Category: Bay Area

The Mini Gourmet mystery is over. For four years, thousands of people had been driving past this classic San Jose diner on their way to Interstate 280, or to San Jose City College, or to Valley Medical Center, many of them thinking the same thing: What’s up with that place? A November 2019 fire had left the interior damaged but the exterior intact. The restaurant at Bascom and Moorpark avenues was fenced off, with no indication whether a tear-down or a reopening was in the offing — until recently, when work crews were spotted and “coming soon” signs sprang up, to the delight of former customers. Owner-chef Florence “Flo” Khuu shares a laugh with a customer at the newly reopened Mini Gourmet. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)  Now, after a long pandemic closure followed by an even longer renovation process, Mini Gourmet is back in the business of omelettes, pancakes, tuna melts, burgers, homemade soup and other comfort food. Owner-chef Florence Khuu, who goes by Flo, felt an obligation to bring back the Mini-G. She said everyone told her, “This is iconic. You can’t close

6 Perth Place – Google Street View The spacious property located in the first block of Perth Place in Oakland was sold on Jan. 8, 2024. The $1,700,000 purchase price works out to $447 per square foot. The house, built in 2003, has an interior space of 3,804 square feet. This two-story home offers a capacious living environment with its four bedrooms and three bathrooms. In addition, the house provides a two-car garage, granting ample space for parking and storage purposes. The lot of the property covers a substantial area of 8,033 square feet. These nearby houses have also recently changed hands: In November 2022, a 2,388-square-foot home on Alvarado Road in Oakland sold for $1,750,000, a price per square foot of $733. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. A 2,639-square-foot home on the 1800 block of Grand View Drive in Oakland sold in October 2022, for $2,015,000, a price per square foot of $764. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. On Grand View Drive, Oakland, in August 2022, a 3,686-square-foot home was sold for $2,149,000, a price per square foot

As Kate Middleton continues to be the source of feverish speculation about her retreat from public view, following major abdominal surgery surgery for an undisclosed condition, her mother is reportedly “infuriated” that her “black-sheep” brother, Kate’s uncle, is set to appear on the U.K. reality TV show, “Celebrity Big Brother.” A source told The Sun that Carole Middleton fears that her brother, Gary Goldsmith, could spill royal secrets as he appears on the new season of “Celebrity Big Brother,” which premieres Monday night, march 4, in the U.K. The Sun reported that Buckingham Palace also is said to be “anxious” about what Goldsmith might say about the royal family, and especially about his niece, the Princess of Wales, who has been out of the public eye since Christmas Day, recovering at home from a surgery that took place in early January. ENGLEFIELD GREEN, ENGLAND – MAY 20: Gary Goldsmith (L), uncle of the bride attends the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at St Mark’s Church on May 20, 2017 in Englefield Green, England. (Photo by Justin Tallis – WPA Pool/Getty Images)  “Gary said

SAN JOSE — A one-time pharmacy worker whose state credential revoked after stealing narcotics from his employer is now facing a murder charge for allegedly selling cocaine secretly laced with fentanyl to a South Bay woman who died from an overdose last year. Benjamin Nathan Williams, 34, of San Jose, was charged Friday with one count of murder and a felony drug sales count in connection with the Feb. 13, 2023 death of 25-year-old Hope Noel Warrick at her home in unincorporated Morgan Hill. The criminal complaint containing the charges accuses Williams of telling Warrick through Instagram the previous night that he had included an unspecified addition to cocaine he was selling her. An investigative summary written by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office states that they obtained messages that “clearly indicated that (suspect) Williams sold (victim) Hope what she believed was cocaine and added in some extra for her.” Sometime after, an apparently concerned Warrick conducted an internet search on how to know whether a substance contained fentanyl, investigators wrote. On the afternoon of Feb. 13, 2023, Warrick’s father, who had become worried that

MARTINEZ — Prosecutors here have filed arson, robbery, grand theft and hate crime charges against a Hayward man who allegedly took an Israeli flag from another protestor and set it on fire. Christopher Khamis Victor Husary, 36, was charged last week in a decision by the Contra Costa District Attorneys Office. The charges stem from a January protest and counter-protest in El Cerrito over the Israel-Hamas war. Husary was arrested Feb. 28, on a warrant generated by El Cerrito police. He remains jailed in lieu of $250,000 bail. Prosecutors allege that Husary shoved a counter-protestor, took her flag and set it on fire, before taking another Israeli flag from another woman’s shoulders. District Attorney Diana Becton issued a statement saying that “while the First Amendment is fundamental to our democracy, it doesn’t protect threats, injury, intimidation, or property damage.”

