I’m lucky in the fact that sometimes I get to travel for work. Not all the time, but sometimes I get to cover a sports event or a concert and get paid money for my troubles.
A quick trip to San Jose, California, didn’t seem like much at all when the assignment first came across my desk.
In fact, in the days leading up to my trip I tried to wiggle my way out. I had been slammed by work projects and really didn’t see the need for a quick one night turnaround.
Good thing I didn’t listen to my head, because I would have missed out on a fantastic restaurant, a wonderful train ride, and the clear blue skies of San Francisco.
I was headed to San Jose to cover Bellator MMA at the SAP Center which featured the legendary Tito Ortiz in what was suppose to be his retirement fight against former UFC title contender Chael Sonnen.
Again, not a bad gig if you can get it.
I asked the Blonde Bombshell to tag along for the weekend and she was game for a trip to the coast, so we booked a Southwest flight and headed out west.
We stayed at the beautiful Four Points Sheraton in downtown San Jose, which is in close vicinity to the SAP Center.
Originally constructed as a classic grand hotel by TS Montgomery in 1911 with stylish brick-hued exteriors and elegant balustrades, we’re one of the city’s iconic buildings.
four points sheraton san jose website
An older hotel with modern comforts, beautiful art and custom woodwork throughout. Plus, it has one of the better restaurants in town, Mosaic, in the front part of the building. Any time I travel to San Jose, the Four Points Sheraton is my number one choice. This place is really fantastic.
We dined at a McCormick & Schmick’s which was all well and good, but the other few places we stopped were especially notable: Mosaic, of course, and Whispers Cafe & Creperie for breakfast.
Mosaic is an incredibly popular Asian Fusion restaurant found at the Four Points Sheraton in downtown headed by executive chef Richard Yu. When I say it’s “incredibly popular” I mean, you’ll want to book at table as soon as you can because you’re not guaranteed a spot if you simply walk up to the door.
It’s like that way for a reason: the food, is quite simply, out of this world.
I wish I could sit Chef Yu down and ask tons of questions to get the inside secret to how he makes these fusions come to life so expertly, but for now, I’ll simply pass word along: Mosaic remains one of my highest regarded restaurants from all of my travels.
Whispers Cafe & Creperie is probably one of the more popular breakfast spots in the city and the long lines you may encounter in the morning are testament to that.
They have an amazingly large selection of crepes, juices, breakfast combos… everything. And it’s wonderfully tasty.
My grandmother wasn’t really a baker… she was more of a whiskey and Vegas person (it’s a family thing)… but if she did bake, I assume it wouldn’t be half as good as Whispers.
Cool side note: While in line at Whispers, I noticed we were standing behind MMA legend and total bad ass Dan “Hendo” Henderson. I’m not the type of guy that asks for pictures with celebs, but if I was I would have freaked out and begged for one right here. Instead I offered up a head nod to one of the greatest of all time and let he and his team dine in peace. Oh well.
The day after my Bellator assignment was finished and filed, we took the CalTrain to the Bay for a few hours of fun in San Francisco.
The CalTrain runs along the Pacific coast from AT&T Park in San Francisco down to Gilroy. There are stops all along the way but most people are headed into San Fran for work or other adventures. It’s super easy to navigate thanks to the website but be sure to plan properly and give yourself plenty of time to catch your train.
We had to run a bit to make sure that we didn’t end up getting left behind. It made for a bit of sweat but tons of laughs.
I realize that this isn’t a glorious day after day thing for most folks who live in this area. It’s public transportation to life appointments, but for me, it was my first real ride on a train so I was all smiles as it’s got a lot of scenic beauty to take in. The ride itself from San Jose to San Francisco (AT&T Park) takes about an hour.
For a few hours we got to explore one of our favorite destinations in San Francisco. We didn’t really have time for getting lost in the city on this trip, but we still got to stroll along the water and snap a few shots before heading to the airport for our trip home.
Work trips aren’t always fun and glamorous, but this one holds some special memories.
AT&T Park in San Francisco SFFD! Anchor Steam, a favorite to drink in the Bay Bay Bridge background selfie Bay Bridge is always a welcomed sight
