Our oddly warm winter weather this year is a great excuse to visit one of Los Gatos’s parks. Los Gatos has many parks with something for everyone.

Take Blossom Hill Park, for example. Blossom Hill has municipal tennis courts as well as a big grass filed and a great kid’s playground. Bachman Park is handily located within walking distance from N. Santa Cruz Ave and all that downtown has to offer. It’s a great place to also shoot some quick hoops in a quiet, neighborhood setting.

For out-of-towners, the best bang for your buck is the one-two punch that are Vasona and Oak Meadow parks. These two adjoining parks (Oak Meadow is a local park while Vasona is county-operated) offer a ton of great things to do with friends and family. Oak Meadow has a wonderful playground as well as the historic Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad and W.E. “Bill” Mason carousel. They’re operated by a non-profit organization which maintains and operates the rides and runs the concession stand. The train takes passengers on a mile-long route through a part of Vasona and back again. If you’re lucky, you’ll get pulled around by the #2 engine, a miniature steam engine owned by Billy Jones himself and built originally in 1905. The carousel is great fun as well, featuring hand-restored horses and stationary benches. Be sure to check their website for their operating hours if you plan on riding either the train or carousel. A hidden feature of Oak Meadow is the bocce ball court  on the University Ave. side.

The centerpiece of Vasona Park is the lake. Some people like to fish, while others, when in season, will rent paddle boats and tool around the lake on the water. A beautiful river runs through Vasona offering kids a great opportunity to explore and look for small fish, crawdads and tadpoles. Vasona also gives visitors easy access to the Los Gatos Creek Trail. Both Vasona and Oak Meadow parks have ample space for barbecues, family gatherings or just a nice picnic out in the sun.

Find out more about Los Gatos’s parks here at the official website. Vasona and Oak Meadow charge for parking but not admission and given how both parks can get busy, it’s best to check for availability of picnic tables for large parties. Otherwise, get a blanket and sit on the grass!

Long considered the best coffee house in Los Gatos, The Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Company is popular for a reason. They serve great coffee. Everything is roasted in-house using only the best beans from around the world (Latin America, Africa, Asia and even Jamaica). Their excellent joe has been a fixture of downtown Los Gatos life since 1982.

Their knowledgable staff will help you pick the right beans for your tastebuds and the right grind for your coffee-making apparatus. They also provide one of the best places to sit and work, study or just watch folks walk past the windows. What else could you ask for: great coffee, pastries, tea, and a great atmosphere to boot. The LGCRC  is open during the week from 6 AM to 6 PM and 6:30 AM to 6 PM on weekends so you can get your buzz on early.

If you work in or are visiting Los Gatos, it can be tricky finding a place for a quick bite to eat. Los Gatos is famous for having some world-class sit-down restaurants but when it comes to something more expedient, the choices are a little limited.  5 unbeatable choices for a delicious, reasonably priced meal in Los Gatos:

1. Chakra (formerly Tandoori Oven)

This is my absolute favorite place for a good, inexpensive meal. It’s essentially Indian fast food. They make their naan bread fresh to order and have tasty curries, wraps and other things. If you like to linger, be sure to get a chai. They’re ‘bottomless’ and super caffeinated. Pictured above, a Chicken wrap with spicy potato salad.

2. Happy Hound

The best place around to get unpretentious, classic, greasy American fast food. Their hot dogs and burgers are most excellent and they make proper malts and milkshakes.

3. Main Street Burgers

On the other side of town, Main Street Burger takes a modern spin on a burger and fries joint. With a variety of burgers and sliders, Main Street will also compliment your main course with fries, onion rings or sweet potato fries.

4. Pizza My Heart

A great place to pick up a slice or two in Downtown. Their pizzas are some of the best around. Fan favorites include the Big Sur and Hawaiian. If you’re not the pizza type, you can choose from their selection of salads.

