Downtown offers a host of dining experiences
Published on Page 10 of the September 4, 2013 issue of Morgan Hill Life:
By Cheri Devlin
Cheri Devlin
Imagine grandma has the kids, your spouse is working from home, and you managed to leave the office a few minutes early to enjoy a brief happy hour with friends. Where to meet? Bubbles Wine Bar in downtown Morgan Hill, of course. Where else can you order a foodie-friendly small plate of appetizers and half glass of wine for $6 ($10 outside happy hours)? It’s a pairing so special, you’d be foolish not to take advantage of it, especially since it’s conveniently located across the street from Toto Trattoria’s, the next stop on my perfect Thursday evening.
Outside the Italian restaurant, I meet my family for dinner, and our gang walks up to be greeted by the friendly face of Anna Ferrante, the general manager. We eat outside in the cozy front patio, enjoying the summer weather and Thursday Night Street Dance featured band warm-ups.
We order the famous smiley face pizza for our preschooler and tasty bruschetta for the table to share. An order of chicken parmesan, pasta primavera and another pizza later, we’re ready for the famous tiramisu to go. We still have time to find a seat on the corner of Monterey and Third streets to enjoy the music.
If you’re not in the mood for Italian, head next door to Trail Dust for barbecue and the best craft beer selection south of San Jose. Or perhaps take a short walk north one block to experience fine cuisine at Ladera Grill or The Good Fork. If your appetite craves fresh seafood, Rosy’s at the Beach is always a good bet. If you’re hungry for American favorites, try Huntington Station situated listening distance from the music playing at the Thursday Night Street Dance. The series is here until Sept. 26, so be sure to come out and enjoy the music and dancing before the season ends.
Downtown Morgan Hill is filled with many great restaurants and offers a wide variety of options on Monterey Road, Dunne Avenue, and First and Main streets. And don’t forget Odeum Mediterranean Restaurant on Depot Street. The high quality food, outdoor seating and friendly service make downtown Morgan Hill appealing not only to locals, but visitors to our community looking for a memorable dining experience. The Morgan Hill Downtown Association keeps this in mind with every decision it makes that could affect these downtown establishments.
You can be sure the restaurateurs are front of mind — having the voice of Bubbles and Rosy’s at the Beach owner Rosy Bergin as a MHDA board member. A Los Angeles native, Rosy loves the small-town ambiance of Morgan Hill and relishes in the pride the community feels toward downtown. She joined the MHDA board because she saw tremendous potential in downtown. More than a decade later, she is proud of being a part of making it what it is today: a destination that loves its locals, takes care of its visitors and always welcomes everyone back.
Friends, family, great food, and music that makes you want to get up and dance — that’s my perfect Thursday evening.
Cheri Devlin is a Morgan Hill resident and member of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association Board of Directors. She is a Regional Business Development and Marketing Manager for Littler Mendelson — a labor and employment law firm based in San Jose. She also loves frequenting the wonderful downtown eateries.