1117 Coolidge Avenue – Google Street View A 2,077-square-foot house built in 1950 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 1100 block of Coolidge Avenue in San Jose was sold on Feb. 12, 2024. The $1,820,000 purchase price works out to $876 per square foot. The layout of this single-story house includes three bedrooms and two baths. Inside, a fireplace enhances the ambiance of the living area. In addition, the house comes with a two-car garage, allowing for convenient vehicle storage and additional storage space. The lot size of the property measures an impressive 7,182 square feet. These nearby houses have also recently changed hands: In July 2022, a 2,686-square-foot home on Willow Street in San Jose sold for $2,279,000, a price per square foot of $848. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. A 2,512-square-foot home on the 1100 block of Crescent Drive in San Jose sold in January 2024, for $2,550,000, a price per square foot of $1,015. The home has 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. On Carolyn Avenue, San Jose, in April 2023, a 2,841-square-foot home was sold for

The Warriors will look to cooler heads to prevail after absorbing the third-worst blowout in franchise history. With Tuesday being the 254th anniversary of the Boston Massacre, the Warriors will look to put aside a 140-88 slaughter at the hands of the Celtics at TD Garden as an isolated instance rather than treat it as a referendum on their worthiness as a postseason contender. And their voice of reason, of all people, is Draymond Green. “We’re fine. It’s one game,” Green told reporters in the aftermath. “This ain’t their first rodeo. They understand. We’ve got young guys that have been implemented into the culture and understand the culture. It’s fine.” The recipient of a five-game suspension and an indefinite ban (which lasted 12 games) that put his Warriors future in jeopardy, Green has, in the words of coach Steve Kerr, “walked the line.” He’ll bellow at an official and take issue with the tactics of an opponent. Then he lets it go. That’s the same way Green let go of a historic beating that he believed in no way disparaged a 3-1 road trip that

During her monologue for “Saturday Night Live,” Sydney Sweeney humorously knocked down several pervasive internet rumors about her, including that she had a supposed “affair” with her “Anyone But You” co-star Glen Powell while engaged to someone else, or that her success and beauty is due to nutrition advice she received from a self-proclaimed dietician. The other pervasive internet rumor over the past couple months has been that the two-time Emmy nominee lied about landing a prestigious job as a tour guide at Universal Studios as a teenager. “Like I once said I worked at Universal Studios, and someone online accused me of lying about that,” Sweeney said while introducing herself as “SNL’s” latest host. “Which is insane,” Sweeney proclaimed. “If I didn’t work there, how would I know all of Universal’s characters like Shrok, the Munions and Harry Porter,” she joked, riffing on the names of Shrek, the Minions and Harry Potter. Sweeney’s Universal Studios mini-scandal erupted earlier this year. During multiple recent interviews, Sweeney offered up a rags-to-riches story about moving to Los Angeles with her family as a teenager, so she could

To update that old saying, “Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, even if your 23andMe report says you haven’t got even a fifth cousin from the Emerald Isle.” Yes, we Americans love any excuse for a cultural celebration. This year the holiday falls on a Sunday, giving us a reason to devote the whole weekend to festivals, music, parades, corned beef — and a pint or two. Thanks to the Bay Area’s Irish history, there’s no shortage of pubs where Guinness and Smithwick’s mingle with IPAs and sours, and where millennial newcomers grab a bar stool next to longtime locals. Here are 12 spots to check out. Farrington’s, Pleasant Hill You know you’re in a nice Irish bar when the bartender whips out a fiddle to entertain patrons on St. Patrick’s Day. Farrington’s is your classic Irish sports bar plopped in a Contra Costa strip mall. The first thing you’ll notice is flat-screen TVs jutting at every angle – the place is quite serious about sports. What looks like an entire row of movie seats ripped from an AMC theater sits in front of a

Interstate 80 remained closed through the Sierra Nevada on Monday morning after a punishing blizzard that dropped several feet of snow across the Lake Tahoe region, limiting travel between the popular tourist spot and much of the rest of the state. A blizzard warning for the northern Sierra expired shortly before 12:30 a.m. Monday, and was replaced by the National Weather Service with a winter storm warning as the threat of snow continued to hound the region. Another 4 to 10 inches of powder was expected to fall over Donner Pass between Monday morning and early Wednesday morning, according to Dakari Anderson, a National Weather Service meteorologist. “We’re on the downtrend of things,” Anderson said. “Hopefully they will be able to get out there and really start to dig out of the snow.” While I-80 remained closed Monday morning, Highway 50 out of South Lake Tahoe remained open, albeit with chain restrictions. The storm system that swung into California from the Gulf of Alaska late last week marked the biggest dumping of snow for the Sierra Nevada this season, with remarkable totals at ski resorts

