eating room as an alternative of people; the enterprise additionally doesn’t settle for ideas.
Zest Meals. Indoor eating and takeout. 10881 S. Blaney Ave. Suite B, Cupertino. Midday to 2:30 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. Wednesday-Monday (closed Tuesday). zestfoodinc.com/
Nursel, San Carlos
This new San Carlos restaurant focuses on Russian, Uzbek and Kyrgyz cuisines. Which means dishes resembling Russian borscht and plov (a rice pilaf); lagman, an Uzbek soup with hand-pulled noodles and halal beef; and Kuurdak, a roasted meat dish from Kyrgyzstan. For dessert, there are layered Napoleon and honey desserts.
Nursel. Indoor eating and takeout. 10:30 a.m. to eight:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. 601 Outdated County Highway, San Carlos. 650-226-5163
Lamella Tavern, San Jose
Lamella Tavern is the most recent venture from prolific South Bay restaurateurs Jim and Angelique Stump (the Desk, the Vesper, Shepherd & Sims). The Willow Glen spot is extra of a spot to drink and snack than eat a full meal, with a deal with cocktails, wine, oysters and crudo. Count on Fanny Bay oysters, 5 sorts of Gin and Tonics and many Champagne.
Lamella Tavern. Indoor and out of doors eating. 4 p.m. to shut Wednesday-Saturday and midday to 9 p.m. Sunday.
1109 Lincoln Ave., San Jose. lamellatavern.com
Elena Kadvany is a San Francisco Chronicle workers author. E mail: elena.kadvany@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ekadvany