Bay Area Reopens: San Jose Al Fresco

 

 This past Friday, June 5, 2020 was dubbed Al Fresco Friday.  After twelve weeks of take-out only, restaurants were given the nod in San Francisco, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties to offer table service outdoors.  The coronavirus doesn't spread as quickly outdoors. Of course, the wait staff all wear masks, and you're supposed to as well when not imbibing beverages and nibbling appetizers. It's a little loose, but most practice this social nicety and safety precaution.

New dining protocol.
No shared menus (scan the Q code and view it on your phone!) and masks at ready.

We ventured out this weekend to bolster the economy and frankly to enjoy someone's else's cooking.  We drove South to San Jose and its Santana Row. This is a stretch of newish blocks  (built in 2002) meant to look old, with vibrant 20th century architecture.  Apartments are piled on top of restaurants and shops, with a tree lined corridor between.  We parked (2 hours free!), grabbed our masks and hustled over to Ozuma Japanese restaurant. 

Steven reads the menu from his phone. Less germs that way.

Ozuma had installed plexiglass shields to extend their outdoor dining and maintain six feet social distancing. We were seated against a wall that is normally a corridor. Across the street I could see boarded up shops, recent evidence of protests against the death of George Floyd in police custody a week before.  A pandemic followed by protests and rioting across the nation makes for an unsettling first date out in three months.  But we persevered. I had the brussels sprout and garlic vinaigrette appetizer, followed by veggie don and a very nice beer. I watched masked pedestrians saunter past, out, at last, for a weekend night on the town.  Our waiter told us four restaurants in Santana Row had closed, unable to survive the pandemic shut down.

Almost a normal night out.

We strolled down the street as well, coming to a Mexican restaurant that had set up a DJ outdoors. Twentysomethings were dancing in the street, having a drink.  You could say they were a little foolish, what with a pandemic still on the loose, but you could feel the happiness rolling off them.  Life as is should or was, just for a little while.