Team Behind Two Grand Award Winners Opens Augustine in San Jose

Who’s behind it: San Francisco’s Bacchus Management Group runs several Bay Area restaurants, including Grand Award winners Spruce and the Village Pub, as well as Best of Award of Excellence winner Selby’s. The group has expanded its portfolio with Augustine and the adjoining Cafe Augustine on San Jose’s Santana Row, a lively luxury shopping and residential district where Bacchus has operated Pizza Antica for more than 20 years.

When it opened: March 14, 2025

Why you should know about it: Santana Row, which has nearly 5,000 residents, “is a fantastic market. It’s very international, and there are a lot of people who want a diverse assortment of dining options, and they’re very underserved,” explained Andrew Green, president of fine dining and a partner in Bacchus. “There’s a tendency in the Bay Area to think that only the best of the best happens in San Francisco, and, in reality, there [are] fantastic guests to be had in the South Bay.”

[article-img-container][src=2025-04/restaurant-news-augustine-dining-room-san-jose-040325_1600.jpg] [credit= (Courtesy of Bacchus Management Group)] [alt= The dining room of Augustine in San Jose, Calif.][end: article-img-container]

The next door Cafe Augustine offers an all-day menu of sandwiches, salads, pastries and coffees. The space’s developer “saw that we have something similar in Woodside, [Calif.], with the Village Bakery,” Green said. “There was a need for the community: a place for them to get a morning coffee or a breakfast sandwich.”

The culinary approach: With a “coastal” focus, Augustine “celebrates all the good things in California and is built around all the great farmers and products, whether it’s Don Watson lamb or Zuckerman Farms asparagus,” explained Green. Bacchus executive chef and partner Mark Sullivan, who is responsible for the culinary programs for all of the group’s restaurants, also oversees Augustine’s lunch and dinner menu.

Augustine’s fare also shows French, Italian and other Mediterranean influences, adding “punchier” flavors evident in dishes like the harissa-spiced carrots with a warm lentil vinaigrette, tzatziki and Medjool dates and the spiced lamb sausage with minted yogurt and black olives.

Many dishes at Augustine can be shared, like the savory Dungeness crab donuts or the grilled flatbread with muhammara. A weekend brunch menu offers plates like French toast with whipped ricotta and Tonka beans and a smoked salmon tartine with cream cheese and pickled red onion.

[article-img-container][src=2025-04/restaurant-news-augustine-lobster-san-jose-040325_1600.jpg] [credit= (Courtesy of Bacchus Management Group)] [alt= Lobster from Augustine in San Jose, Calif.][end: article-img-container]

The wine list: “We wanted to make sure we weren’t reheating our leftovers,” quipped Jaime Pinedo, Bacchus’ director of wine and spirits, noting that it would have been easy to create a wine list for Augustine with the same selections as their other restaurants. Instead, he and the team focused on the Mediterranean and southern European islands for the 400-selection bottle list and the more than 24 wines by the glass. For instance, there are white wines from Corsica, Sardinia and Greece, including Alpha Estate’s Sauvignon Blanc Florina. “We’re pouring two different wines by the glass from the Peloponnese in Greece; we’re doing Assyrtiko and Agiorgitiko at a really good price,” Pinedo added.

“It’s awesome to get to share these less-celebrated regions, and they complement the cuisine nicely,” said Pinedo. Joining those selections are bottles from California, France and Italy, particularly Southern Italy and the French and Italian rivieras. Expect Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé, Graci Nerello Mascalese and Kir-Yianni Xinomavro. Value is another focus of the list, Pineda added, with plenty of options around $50.

A 50-bottle reserve list features selections like Domaine Leflaive Meursault Sous Le Dos d’Ane, Masseto Toscana and Bond Pluribus Napa Valley.

The design: For Augustine’s interior, Bacchus founding partner and president Tim Stannard collaborated with Steven Brady of Stephen Boyd Brady Design, who fashioned the looks of Bacchus’s other restaurants. They created a space Green calls “luxurious, warm, clean and not too overdressed.” A covered patio leads to the entrance, which features a horseshoe-shaped marble bar flanked by a lounge and an intimate main dining room seating 38. Shades of blue complement the light-hued French oak floors, custom lighting fixtures and diverse art, including vintage pieces and commissioned paintings. “It’s [a] place where people can feel luxurious if they want to, yet can also come in wearing a t-shirt and sneakers and not feel out of place,” said Green.—Aaron Romano

Valley Goat, from Chef Stephanie Izard and Boka Restaurant Group, Debuts in Silicon Valley

Who’s behind it: The owners of Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner Swift & Sons in Chicago—Stephanie Izard and Boka Restaurant Group—opened Valley Goat at the new Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley in Sunnyvale, Calif. The group also owns well-known Chicago restaurants like Girl & the Goat and Cabra.

“It’s been so fun spending more time in Silicon Valley,” said Izard in a statement. “The beautiful surroundings, amazing produce, welcoming community and so much more have made the area one of my new favorite spots to be!”

When it opened: March 31, 2025

[article-img-container][src=2025-04/restaurant-news-valley-goat-dishes-040325_1600.jpg] [credit= (Nick Podraza)] [alt= A selection of vegetables, flatbreads and dips from Valley Goat in Sunnyvale, Calif.][end: article-img-container]

The culinary approach: Izard’s menu focuses on Northern Californian ingredients for dishes like the spicy hand roll with tuna, Hamachi, chile and sesame; the biscuits with chile crunch and pimento cheese; and the roasted oysters with sausage butter. Well-known Izard dishes like goat empanadas and a sticky pork shank with pita are also featured. Dishes are generally meant to be shared.

What’s on the wine list: Wine director Shea Zimmerman assembled a selection of about 85 wines, prominently featuring California, Spain, Argentina and Chile. Expect everything from Delamotte Champagne to Heitz Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon to Brooks Oregon Pinot Blanc to Chilean orange wine.

[article-img-container][src=2025-04/restaurant-news-valley-goat-stephanie-izard-040325_1600.jpg] [credit= (Nick Podraza)] [alt= Chef Stephanie Izard][end: article-img-container]

The design: Intended to offer a casual dining experience, the 250-seat Valley Goat is set in a sundrenched space and features a sizable outdoor patio.

Looking ahead: Boka will be opening Elliott Aster, a new restaurant in St. Petersburg, Fla., led by chef Lee Wolen. With Wolen and chef Chris Pandel, Boka is also opening a pizzeria, Zarella, in Chicago.—Collin Dreizen

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