Super Bowl LX guide: What to do within 10 miles of Levi’s Stadium

You’re arriving days early for the Super Bowl LX. Or maybe you’ve scheduled some vacation days after the big game to explore the area around Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Here’s our guide to what to do, see, eat and drink within 10 miles. Keep checking back for more suggestions.

SIGHTS, ATTRACTIONS, CULTURAL HERITAGE

Winchester Mystery House: For more than a century, San Jose’s most famous landmark and tourist attraction has been a Victorian mansion with a curious history. The 160 rooms are themselves an architectural marvel, but the mystery comes from the lore around owner Sarah Winchester, from her alleged obsession with the number 13, her interest in spiritualism and the notion that she kept building the house to quell the spirits of those killed by her family’s Winchester rifles. Millions of people have explored the house over the decades, including Harry Houdini in 1924.

Japantown: San Jose’s historic Japantown is one of only three such authentic neighborhoods in the United States. These vibrant blocks north of downtown seamlessly blend traditional and modern sights, shops and housing. The Japanese American Museum of San Jose is worth a visit for its coverage of the immigrant experience of the 1880s and the World War II internment era. Restaurants on Jackson Street and the surrounding area offer the full array of Japanese cuisine, along with Korean and Hawaiian fare. Need a suggestion? Anthony Bourdain ate hamachi sushi, katsu curry and tempura at Minato, the oldest J-town restaurant, when he visited.

Mexican heritage: As California was originally part of Mexico, the Santa Clara Valley’s Mexican roots run deep and the region has become a hotbed for culture, from lowrider cars to Chicano theater and Latino art galleries like downtown San Jose’s MACLA. As far as Mexican food, this valley is full of taquerias and burrito places, and everyone’s got their favorite. (Just ask.)  San Jose’s condiment claim to fame is Orange Sauce, developed by the La Victoria restaurant family and now copied by many other eateries. Not far from Levi’s Stadium is Puesto, with its fusion tacos. For an upscale experience, head to Copita Willow Glen for ceviche and succulent pork dishes or to Acopio for contemporary takes on duck and beef.

Little Saigon: Santa Clara County boasts the second-highest Vietnamese population outside Vietnam (behind only Orange County), but we’re tops when it comes to the sheer number of Vietnamese eateries. Although you can find great Vietnamese food in every city in the county, head to the Little Saigon district in San Jose for a high concentration of restaurant options. The two musts for foodies are banh mi and pho. For highly recommended sandwiches on crisp baguettes, head to a Duc Huong location. Want to slurp soup? Check out the Pho Ha Noi restaurants in San Jose, Cupertino and other Bay Area cities. Sweet, strong Vietnamese iced coffee is the drink to get.

Little Italy San Jose: Look for the gateway arch. You’ll find this ever-evolving historic district that pays tribute to the city’s original Italian immigrants of the 1880s with cultural events, a history museum and, of course, food. Restaurant options include the classic Paesano; Henry’s Hi-Life, located in a former boardinghouse; and the Littlest Little Italy, which comprises several eateries and a wine shop. The Little Italy speakeasy is located underneath the Cultural Center & Museum. Across the courtyard is the Poor House, a bistro and live-music venue.

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum: Opened in 1966 by the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis, this museum contains the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in Western North America. Inside its walls, visitors can imagine they’re taking part in an exhibition of a rock-cut tomb, examine mummies, see items that were part of everyday life in ancient Egypt or interact with an AI-driven robot version of the Egyptian god Thoth.

SILICON VALLEY SITES

Computer History Museum: We’ve all got smartphones and laptops, so delving into Silicon Valley’s history and creations isn’t just for geeks. The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, the world’s largest collection of computing artifacts, boasts such innovations as ENIAC, the electronic whiz; the speedy Cray-1 supercomputer; the portable but heavy Osborne; the legendary Apple I personal computer; and Enigma, the historically significant World War II machine used to encrypt Axis troop movements.

Details: 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View. Open Wednesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $21.50 with discounts for youth, seniors, military and educators.

