Portola Hotel & Spa is pleased to introduce its new restaurant and bar, Jacks Monterey, welcoming patrons for lunch and dinner. Specializing in California Cultural Cuisine, Chef Danny Abbruzzese and his culinary team work closely with local purveyors to serve the freshest local produce grown throughout the Tri-County region as well as beef from California's famed Harris Ranch, sustainable seafood from Monterey Bay, and locally-sourced artisan cheese, all served in a lively, stylish setting that is neither pretentious nor pricey.

The lunch menu is moderately priced and features salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and more, including Chef Danny’s mama’s secret recipe for Eggplant Parmesan. The dinner menu includes solo plates and sharing plates to provide patrons with a chance to sample a variety of menu items and engage in a shared dining experience with their family, friends, or colleagues.

The bar menu also has a hyper-local focus, offering numerous Monterey County wines served by the glass or full bottle as well as award-winning craft beer made onsite at the Portola's own Peter B’s Brewpub. Fans of premium mixology will find a wealth of unique libations created by onsite mixologist Tuyet, who uses local ingredients in her crowd-pleasing concoctions.

Jacks Monterey is open seven days a week, serving lighter fare at lunch, 11:30am-4pm, and sharing and solo plates at dinner, 4pm-11pm.

This is a very exciting time of year for tea lovers. Shincha is made from tea picked during the first harvest in the spring, usually from April to May, which produces the highest quality tea in Japan. As we have done in previous years, Cha-ya Japanese Tea & Things is offering a 10% discount for those of you who wish to pre-order Shincha until April 30, 2017. Please call today to place your order, 831-646-5486.

Hashiri Shincha: Hashiri means “first harvest of the season.” It is made from very young leaves and buds of the tea plant. This Hashiri Shincha was grown exclusively on the Moriuchi Tea Farm where it was picked by hand. Tea grown at this farm has received many awards and has been selected as a tea supplier for the Emperor’s palace. 2 oz. for $26 (after May 1, $30)

Shincha Kunpu: Kunpu means “aromatic wind” and comes form the Honyama region of Shizuoka. It is lightly steamed with a woodsy aroma and a natural sweetness similar to fresh green vegetables. 2 oz. for $21 (after May 1, $24)

Shincha Houryoku: Houryoku, meaning “sprouting green,” is from the Makinohara region of Shizuoka. It is a Fukumushi Sencha steamed longer than Kunpu. It produces an emerald liquid full of herbaceous flavor. 2 oz. for $21 (after May 1, $24)

Komatsu Japanese Cuisine first opened its doors in Downtown Campbell in 1977. Through this entire time, it has occupied the same slightly off the beaten path corner of Downtown Campbell. Through the years, a lot has changed around it, but it has stayed much the same for four decades.

The restaurant's namesake, Harry Komatsu owned the restaurant for over 25 years and when he decided it was time to retire, Komatsu was sold to its current owners, Ken and Nancy Lin. That was in 2003 and ever wilder sushi rolls were all the rage. The restaurant could have gone in a new direction, but Ken and Nancy decided to keep things mostly the same. The menu went through some changes, but they continued with Harry Komatsu's approach of doing the traditional fare and doing it well.

All good things come to an end and Downtown Campbell will be losing an institution that has been witness to the times, both good and bad. For 40 years, you could always find great Japanese food near the iconic Campbell water tower in a little brick space that was divided up by quaint tatami rooms and Japanese shoji screens.

On May 20th, 2017, change comes for it too and a little enduring corner of Downtown Campbell will be different for the first time in four decades.

Fans and friends of Komatsu Japanese Cuisine, you've got until May 19th to go there for one last hurrah and relive your memories from a simpler time.

Please call ahead (408.379.3000) and make reservations a day in advance if you are bringing a sizable group with you.