The team behind San Jose’s highly acclaimed Adega restaurant is doubling down on downtown San Jose.
Owners Carlos and Fernanda Carreira have announced they are opening a new casual Portuguese restaurant, Petiscos, in the SoFA district.
“It’s an uncertain and unclear time to open another project, given the restaurant industry’s current situation, but we feel confident and optimistic about the future of downtown San Jose,” Carlos said late Friday.
Petiscos — the name means small plates, the Portuguese equivalent of Spanish tapas — will open this autumn, perhaps as early as October, with outdoor dining and meals to go until the county’s coronavirus rules allow indoor dining. The restaurant is taking over the former Tac-OH space on South First Street.
An extensive seafood-packed menu is in the works. Already, the chefs are planning to make Amêijoas à bulhão pato (steamed clams in wine broth), Camarão Alhinho (prawns in garlic butter sauce), Pica Pau (beef sauteed with pickled garlic sauce), Salada de polvo (octopus salad), Caracóis (small snails in spicy broth) and Peixinhos da Horta (tempura green beans).
Less than a year ago, the family opened their first downtown venture, a bakery-cafe on Santa Clara Street. Pastelaria Adega sells pastéis de nata custards and other Portuguese sweets and snacks.
The flagship Adega, in the city’s Little Portugal neighborhood, opened in 2015 with chefs David Costa and Jessica Carreira at the helm. In 2016 it became the city’s first restaurant and the West Coast’s first Portuguese restaurant to be honored with a Michelin star.
Adega is currently offering takeout meals with pickup times from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Popular Portuguese dishes such as Arroz de Pato (rice with duck), Bacalhau à Brás (salted cod with eggs and potatoes), Polvo Assado (roasted octopus) and Bife com Ovo (steak and egg) lead the list.
Details: The new restaurant will be located at 399 S. First St. Adega is at 1614 Alum Rock Ave. and Pastelaria Adega at 30 E. Santa Clara St. www.adegarest.com