The Tech Interactive: The mango-and-azure building in downtown San Jose signals that this hands-on learning center is more about the fun side of innovation. Inside you can explore an immersive AI environment, design and test a rollercoaster, examine the intricacies of the human body up-close at Body Worlds Decoded or be amazed by a movie on the huge IMAX dome theater.

Details: 201 S. Market St., San Jose. Admission: $38 adults, $25 for children, students and seniors. Check website, www.thetech.org, for seasonal hours.

BARS, BREWERIES, NIGHTLIFE

Barebottle Brewing Co.: The Santa Clara taproom and kitchen of this popular brewery is a primo place to enjoy the game, with multiple TVs and 20 to 30 beers on tap. There are Detroit-style square pies and tater tots from Joyride Pizza. Plus, the taproom has its own collection of games from shuffle board to pinball to “Killer Queen” – an multiplayer arcade-strategy game so rare there are reportedly only four playable consoles in the Bay Area.
Details: Open daily at 2520 Augustine Drive, Santa Clara; barebottle.com/santa-clara-taproom

Fox Tale Fermentation Project: You’re guaranteed a wild time, tasting-wise, at Fox Tale. Founded by a longtime brewer and a holistic-nutritionist chef, the beers are spiked with mountain juniper, or candy-cap mushrooms, or umeboshi salt brine. There is in-house brewed kombucha on tap and fascinating mocktails mixed with esoteric herbs and syrups. And if you come hungry, take advantage of the kitchen’s offerings of healthy-but-hearty dishes, like kimchi pasta with lobster mushrooms and a tasting platter of fermented delicacies.
Details: Open Wednesday-Sunday at 30 East Santa Clara St., Suite 120, San Jose; foxtalefermentationproject.com

Nokori: For an upscale drinking experience, head to Sunnyvale’s Japanese whisky bar, housed on the ground floor of the elegant TETRA Hotel. You’ll find a carefully curated selection of whisky varieties and cocktails on offer, including highballs made from a carbonated-to-order soda fountain, plus bites like a grilled lobster sando, chicken karaage and torched Hokkaido scallops.

Details: Open 4 p.m.-12 a.m. daily at 400 W Java Dr, Sunnyvale; tetrahotelsv.com/dining/nokori.

BREAKFAST, BRUNCH AND COFFEE

Boichik Bagels: For any New Yorkers making the trek out to California for the big game — don’t fret. We have great bagels here, too. Make a morning beeline for the nearest Boichik Bagels location, which comes NYT-recommended. Savor each chewy bite, slathered with whipped cream cheese. With advance notice, the shop will even make you a custom bagel shaped like a letter, number, or perhaps something more elaborate.

Details: Open 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. daily at 2050 Wyatt Drive, Santa Clara; boichikbagels.com.

Stan’s Donuts: For one of the sweetest bites of a more nostalgic, old-school Santa Clara, Stan’s is your spot. This cash-only local favorite has been serving pillow-soft doughnuts to South Bay residents since Y.A.Tittle was the 49ers quarterback. You can’t go wrong with their warm, fresh-glazed doughnuts ($1.50), but their flavor-of-the-day buttermilk doughnut ($2) is a great choice too. Or opt for one of their specialty 49er doughnuts.

Details: Open 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily at 2628 Homestead Road, Santa Clara; stansdonutshop.com.

Valley Goat: Head to Sunnyvale’s Valley Goat, the star restaurant tenant in the new Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley, for a weekend brunch to remember. Think passion fruit mimosas, paired with a vibrant Yucatan pork belly and tomato plate, a quinoa and tuna poke salad or spiced apple pancakes, all from the mind of Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard.

Details: Open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. weekends for brunch, the same time weekdays for lunch, 2-4 p.m. daily for bar and bites service, and 4-10 p.m. daily for dinner at 1100 N Mathilda Ave, Sunnyvale; valleygoatsv.com.

