A twelve-hour long mini-festival of technology and art is landing on High Street later this month.
The event, the Super Happy Block Party Hackathon, will see the doors of three big-name tech startups on High Street open its doors to hackers: Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors, Talenthouse, and Institute for the Future.
These three “hackspaces” will complement a diverse lineup of activities, including painting, music and other artistic performances.
The festivities will take place March 31, 2012 from 1 p.m. – 1 a.m. on High Street in Downtown Palo Alto.
“We believe that innovation happens when people of diverse backgrounds connect,” according to the Super Happy Block Party website. “We have designed this place and this space for magic to happen and for innovation to become accessible to all. Hacker, artist and local community cross-pollination is rare, but we think it should happen every day. We are all Makers, Creators and Innovators!”
In a hilarious promotional video starring Palo Alto Mayor Yiaway Yeh, an ominous voice declares that on “March 31st, the city belongs to the nerds.”
High Street will be blocked off between University and Hamilton, and the event will also feature food trucks, parking spaces dedicated to local startups, and a “Hack the Future” tent where kids can learn to code.
“We believe this is a new and categorically different approach to innovation,” said Dror Berman, Founding Managing Director of Innovation Endeavors, in a statement Tuesday. “Super Happy Block Party Hackathon will be an innovation playground for all to enjoy. This is a well-thought out space and place designed to foster new forms of innovation and interaction.”
“Super Happy Block Party Hackathon is the prototype for the conversation around cities of the future,” said Mayor Yeh. “Palo Alto has long been associated with world-class innovation. Hackers and artists play a central role in this dynamic economy that is destined for even greater greatness. Some of the most influential and innovative companies were born and started up on these streets. Super Happy Block Party is the first of many innovative manifestations to come from Palo Alto.”
Other highlights of the event include a Day Star Yurt with a Silent Disco with a live DJ inside; a collection of LED strip lights spread out throughout the block for developers to hack; and a conglomeration of high-tech personalities and founders.
Want to go? RSVP here.
Throughout the San Francisco Peninsula, Patch polled readers to find the best Italian restaurants in our cities and neighborhoods. After five days of voting, the winners have been selected. Check the list below to find some wonderful places to find pasta and pizza just like Nonna used to make, and let us know what you think by commenting.
Next week, come back to vote on your favorite kid's birthday party venue!
Belmont: Vivace, 1910 Ralston Ave.
Burlingame: Stella Alpina Osteria, 401 Primrose Road
Foster City: Chalet Ticino, 1058 Shell Blvd. #C
Half Moon Bay: It's Italia, 401 Main St.
Menlo Park: Cedro Ristorante Italiano, 1010 El Camino Real
Millbrae: Zorba's Pizza, 1567 El Camino Real
Pacifica: Luigi's Italian Restaurant, 950 Linda Mar Blvd.
Palo Alto: Osteria, 247 Hamilton Ave.
Redwood City: Vino Santo Bistro, 2030 Broadway St.
San Bruno,West Coast Cafe, 466 San Mateo Ave.
San Carlos, 888, 888 Laurel St.
San Mateo, Buon Appetito Italian Pizzeria, 69 37th Ave.
South San Francisco: Di Napoli Ristorante & Pizzeria, 202 Grand Ave.
Palo Alto seems to be a new magnet for fast, healthy and casual food. On the heels of instant-hit LYFE Kitchen comes a new, Asian offering from the executive chef at Slanted Door: Asian Box.
Opening today at 5 p.m. at Town & Country Village, Asian Box is inspired by Asian street food carts, showcasing traditional recipes made with ingredients sourced locally.
Executive Chef Grace Nguyen brings the bright and flavorful tastes of Southeast Asia to a Western locavore clientele, and has done so without any gluten on the menu.
CEO Frank Klein’s vision was to create a dining experience that is “fun, exciting, healthy, and quickly dtam sang, or made to order,” according to an announcement Thursday. Klein will open two more Asian Box locations in the Bay Area in 2012.
“I love Asian cuisine but have always found it challenging to find places offering fresh and authentic menus, especially in the fast-casual sector,” said Klein. “Asian Box evolved from the idea of the kind of restaurant I’d want to eat at and introduce to my family and friends.”
The restaurant’s slogan, “What’s in Your Box?” refers both to the compostable packaging used to serve the food and to the importance, they say, of knowing how the food got to your plate.
“It doesn’t matter if you are in a fine-dining restaurant or a grab-and-go shop,” Klein said. “More and more, people want to know where their food comes from and how it’s being prepared.”
Grace Nguyen’s menu was influenced by her Vietnamese heritage and refined with the help of Chad Newton, Culinary Director for FK Restaurants & Hospitality, which owns Asian Box.
“Quickly served food remains in high demand, but there has been a shift in diner preferences. They want food that’s raised responsibly, sourced locally and prepared fresh,” Nguyen said. Authenticity is also an important aspect for Nguyen, who learned traditional cooking methods and recipes from her Vietnamese grandmother.
Menu items start at $6.95, and guests create their own “box” by selected from a number of ingredients, similar to the process at Sprout.
The meal starts with a choice of Asian Vegetable Salad, Rice Noodles with Mushroom Broth, Brown Rice or White Rice. Then you add a main protein, such as Lemongrass Marinated Pork, Garlic and Soy Glazed Beef, or Coconut Curry Tofu.
