The building at 50 West in San Jose will once again serve food and drinks with the debut of Poppy & Claro on Thursday, October 16. It’s unlike the previous option, the private, members-only Capital Club that closed in December 2024 in the former KQED office building. Instead, Poppy & Claro is an all-day restaurant and bar located on the ground floor, open to all: office workers, museumgoers, locals, and more.
The idea behind the all-day restaurant and bar is to create something that’s approachable to everyone in the area, says Poppy & Claro chef Christopher Littman. For business breakfasts and evening dates, the spacious restaurant is built to host it all. The morning is propped up with Sightglass Coffee and a menu filled with drip coffees, espresso, cortados, and cappuccinos. This pairs with teas, and specialty options such as espresso tonics, matcha spritzes, and the namesake drink the Claro, an espresso with milk, toasted black walnut syrup, and black walnut bitters.
Manresa Bread provides a selection of pastries, as well as the bread base for dishes like the egg, mushroom, and avocado toast. “It’s our take on a really nice French soft scramble with roasted maitakes and crushed avocado,” Littman says. There’s also a breakfast sandwich on deck, as well as a chilaquiles and a breakfast burrito, or the Claro granola parfait featuring toasted black walnuts for those seeking a cold item.
But the real center of the restaurant is the hearth, freshly installed for Poppy & Claro. Littman hails from Brooklyn, and he’s excited for the pizzas that will roll out of there. “I’ve been studying this since about nine years old,” Littman says. He most recently worked on a pizza pop-up during the pandemic and dialed in his recipe, landing on “California meets New York,” meaning touches of fresh California produce and a New York-style pie. That means a seasonal pizza, such as the opening Claro Cauli, a fire-charred, cauliflower-topped pizza with black walnut romesco. There’s also what Littman guesses will become a customer favorite, the Hot Rosa, a red sauce pie with Fra’mani salami rosa, and finished with burrata, pistachio, Calabrian chile, and hot honey.
Besides the pizzas, the hearth will fire up dishes like the seared Dijon-dill salmon and the herb and garlic chicken. Even the wings get a touch of flames, served with a chile glaze and fried Thai basil. The flatbread is fired to order out of the hearth, paired with hummus, garlic toum, and green goddess dips. Even the chocolate chip cookie gets baked inside the hearth. Meanwhile, a smash burger with New School American cheese rounds out the menu with sandwich offerings like a salmon club sandwich and caramelized onion grilled cheese.
As for drinks, the restaurant will highlight California wines and local beers, with a new cocktail menu featuring takes on classics. Welcome Trolley is a pineapple-led margarita reimagination, featuring lemongrass tequila, pineapple gomme, and lime, then hit with absinthe and sparkling wine. A “social hour” from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. will keep things affordable with lowered pricing on drinks, as per happy hour rules.
Poppy & Claro (50 West San Fernando Street, San Jose) debuts on Thursday, October 16, and is open 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Dining and Cooking