“So long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being.”—Franz Kafka
The evening began at the beautiful home of our good friends and neighbors, Mark and Marleen Brodsky that overlooks Silicon Valley. We were joined by Ruth and Stan Litwin and Tina and Wayne Levenfeld. We had wine and an assorted tasty appetizer plate.
For dinner my wife Cecile had recommended The Blue Door Restaurant in San Jose which offers up classic American favorites with a Greek inspired twist. After doing a review of our experience here last year and publishing it on my blog: enjoyyourlifenow.net I emailed it to Sylvia Foundas who along with her husband Pete founded the restaurant. Responding to my review she thanked me and added that she believed it spoke to the essence of what they were trying to achieve when coming up with the concept, design, and theme for their eatery and bar, which was to create an environment where guests could feel comfortable and “feel the soul of the restaurant in order to capture…it’s essence.” Being first-generation Greek Americans, and having traveled several times to southern Greece, they wanted to bring a “little slice” of it to San Jose. Apparently, they succeeded. In 2016, The Eater Staff listed The Blue Door as one of “The 15 Hottest New Restaurants in Silicon Valley.” Following that first review Sylvia had invited us to ask for her whenever we returned. Since Cecile and I arrived first we asked the receptionist to let Sylvia know we were here. After welcoming us back we informed her that we recommended the Blue Door to our friends who would be joining us shortly. We were escorted into one of the private dining rooms. It turned out to be a perfect venue to relax and enjoy the evening. Tina and Wayne generously brought two bottles of wine, while some of us ordered cocktails. Our charming young waiter, Wesley was attentive and his overall service was excellent. We ordered lamb burgers, Natural Cheeseburger topped with a friend egg, Chicken Kebabs with rice pilaf and tabbouleh salad and Fish and Chips. Following our dinner Wesly brought us Churros with caramel and chocolate dipping sauce, compliments of the manager.
As I mentioned in my earlier review last year, choosing the name: The Blue Door had always puzzled me. But, I came to find out that the color blue reflects the shimmering, deep blue color of the Mediterranean, the azure sky and the colors of the Greek flag. It also is the color that the wives of Greek fisherman painted on the front doors of their homes to protect their husbands from misfortune so they can return home safely. As we left the Blue Door, there was a Live Latin Jazz band playing in their swanky bar as there is every Friday at 7:30 PM. Mark and Marleen, the dancers in the group, gave it a whirl that inspired other patrons to get up and dance. We couldn’t have asked for a better evening amongst friends.
The Foundas Restaurants include the Pinecrest Diner in San Francisco and the Boulevard Cafe' in Daly City.
Photo Credit: Sylvia and Pete Foundas, The Blue Door website
Photo Credit: A blue door in Greece by romtomtom
