Historically, Redwood City has never been known as a hot-spot for dining or night life. But over the past several years, city planners have taken the necessary steps to change this perception. They moved the city's movie theater from it's remote location by the salt marshes to right smack in the middle of downtown, set up Theater Way as a vibrant dining corridor, renovated the courthouse square, and made it a venue for regular outdoor concerts and events. These changes, coupled with the area's close proximity to the Caltrain station, have helped attract all sorts of new business to downtown Redwood City.
As a long time Redwood City resident, it's hard not to notice the face-lift the downtown area is undergoing. It seems like every week another restaurant, cafe, or bar is celebrating their grand opening. A couple weeks ago, Howie's Artisan Pizzaopened their doors to the public, offering made from scratch pizzas, burgers, and sandwiches, a full bar, and an expansive patio area. And just this past weekend, The Blacksmith - a bar serving specialty cocktails and premium spirits in a friendly unpretentious atmosphere - enjoyed a busy debut.
Last week Redwood City even played host to the Annual Silicon Valley Restaurant Week, during which 14 participating restaurants offered fixed price menus specially designed to showcase what each spot does best. The event was meant to draw attention to the city's up and coming dining scene not only from outsiders, but also from long time residents who may not have been aware of the city's diverse gastronomical landscape. Many residents don't know for instance, that in an unassuming storefront at the corner of Maple and Broadway, renowned chef Manuel Martinez (formerly Executive Chef at Left Bank and Palacio) can be found at his seafood restaurant, La Viga, serving up culinary masterpieces that unify his background in Latin, French, and Mediterranean cuisine (Martinez is also the proprietor of LV Mar just down the street, which offers similar food in a more formal setting).
Manuel Martinez, of La Viga and LV Mar
Broadway Street alone is home to cuisine from every corner of the globe. There's Chinese at Crouching Tiger, Vietnamese at Pho Dong, Southern Mediterranean at Mandaloun, sushi at any number of different restaurants, Indian at Broadway Masala, Russian at the aptly named Russian Family Restaurant, Thai at Erawan, "California Cuisine" at Downtown, Classic American at City Pub, and Mexican at Quinta Sol. The list goes on and on.
Opinions on the rapid development of Redwood City aside, the downtown area's flourishing dining culture is surely a positive. Whether it be trendy new hangouts like Howie's Artisan Pizza, fine dining venues like LV Mar, one of a kind watering holes like Gourmet Haus Staudt, or old Redwood City staples like City Pub - there's something out there for everyone.
My advice - try them all!
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