Future looking brighter for San Jose’s Westside Billiards

It’s always great to see a San Jose icon make a comeback, and in this case it’s Westside Billiards on West San Carlos Street, just outside of downtown. The Tsaboukous family reopened the pool room and eatery last fall, and it probably looks better now than it has since Dick Mazza first opened the joint back in 1953.

The Mid-Century Modern sign out front has been given a makeover by sign painter Tom Colla, and glass artist Kevin Chong has the neon lettering on the sign glowing blue at night again. Sal Alvarez with San Jose’s economic development office worked with the owners to fund a lot of the work through the city’s storefront activation grant program.

But the job isn’t entirely done: The sign’s flashing starburst and 8-ball need incandescent lights and a specialist to do the installation. So the Preservation Action Council is holding a fundraising party March 13 to provide a matching grant for the work. The “West Side Soiree” will include a charity 8-ball tournament, presentations by Mid-Century Modern architecture expert Heather David on the San Jose Signs Project and by Ted Ramos on the history of gambling in San Jose (and some of Westside Billiards’ own seedy past), along with a buffet dinner and DJ music.

PAC-SJ Executive Director Ben Leech says this serves as the launch of the group’s Sign Preservation Fund and if it’s successful, it will just be the first in a series of matching grants to rehabilitate some of San Jose’s vintage signs that are still in use.

Tickets to the 6 p.m. event are available for $20 in advance at www.preservation.org/events/westside-soiree or you can pay $25 at the door.

SIGN ME UP, PIN ME DOWN: Speaking of signs, the West Side Soiree will also include the launch of PAC-SJ’s latest release of enamel pins commemorating classic San Jose signs. With the benefit on March 13, this bunch is timed well for St. Patrick’s Day as they’re all famous watering holes in San Jose: Original Joe’s, Cinebar, Manny’s Cellar and the Derby.

Manny’s Cellar closed when the historic Fallon House on St. John Street was renovated; the Derby, a neighborhood bar on North 13th Street, closed several years ago and was recently converted to housing; and Cinebar — purportedly the oldest bar in San Jose — has been in limbo since its building on San Fernando Street burned in 2021.Only Original Joe’s is still going strong after 67 years, and while the pin depicts the big iconic sign out front, I hope there’ll be another version with the smaller sign by the bar entrance.

You can check out the new pins — as well as older sets — at www.preservation.org/shop or look for them at retail locations like Recycle Bookstore.

KNIGHT-LIFE IN SAN JOSE: Allan Madoc is the new San Jose program director for the James S. and John L. Knight Foundation, filling a position that had been vacant for more than a year. A soft-spoken native of Australia, Madoc has spent most of his career in the for-profit world of banking which has given him a good track record in investing in entrepreneurs and institutions — two things we have plenty of around here.

While the Knight Foundation has dedicated $38 million into the San Jose region — one of 26 communities the foundation supports because they were once home to Knight newspapers — Madoc says he believes the city’s been under-resourced given its stature.

“Knight’s commitment to San Jose is unwavering,” he said at a reception at Five Points in downtown San Jose hosted by Urban Confluence Silicon Valley Executive Director Steve Borkenhagen and Urban Community’s Gary Dillabough. “We are absolutely committed and we want to make sure we invest in the community for the long haul.”

AIRLINE MEALS: San Jose Mineta Airport’s new “Meet the Chefs” program might get foodies flying more often, as travelers through the airport get to enjoy live cooking demos from the airport chefs. On Thursday, renowned local chef and restaurant owner Jim Stump served up his Monterey Bay Vermillion Rock Fish Ceviche with guacamole, salsa and a blue corn tortilla chip, working with SSP America Executive Chef James McGregor.

Jim Stump’s Taproom + Kitchen opened last year in Terminal B and has unsurprisingly become a popular option for travelers looking for a taste of California and the eclectic flavors found in the South Bay. If they announce one for Trader Vic’s, I might have to find an excuse to fly somewhere.

GOOD SPORTS: There are some big sporting events on the horizon in the Bay Area with the NBA All-Star Game, Super Bowl LX and FIFA World Cup all in the next two years. We already know the glam shots and swanky events for all those will probably be up in San Francisco, but Silicon Valley will have some people in its corner on the Bay Area Host Committee leadership. The group’s board of directors includes 49ers President Al Guido, San Jose Earthquakes President Jared Shawlee, Bay FC co-founder and Santa Clara University grad Aly Wagner, Sharks President Jonathan Becher and Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Ahmad Thomas.

And the 12-member Advisory Board, announced in the past week, includes San Jose State University President Cynthia Teniente-Matson, Bay FC co-founder Brandi Chastain, Earthquakes legend Chris Wondolowski and 49ers Hall of Fame QB Steve Young — who only played for the 49ers in San Francisco but has been involved in Silicon Valley events for decades.