Another layer of selections could include wok vegetables, crispy shallots, fresh jalapeño, and more than a dozen other toppings, plus a housemade sauce, such as the Asian Box Tamarind Vinaigrette, Asian Street Dust—a blend of exotic herbs and spices—or the “not for the timid” HotBoxIt sauce, a fiery blend of peppers, peppercorns and chili oils.
Asian Box is the latest addition to Town & Country, where Silicon Valley venture capitalists would not have far to drive.
“The partners chose Palo Alto as the first location for many reasons,” says Klein. “The interest by Venture Capitalists in the concept showed that we had struck a chord. The fast-casual segment is on fire and we felt that Palo Alto, the birthplace of so many creative concepts and the center for education and technology, was the right environment in which to change the way people think about Asian food in the U.S.”
Asian Box was designed in partnership with Rubber Design, and is currently pursuing green restaurant certification from the Green Restaurant Association.
It’s Thursday, and if you have no idea what you’ll do for the weekend, Patch is coming to the rescue.
We’ve got the best bets for your done-work-outta-here time. Check out our picks for the best summer activities to hit.
1. CALIFORNIA CAFE WINE FAIR
Where/When: California Café Bar & Grill, 700 Welch Rd, Palo Alto; Saturday, 1p.m. to 7 p.m.
Why go: Celebrate with music, food and some of the best wines (unlimited tastings!) from the California Cafe cellar. Chef Mark Pettyjohn is planning some creative appetizers to compliment the vino.
Price: $45
2. ELECTRIC VEHICLE RALLY & CAR SHOW
Where/When: Palo Alto High School, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Why go: The Silicon Valley Electric Auto Association brings out 50 converted, handmade and company-manufactured electric cars for test drives!
Price: Free
3. TOMATOBASH
Where/When: 13100 Montebello Rd, Cupertino; Saturday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Why go: Give your taste buds a kick at the organic heirloom tomato tasting party under the oak trees at Picchetti Winery this weekend. The winery will be presenting more than 50 varities of heirloom tomatoes for tasting from local farms and gardens, from Green Zebras to Cherokee Purples. Yum!
Price: $15-$58, kids under 7 free
4. BEST-SELLING AUTHOR SPEECH AT BOOKS, INC.
Where/When: Books Inc., 855 El Camino Real Ste 33, Palo Alto; Friday, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Why go: Debra Samuels, author of My Japanese Table: A Lifetime of Cooking with Friends and Family, will talk about her book and how her palate came of age when she studied in Japan as a young adult. Book signing to follow.
Price: Free
5. STARCRAFT 2 TOURNAMENT
Where/When: Hacker Dojo, 140-A South Whisman Road, Mountain View; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Why go: Let your inner-geek reign and join Hardwired Gaming in their Starcraft II Open LAN Tournament. Winners get up to $600!
Price: Free
1. PENINSULA CREAMERY DAIRY STORE AND GRILL
The staple diner of Palo Alto for the past 85 years, the Peninsula Creamery has just what you expect: delicious greasy burgers, hot fries, creamy shakes. Get "The All American" breakfast, or the classic French Dip, each for $6.50. Hours: Mon - Fri, 7am - 9pm; Sat, 8am - 3pm; Sun, close. Find it at: 900 High St., Palo Alto.
2. PLUTO'S
Pluto's Fresh Food for A Hungry Universe offers the most customizable, fresh salads around -- choose your lettuce, choose the size, and choose your seven toppings, from broccoli to beets. If fresh food is your desire, this should be your meal-destination. Hours: Mon - Thurs, 11am - 10pm; Fri, 11am - 11pm; Sat, 11:30am - 11pm; Sun, 11:30am - 10pm. Find it at:482 University Ave., Palo Alto.
3. WHOLE FOODS
Bring that gourmet dinner-for-two home -- from the deli or hot food and salad bar at Whole Foods. Whole Foods has a variety of cuisines, healthy options and organic choices that you can pile into the handy carboard "to-go" boxes, like their Asian and Indian food meals. Hours: Daily, 8am - 10pm. Find it at: 774 Emerson St, Palo Alto.
4. MEDITERRANEAN WRAPS
Treat your tastebuds to a dose of tahini at Mediterranean Wraps on California Avenue, which boasts the best falafel in the Bay Area. If meat is your thing, their shawerma is king. Hours: Daily, 11am - 9pm. Find it at: 433 S California Ave. and 209 University Ave., Palo Alto.
5. DARBAR INDIAN CUISINE
For some of the best authentic Indian food around and great service, check out Darbar, a family-owned restaurant nearly two decades in the making. Tucked away downtown on the corner of Lytton Ave. and Alma St., Darbar has been rated the Best Indian Restaurant by Palo Alto Weekly on multiple occasions. Try the Chicken Tika-Masala, it's more popular dish, for under $20! Hours: Mon - Wed, 11am - 2:30pm, 5pm -9:30pm; Thu, Fri, 11am - 2:30pm, 5pm - 10 pm; Sat, 5pm - 10 pm; Sun, 5pm - 9:30pm. Find it at: 129 Lytton Ave, Palo Alto.
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