5. Mr. Pickles Sandwiches

If you’ve got a big appetite, Mr. Pickles is the place to go. Their sammies are humongous and available with a myriad of different meats and veggies. If you’re feeling like you need more pork in your life, try the Porky Pig. Also, the eponymous Mr. Pickle sandwich is pretty delicious as well.

Next weekend, Los Gatos is finally opening its long-awaited new public library. In celebration of this historic occasion, the library has arranged some pretty excellent events for the weekend of February 11th and 12th. There’s a good variety of things for all kinds of people, including kids and families. For architecture nerds, there’s a tour of the sustainable features of the library guided by architect Chris Noll. There’s book signings and lectures from authors including Thomas Steinbeck (yes, of those Steinbecks), Gennifer Choldenko, Kazu Kibuishi. There’s also music, movies, drawings and more happening all weekend long. Check out the list of events here for more details.

Downtown Los Gatos is a great place to spend evenings. There’s a great variety of restaurants, bars and nightlife. The only issue is that the coffee shops close fairly early. The Great Bear, Los Gatos Roasting and even Starbucks provide caffeinated beverages and a place to have a low-key conversation. Unfortunately, none of these establishments are open past 10PM. In fact, the Coffee Roasting Company regularly closes at 6PM! Dolce Spazio, fortunately, is open late.

Dolce Spazio is famous mostly for its gelato but for my money, they make some great espresso too. That means that you can indulge in a classically Italian affogato, a cone of one of their many gelatos or even a baked treat. Their gelato flavors are on rotation with a few tried-and-true classics like Oreogasmic, vanilla bean and chocolate liqueur. Their Nutella gelato is a rarity but when they have it, it’s to die for. Dolce is open until 11PM Monday through Thursdays, Fridays at 11:30PM and Sundays at 10PM.

While Los Gatos winters are usually balmy compared to what it’s like back East, this winter is proving to be particularly nice. While the weather is being agreeable, why not explore one of the great perks of Los Gatos living– access to the wonderful Los Gatos Creek Trail! If you’re in downtown LG, the trail starts behind Old Town (take the staircase in front of California Cafe all the way down and out the back, take a left when you get to the Forbes Mill bridge).

The Creek Trail will take you from downtown, through both Oak Meadow and Vasona parks, and all the way to downtown Campbell and downtown Willow Glen. That means that if you’re looking to burn calories but get some shopping done, you can kill two birds with one stone. Given that the trail goes from downtown LG to both Oak Meadow and Vasona, that means if you’re with anklebiters, you can save gas by walking and run them ragged at the parks.

Additionally, the trail extends south further into the mountains all the way up to Lexington reservoir. If you cross the Forbes Mill bridge and walk past the Mill on the left hand side, you’ll head up to the mountains. This might be a better trek for the more adventurous. There’s some pretty good nature to be seen as well as some steep grades for extra exercise.

The total length of the trail is 10 miles which might seem like a hop, skip and a jump but be prepared. No matter if you’re jogging, walking or biking, bring plenty of water and it’s always advisable to put on some sunblock. For runners or walkers, a hat and sunglasses aren’t a bad idea. There are portions of the trail in Campbell where there is little foliage to provide shade. There are fountains along the way at which you can top up your H2O.

And one more thing–don’t forget to have fun and take time to take in the sights. It’s a unique way to explore Los Gatos and the surrounding communities. Plan your adventure with a Google-mapped bird’s eye view of the trail here.

Photo: Coastal Trail Runs

If you’ve been jonesing to hear some classic American music played live, the CalPops Orchestra has you covered this weekend!

Their “Let Yourself Go!” concert this Sunday features songs from some 20th century greats– Cole Porter (Anything Goes, Kiss Me Kate), George Gershwin (“Rhapsody in Blue”, “An American in Paris”, Porgy And Bess) and Irving Berlin (“White Christmas”, Annie Get Your Gun). Cole Porter is my personal favorite for his catchy, hummable tunes, beautiful love songs and cleverly crafted lyrics. Who could forget “It’s De-Lovely”, “Night and Day”, “You’re the Top”, and “ I’ve Got You Under My Skin”? While CalPops has left their song list a secret for now, you’re bound hear one of the many classic tunes penned by this trio of legendary American songsmiths.