A juvenile was taken into custody Sunday afternoon after police say he fired gunshots at an Anaheim officer, kicking off a multi-hour search for the alleged underage gunman. Officers around 1:45 a.m. contacted several people in the 300 block of Guinida Lane, in the area of Ball Road and the 5 Freeway, one of whom fired several shots before running away, Anaheim police Sgt. Jon McClintock said. No one was struck by the gunfire, the sergeant said, and the officers did not return fire. Additional officers were called to the scene, including members of the Anaheim Police Department’s tactical response unit. They searched the area for several hours, McClintock said. A detective spotted a family member of the suspected shooter driving out of the area, the sergeant said. A description of the vehicle was broadcast to surrounding law enforcement agencies. Around 3:15 p.m., Orange County Sheriff’s deputies located the suspected shooter in Mission Viejo and took him into custody, McClintock said. Since the suspected shooter is a juvenile, authorities did not release his name and declined to specify his exact age. He was expected to

By Samuel Stolton and Stephanie Bodoni | Bloomberg Apple Inc. was hit Monday with a €1.8 billion ($2 billion) penalty from the European Union over an investigation into allegations it shut out music-streaming rivals, including Spotify Technology SA, on its platforms. The European Commission also ordered the Cupertino, California-based firm to stop preventing music-streaming apps from informing users of cheaper deals away from Apple’s App Store. The larger than expected fine is the first to be handed out to Apple by the EU. Shares were down 1.5% in premarket trading in New York. “For a decade, Apple abused its dominant position in the market for the distribution of music streaming apps through the App Store,” EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said. “They did so by restricting developers from informing consumers about alternative, cheaper music services available outside of the Apple ecosystem.” Apple said it will appeal the EU’s decision, which sets off a legal battle that could last for years. In a statement, the company said regulators failed to “uncover any credible evidence of consumer harm, and ignores the realities of a market that is

Looking for vacation inspiration? Just in the last year, Bay Area News Group readers have explored some of India’s most spectacular landmarks, gone island hopping in Ireland, strolled old town Dubrovnik, visited wildlife-blessed rivers in Alaska, and so much more. Now they’re sharing their travel stories and helpful tips, in case you want to go too. Here’s the latest installment, this time from sunny Costa Rica. Wish You Were Here Walnut Creek residents Joanne and Mike Kuller’s recent trip to the Playa Hermosa region of Costa Rica included a jungle cruise and waterfall hikes. (Courtesy of the Kuller family)  COSTA RICA: Walnut Creek residents Joanne and Mike Kuller travelled to the west coast of Costa Rica in December for a dash of winter sunshine in Hermosa Heights, which is near beachy Playa Hermosa and Playa Del Coco. “It’s near a Blue Zone, where people live longer, eating fish, rice and beans,” Mike says. The couple’s adventures included a sunset snorkeling catamaran sail and “a jungle cruise where we saw crocodiles and monkeys, hiked to waterfalls and hot springs and then zip-lined.” TRAVEL TIPS: For trips to

DEAR JOAN: I love your weekly pet column and think other readers might have this problem.  Our precious cat, Pumpkin, is almost 19 years old. She was a rescue kitty, so we don’t know exact age. She is now quite senile, and one result of this is incontinence. Thankfully there are no urine issues but we now have an entire bathroom set aside for her. It’s not enough. She poops, without knowing it is happening, on the carpeting throughout the house. This is usually accompanied by barfing. I find myself chasing her around the room with a newspaper to catch her barf at 2 a.m. While we clean up after her, the rugs are the worse for wear My husband is averse to putting her down but something has to happen regarding health conditions in our home of 35 years. It sometimes smells, but he loves little Pumpkin. Stress along with PTSD is running high. What have others done when the main problem is poop and a senile cat? You would be doing us an immense service by offering advice. — Mike O’Connor, San Francisco DEAR

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I recently took a Western Mediterranean cruise with my family, which included flight arrangements made through Norwegian Cruise Line. On the morning before our scheduled departure, we tried to check in online, but the first leg of our flight was not showing up on the Delta Air Lines app. We contacted the NCL air department, and a representative said they needed to reissue the outbound tickets and send us new air confirmations. She told me to go to the airport in the morning and resolve the situation at the Delta check-in desk. Christopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter  When I arrived at the airport, the agent could not find our reservation. At this point, Delta only had four seats remaining on the flight, so I purchased the tickets to avoid missing the rest of the flight and the cruise. I have asked NCL to reimburse us for the $1,796 we had to spend. NCL asked us to file a claim with AON, the travel insurance we had purchased through NCL, but AON has turned down our claim. We’ve also disputed the charge on