1 Oz Coffee: For an array of top-tier espresso drinks, look no further than 1 Oz Coffee, which has two Santa Clara locations. There, you’ll find an extensive menu of year-round offerings alongside craft seasonal menu items, including the peppermint-snap latte, oat cookie cappuccino and snowcap hojicha latte, plus pastries from Neighbor Bakehouse.

Details: Open 7 a.m.-4 p.m. daily at 3051 Tasman Drive, and 7 a.m.-5 p.m. daily at 549 Benton St., Santa Clara; 1ozcoffee.com.

MUSEUMS AND MORE

Triton Museum of Art: Just past its 60th anniversary, Triton holds an impressive range of art inside its walls – including the city of Santa Clara’s art collection – and offers a fresh-air experience in its pleasantly landscaped garden. The founder of Triton was a local rancher who took a big interest in raising horses, so expect lots of horsey-inspired art. There are also four new exhibits that opened in January, ranging from eerie paintings of suburbia to something intriguing called “polyphonic images.”
Details: Open 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday at 1505 Warburton Ave., Santa Clara; free admission, tritonmuseum.org

San Jose Museum of Art: Head to this art museum to take in contemporary works of painting, sculpture, film and new media. Current exhibitions include the photography of Pao Houa Her, handcrafted items by ektor garcia, mud sculptures from nearby locations and more. The museum is also a great starting point to enjoy San Jose’s First Fridays event series (the next is Feb. 6),  during which the museum is free and open late. A number of the city’s museums and galleries open their doors during this festive, monthly event.

Details: Open 4-9 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends at 110 S Market St, San Jose; sjmusart.org.

San Jose State University: The West Coast’s oldest public university (1857), San Jose State has been known over the years as a top college for teachers and as the university that supplies more engineers to Silicon Valley than any other. In the 1960s, it was dubbed Speed City for its revered track-and-field program. With the Olympics getting under way the same weekend as the Super Bowl, consider a stop on campus to view “Victory Salute.” The statue depicts the civil rights salute of SJSU graduates and Olympic athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

OUTDOOR, INDOOR ACTIVITIES

Tipsy Putt: Combine indoor mini-golf with cocktails and elevated pub fare for a fun night out with the crew at this Sunnyvale destination. From $18 per person. Note: The location becomes 21-and-up after 5 p.m.

Details: Open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Friday-Saturday at 301 W McKinley Ave., Suite 150, Sunnyvale; tipsyputt.com.

Shoreline Lake: Head to Mountain View’s Shoreline Lake Park, where you can rent bicycles to take out on the Bay Trail, or a kayak, sailboat or canoe to play at Shoreline Lake. You can also use the park as a starting point for a strolling or birdwatching excursion.

Details: Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily at 3160 N Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View; shorelinelake.com.

Ed R. Levin County Park: Looking to get some fresh air in the green hills — with fido? Ed R. Levin County Park has 19 miles of trails, an off-leash dog park, a golf course and spaces for picnicking and fishing.

Details: Open daily 8 a.m.-sunset, 3100 Calaveras Road, Milpitas. $6 vehicle entry fee. parks.santaclaracounty.gov

MORE RESTAURANTS TO CHECK OUT

Santa Clara’s Koreatown: Over the years, a suburban Koreatown has sprung up not far from Levi’s Stadium. Head to El Camino Real for kalbi, bibimbap, noodles and more. Find a full guide to the Santa Clara Korean Food trail on the Discover Santa Clara website. Bonus: If you’re craving late-night eats, some of these restaurants are open well past midnight.

Teske’s Germania: This old-style Bavarian beer hall can accommodate all fans of Germanic cuisine with jäger schnitzel, wild-boar sausages and a baked pork shank that looks like something a caveman would thomp a dinosaur with. Lighter fare includes baked salmon with lemon-caper sauce and warm pretzels with soft Bavarian cheese. Wash it down with a cold stein of imported beer.
Details: Open Tuesday-Saturday at 255 N. First St., San Jose; teskes-germania.com