SJ/Santa Clara area nesties, I need your help!

Passanie

We had planned to get mil a gift card to a nice dinner out. It has to be a chain restaurant, unfortunately, so we can buy the gift card down here and mail it. We were thinking of Fleming's, but that's in Palo Alto, which I think is a bit far from them. (They're about a mile away from the SJ airport.)

Any other suggestions? Cheesecake Factory is kind cheesy (heh, pun) isn't it? I'm off to Google what's nearby them...

Mrs.BoomBoom

Cheesecake, Buca, BJs, Scott's, McCormick's, Grill on the Alley, Alexander's?  I'm sure you could buy online for most places.

hannikan

Doesn't Hobbee's do gift certificates? They're all over the South Bay. Remember we went to the one by Santa Clara?

Passanie

Now I'm wondering if the Fleming's isn't too far away. They're retired and dh says his mom likes to go to new places for dinner. It's 14 miles between the cities of Palo Alto and Santa Clara. What do you think? And how much is an appropriate gift card for a place like that?

hannikan

It takes about 20-30 mins without traffic to get to P.A. from SJ. If there's bad traffic it can take up to to an hour in traffic.

Passanie

McCormick & Schmicks it is! Dh says she likes seafood and duh, thanks for suggesting we buy online. Nesties are the best!

sm23

Glad you got it figured out. I just wanted to add that a lot of restaurants, even the non-chain ones, will often let you buy a gift card/certificate with a credit card over the phone. Then they can mail it directly to the recipient or to you so you can then mail it with a card (provided you do it early enough).

I do this all the time for my parents with a restaurant near Seattle because they love that place and have told us they'd rather get a gift certificate there on birthdays/anniversary/etc. than a gift. It's a nice place and not one they'd normally treat themselves to but they go if they have the gift card.

LoLoPanda

I was going to suggest Buca di Beppo, perhaps Black Angus, Fish Market also?

Structenggal

California Pizza Kitchen? 

If I remember correctly, your in-laws live basically where I do...Mio Vicino is within walking distance...I'm sure if you called them they could mail a GC out.

 

abvernon

Passanie:

McCormick & Schmicks it is! Dh says she likes seafood and duh, thanks for suggesting we buy online. Nesties are the best!

Good call.

There is also Fish Market that is in Santa Clara (near us) and in San Jose near Oakridge Mall.

 

Passanie

abvernon:

Passanie:

McCormick & Schmicks it is! Dh says she likes seafood and duh, thanks for suggesting we buy online. Nesties are the best!

Good call.

There is also Fish Market that is in Santa Clara (near us) and in San Jose near Oakridge Mall.

 

That's a restaurant?

Rock-n-Voll

sm23:

Glad you got it figured out. I just wanted to add that a lot of restaurants, even the non-chain ones, will often let you buy a gift card/certificate with a credit card over the phone. Then they can mail it directly to the recipient or to you so you can then mail it with a card (provided you do it early enough).

Ditto this. I've done it a few times.

abvernon

Passanie:

abvernon:

Passanie:

McCormick & Schmicks it is! Dh says she likes seafood and duh, thanks for suggesting we buy online. Nesties are the best!

Good call.

There is also Fish Market that is in Santa Clara (near us) and in San Jose near Oakridge Mall.

Yes it is a chain restraunt.

 

That's a restaurant?

wldktz10

hannikan:

It takes about 20-30 mins without traffic to get to P.A. from SJ. If there's bad traffic it can take up to to an hour in traffic.

I second this. If there's no traffic it's a really easy drive.

I'm recently obsessed with the Counter, but that's just a fun burger joint.

I've also been to Left Bank at Santana Row. We thought it was pretty good.