Is it spring yet? Sadly, not quite yet. However, this rich and meaty stew will make you grateful the weather is still wintry outside. Brimming with hunks of meltingly tender beef and chunky vegetables nestling in a potent, savory broth, this slow-cooked bowl of warmth will cheer you up on a cold late winter night. As with most stews and braises, there are a few key steps to ensuring deep flavor: Take the time to brown the meat well. This step caramelizes the meat, which builds flavor in the braising liquid and lends depth to the stew. When choosing the wine, which is the main component of the stock, it needn’t be pricey, but it should be a wine you would be happy to drink. And remember that this is about slow cooking. It’s not a process to be rushed. In fact, if you can begin making the stew a day ahead of serving, you will be rewarded, as it will improve in flavor with a good night’s rest in the refrigerator. This step also allows the fat to rise and solidify on the top

When I watched today’s deal in my club’s penny game, Cy the Cynic was about 2000 points in the hole. He blasted into six diamonds, hoping to get back to even. West led a trump, and Cy drew trumps and cashed five hearts, pitching his low clubs. At the eighth trick, he led a club from dummy, and East played low. Cy grimaced, consulted the ceiling … and played the jack. West took the queen and returned a club for down one. “Just a guess,” Cy shrugged. TRICK TWO “Lead dummy’s king of spades at Trick Two,” I advised. “When East doesn’t cover, you can place the ace with West — and the ace of clubs with East. West would not have led a trump with two aces.” “Baloney,” the Cynic growled. “You wouldn’t lead an ace against a slam if you had two of them?” I persisted. “Not if I thought one would be ruffed, which is a lock on the bidding.” Cy was being his cynical self. Declarer has nothing to lose by executing a “discovery” play to try to place the missing

TODAY’S WORD — BREVITY (BREVITY: BREV-ih-tee: Shortness of duration.) Average mark 14 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 18 or more words in BREVITY? The list will be published tomorrow. SATURDAY’S WORD — MIXTURES merit mire miser mist mister mite miter mixer mixes mixture muse must muster mustier mute item term tier time timer tire tries trim true truism user remit remix rest rime rise rite ruse rust emir emit etui exist exit semi serum sire site smite smut stem stir strum suer suet suit suite sure To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last! RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

4701 Stratford Avenue – Google Street View A house located in the 4700 block of Stratford Avenue in Fremont has new owners. The 1,556-square-foot property, built in 1962, was sold on Jan. 10, 2024. The $1,550,000 purchase price works out to $996 per square foot. This single-story home offers a capacious living environment with its four bedrooms and two bathrooms. In addition, the house includes a two-car garage. The lot size of the property measures an impressive 6,530 square feet. Additional houses have recently changed hands nearby: In September 2023, a 1,452-square-foot home on Robin Street in Fremont sold for $1,200,000, a price per square foot of $826. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. A 1,664-square-foot home on the 4500 block of Piper Street in Fremont sold in October 2022, for $1,551,500, a price per square foot of $932. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. On Kathlean Street, Fremont, in December 2023, a 1,318-square-foot home was sold for $1,590,000, a price per square foot of $1,206. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

Dear Amy: My husband and I don’t have children. My sister is a single mom and she has always been strict with her children. She has a rule for her kids that when they turn 18, they either pay rent or move out. Her daughter turned 18, didn’t find her footing and wasn’t working, and so my sister kicked her out. This niece asked to live with us, and we agreed. She is doing great at our house; she is attending a community college and is working part time. We like having her here. We are not charging rent and are encouraging her to save her money. My sister is furious with us for undermining her rules for her children. I’m not sure how to respond. – Caring Aunt Dear Aunt: Your sister’s rule was to either pay rent at home or move out. Her daughter moved out. Your sister’s basic attitude is that when her kids turn 18, they must take responsibility for their lives. As far as I can tell, this is exactly what your niece has done. I applaud your choice to

2234 Via Espada – Google Street View A 1,950-square-foot house built in 1971 has changed hands. The property located in the 2200 block of Via Espada in Pleasanton was sold on Dec. 27, 2023, for $1,750,000, or $897 per square foot. The layout of this two-story house consists of three bedrooms and three baths. Inside, a fireplace adds character to the home. The property is equipped with forced air heating and central A/C. In addition, the home provides a garage. The lot of the property covers a substantial area of 6,700 square feet. These nearby houses have also recently changed hands: A 1,930-square-foot home on the 2300 block of Corte de La Jara in Pleasanton sold in October 2022, for $1,600,000, a price per square foot of $829. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. In September 2022, a 1,950-square-foot home on Corte Brazos in Pleasanton sold for $1,650,000, a price per square foot of $846. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. On Black Avenue, Pleasanton, in November 2022, a 2,160-square-foot home was sold for $1,575,000, a price per square foot of