The music starts at 3 PM on Sunday, Jan. 29th at Calvary Church. Online ticket purchasing is available here. See below for the full event details and address of the venue:

January 29th, 2012

Sunday, 3pm

Hits from George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and More!

The end of January finds the Pops celebrating the Great American Songbookwith the biggest hits of Gershwin, Porter, Berlin and everyone else whose songs became standards then and today. From Tin Pan Alley to Radio, from dance halls to our service men and women around the world. The Great American Songbook lets us remember our friends, our families, school days and historic events. It’s a musical record of this great country and these songs stay with us generation after generation.

Special Guest:Singer Pierce Peter Brandt 

Calvary Church 16330 Los Gatos Blvd, Los Gatos, CA

Competitive rowing is possibly the United States’ oldest sport tradition. It began as races between oarsmen in New York. These were professionals who would taxi goods and passengers across the East and Hudson rivers. The faster they were, the more fees they could collect in a day. Naturally, improvised competition turned to organized races.

Since 1979, Los Gatos Rowing Club (LGRC) has continued this America tradition in the South Bay. LGRC’s robust program schedule includes events for juniors (13-18) and masters (18-70-plus), with close to 300 members from all over the South Bay on the roster. The club regularly earns podium spots in the Western region and medals on the national level. With members representing the United States at World Championships and the Olympics, LGRC has reason to boast.

The club prides itself on attracting junior members from all over the South Bay and sculpting them into one cohesive, winning unit. While competition is an obvious focus for the club, college-prep and scholastic realities are not too far behind.

As LGRC Vice President Hilary Williams explains, “Historically, almost 100 percent of our graduating high school rowers go on to a four-year university, with many of them receiving scholarships.”

LGRC alumni have been recruited to row at Princeton, Harvard, Yale, University of Washington, Cal, Boston University, Michigan, Virginia, MIT, UCLA, UC-San Diego and USD.

The juniors develop their prowess under the watchful eye of Jamie Velez, who returned to his South Bay roots in 2008 after coaching in Philadelphia. Jamie also shares his expertise with the roughly 120 master members. Both juniors and masters participate in 15 races which are held locally and as far as Portland and Boston.

Beyond their regular training schedule, Hilary reveals, “We are active in a variety of outreach activities, offering programs for autistic young adults, economically disadvantaged youth, sight-impaired adults and breast-cancer survivors. The club is also active in the local community, providing hands-on support for Los Gatos’s Jazz in the Plazz summer concert program and no-cost Taste of Rowing programs for the County. We also offer corporate team-building rowing programs for Silicon Valley companies.”

With their permanent home located on the shore of Lexington Reservoir, LGRC is easy to get to and their program schedule has something for everyone.

Since learning how to play the organ in his native Buenos Aires at the age of three and entering the Buenos Aires Conservatory of Music when he was six years old, Hector Olivera has brought his craft to stages around the world.

He performs on January 22nd at Los Gatos High School Theatre for the first 2012 performance of Los Gatos Community Concert Association’s 64th season. The most sophisticated and demanding organ aficionados claim that Maestro Hector Olivera is “one of the greatest organists in the world today,” according to organizers, so this one might be worth a look.

More details from Olivera’s bio: “Born in Buenos Aires, Mr. Olivera began playing the pipe organ when he was three. At age five he played for the legendary Eva Perón; at twelve he entered the University of Buenos Aires and by eighteen had performed for heads of state and celebrities throughout Latin America. When offered a scholarship at the renowned Juilliard School of Music in New York, he moved to the United States. Three years later, Mr. Olivera’s outstanding professional concert career was launched when he won the AGO’s National Improvisation Contest.”

Tickets are $5 to $20. More details.

