Dinner with High Schoolers

My husband and I are going to be in San Jose with 11 teenagers for a convention. We%26#39;re really excited...okay, and a little nervous! Our last night there we would like to take them somewhere special for dinner. This means someplace they can dress up a little and looking at entrees around $15.00 to $17.00. Can you help? We%26#39;d like it to definitely have local flavor, not a chain restaurant like Applebee%26#39;s.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Dinner with High Schoolers

Will you be in downtown SJ or somewhere else? The place is kind of spreadout, so if you can be more specific to where they%26#39;re all staying, etc we might be able to nail down something better.

Sorry, two chains come to mind for downtown, in walking distance of the Convention Center in case that%26#39;s what you had in mind.

First, there%26#39;s the Old Spaghetti Factory. There%26#39;s one of those in Indy too. It%26#39;s in the right price range, maybe not so formal though either.

There%26#39;s also Il Fornaio, an Italian restaurant. It might be a bit more expensive, but definitely more dressy.

Dinner with High Schoolers

One place the kids might enjoy is Santana Row, a very upscale outdoor shopping center in Santa Clara (Stevens Creek Blvd.) There are many restaurants, and one that comes to mind is Consuelo%26#39;s, a Mexican restaurant. You might go to Santana Row%26#39;s website, click on dining and browse the restaurants. Several are in the price range you mentioned. It%26#39;s a nice place to walk around--a little haven in the middle of town--and there%26#39;s often outdoor music.

Also at Santana Row: Pasta Pomodoro

Santana Row is actually in San Jose. It is a pretty cool place to check out. There are many dining options there. If you%26#39;re staying downtown though, it may be a bit harder to transport 11 teenagers there. There are many restaurants downtown. Downtown S.J. is pretty easy to get around by foot, and honestly, sometimes the best thing to do is just walk around for awhile and get a feel for what you may be in the mood for. Some of the best restaurants I%26#39;ve eaten at downtown were not planned...I just happened to be walking by and decided to try it out.

The Sonoma Chicken Coop is a delicious place but not exactly fancy but local flair. The whole San Pedro square area is a good option.

Try the Naglee Park Garage in the downtown area, just east of the San Jose State University campus. It is on the corner of 11th and San Carlos. Also on the corner is a bagel shop, 7-11 market, and Top Dog Hot Dogs. The Garage and Top Dogs share an outside patio area with picnic tables and chairs (heat lamps are also available if it get cool outside). The menu is a la carte and definitely in your price range. Wonderful roast chicken, great salads, a variety of salads and seasonal vegetable sides, fabulous macaroni and cheese for a side dish, and the best bread pudding in town. It is a neighborhood restaurant with terrific food. More information can be found at: www.nagleeparkgarage.com.