Los Gatos High School Theatre
20 High School Court
Los Gatos, CA 95032

Main Street Burgers is both the antidote to the classic American meal and its champion. If state and federal governments weren’t so corrupted by money from the meat industry, hamburgers would be illegal.

The fast-food burger is a quadruple threat: to animals, the environment, workers and public health. The cattle are raised in feedlots so crowded and filthy the animals must be administered antibiotics to keep them alive long enough to make it to slaughter. The overuse of these drugs lessens their effective for humans by breeding antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Mountains of manure from feedlots are piled into oceanic, untreated “lagoons” that poison lakes, rivers and the air. Workers for industrial meat processors like Con-Agra and Tyson labor in dangerous and inhumane conditions. Feces contaminated beef sickens and kills thousands of people every year.

Do you want that burger for here or to go?

In spite of these crimes against humanity, the industrial hamburger remains as popular as ever. Americans ate about 9 billion burgers in 2010, an average of about one every two weeks for each person in the country, according to the research firm NPD Group. Burgers aren’t going anywhere.

Los Gatos’ Main Street Burgers has recognized that fact and has opted to serve a better burger. I reviewed Main Street Burgers when it opened, back in 2005. I’m pleased to see the business has thrived and that it even underwent a recent expansion.

I’m also happy that Main Street has upgraded its burgers. When the place first opened, it served Harris Ranch “natural” beef burgers, factory-farmed burgers that made loose claims to being antibiotic-free.

Now, Main Street serves Niman Ranch beef. While Niman Ranch isn’t as good for the environment and public health as pasture-raised, grass-fed beef, it is antibiotic-free and light years better than industrial grade beef that goes into 99.999 percent of the beef Americans wolf down.

The restaurant also gets points for using Diestel turkey, a California company that produces humanely raised, antibiotic-free birds. They also uses wild salmon in their salmon burgers and compostable cups, a great alternative to plastic as long the cups are properly composted and don’t get buried in landfills where they’ll live side by side with their plastic brethren for eternity.

On the downside, Main Street Burgers used to serve Rocky Jr. chicken in its chicken sandwiches, a step above the factory-farmed chicken that dominates the market. The restaurant has since switched to Koch Foods for its chicken, a company that makes no claims about the absence of hormones or antibiotics.

That’s too bad. Customers obviously appreciate the provenance of the burgers. A factory-farmed, feedlot cow is just as bad as a factory-farmed, feedlot chicken.

OK, enough with the food politics. The Main Street Original burger ($5.99, $6.99 with cheese) is the classic burger served on an excellent egg bun with the restaurant’s signature sauce (basically thousand-island island dressing). My favorite is the Nirvana Burger ($9.50), smoked cheddar, house-made bacon-onion jam and mildly spicy Sriracha mayonnaise. So much better than a Big Mac.

If beef isn’t your thing, the wild Alaska burger ($8.99) served with sliced cucumbers and standard toppings on a nine-grain bun is a good choice.

In addition to the restaurant’s expansion, Main Street Burgers has improved its beer and wine and dessert selections. It still serves great milkshakes ($4.50 for small, $6 for large) made with Treat Ice Cream, a San Jose company that’s been around since 1951. Go for the salted caramel. You won’t be sorry.

What has been around that long is the restaurant’s anti-grill,” a quick chill machine that hardens ice cream and anything else you put on it. Main Street uses it to make ice cream sandwiches ($5). Choose a flavor and either a graham cracker or brownie cookie crust.

The wines and beers on tap are a step up. Main Street serves chardonnay and pinot noir from Parducci and Paul Dolan, two green wine producers as well as beer from Trumer Pils, Blue Moon and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. If you want to go in a different direction, there’s Pabst in a 16-ounce can.

At Main Street Burgers, you can enjoy the classic American meal without contributing to our collective demise in the process. A milkshake or glass of good beer or wine makes it go down even better.

Main Street Burger
20 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos
408.354.1881