While Redwood City’s slogan, “Climate Best by Government Test,” may be little more than a 1920s marketing ploy, the city of 86,000 still has an average of 255 sunny days a year. Here’s how to spend just one of those exploring much of what this city, and its thriving downtown, have to offer.
You’ll want to start out your morning with breakfast. Head first for downtown, where you’ll find The Baker Next Door. Nibble on a pastry continental-style with a pain au chocolate or liege waffle and coffee, or fill up with the heartier breakfast sandwich, served on housemade ciabatta. Or, for a more lingering, bottomless mimosas-style meal, try Angelica’s next door for brunch, and be sure to grab an outdoor table on the covered side patio.
The Asiago cheese and olive bread loaf at the Baker Next Door in Redwood City is among the highlights on the bakery menu. (Courtesy Jenna Johnson)
Now that you’re fueled up, it’s time to get your nature fix. For flatter terrain, head for the Bay for a beautiful waterfront stroll along Bair Island in Redwood Shores. Looking for hillier fare? Head up Woodside Road, where the gorgeous redwood forests of Huddart Park await past city limits in Woodside. Parking is $6, but it’s worth it for the quick escape into real wilderness so close to town.
A curious seal eyes a kayaker paddling up Corkscrew Slough, Thursday, April 22, 2021, in Redwood City, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
And if you’re feeling drawn to the water? Make for the Port of Redwood City, where you can find kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals at Redwood Water Sports. Or, catch sailing lessons or charter an outing at Spinnaker Sailing, if that’s more your style — and budget.
Jim Harrington kayaks under a boardwalk in Corkscrew Slough, Thursday, April 22, 2021, in Redwood City, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Now, it’s time for a snack, and where better to go than Maizz, the city’s new eloteria? Elote, grilled corn, is a classic Mexican street food, and you can find it here on a stick, in a cup, on fries, with taquitos or in ramen. You can even get elote cheesecake. Consider trying the papaelote, a baked potato topped with elote, cotija cheese, lime, chipotle sauce (and don’t forget to add the carne asada). It’s so satisfying I happily burned my mouth in an impatient rush to sneak bites before it cooled, but it’s by no means snack-sized, so bring a friend or two to share.
Maizz, an eloteria in Redwood City, serves the grilled corn snack in a variety of ways from on the cob to in cheesecake. (Kate Bradshaw/Bay Area News Group)
From there, it’s time to stroll through downtown and do some shopping. Browse the shelves of the city’s brand-new independent bookstore, Fireside Books & More, home to an expertly curated collection of titles plus locally crafted gifts. And check out Savers for some extreme sport thrifting. This warehouse-sized secondhand shop is home to myriad cast-off treasures if you’re willing to dig, and the prices can’t be beat.
Alternatively, skip the chaos and beeline for Little Green: A Plant Bar for a funky but cozy respite. This plant/tarot/vintage/handicrafts shop is soaked in natural light in the afternoons, the furniture is plush, and it’s a lovely spot for a latte — you decide if it’s espresso- or mushroom-based.
Little Green offers plants, crafts and coffee in a cozy Main Street location in Redwood City — the perfect destination for a rainy day. (Kate Bradshaw/Bay Area News Group)
Next, embrace your inner history nerd and pay a visit to the San Mateo County History Museum. Located inside the former county courthouse, this domed building looms over Courthouse Square, and is home to an array of historical artifacts and interactive exhibits, from a vintage stagecoach and pieces of the Cow Palace to an entire collection of miniature ships and audiovisual presentations about the Peninsula’s promise as a spot for wealthy estates, then a postwar hub for suburban growth. Another exhibit highlights San Mateo County innovators — not just in high tech, but in arts and entertainment, agriculture, electronics, finance and more.
The former San Mateo County courthouse is now the county history museum. (Courtesy Getty Images)
By now, you’ve likely worked up an appetite. In the Broadway area and on nearby streets, you’ll find a cluster of the city’s top restaurants. If you’re willing to wait for a table and hankering for fire-licked Levantine and Mediterranean fare, Mazra is the move. Its owners, brothers Saif and Jordan Makableh, were named as semifinalists in this year’s James Beard Award competition.
Meanwhile, just across the street, Vesta serves up drool-worthy wood-fired pizzas made with seasonal ingredients. And longtime downtown standouts Donato Enoteca and La Viga, for Italian and Latin fare respectively, are nearby.
A Falafel Mezza Sampler with Mazra’s signature sides and dips. The San Bruno restaurant soon will open a second location, in Redwood City. (Photo courtesy of Mazra)
If you time your visit right, you might catch a concert at the Fox Theatre — or one of the city’s many summer events on tap. On Thursday evenings starting with Twisters on June 5, Courthouse Square is home to free outdoor movie screenings. Many are double features, with kid-friendly selections starting at 6 p.m.
And on Fridays from 6-8 p.m., the square is host to a series of live music performances. Some of these Friday evenings, the square will feature Art on the Square, when art and craft makers and vendors will be selling their products. Catch the full calendar here.
Feast and Floral, a wine bar and charcuterie restaurant with catering, has reopened in Redwood City after closing operations in Palo Alto. (Courtesy Kathryn Donovan)
Ready for a drink? For craft cocktails, go to Nighthawk. For beer, Gourmet Haus Staudt specializes in German and craft beer on tap, or, for a local brewery, head for Ghostwood Brewery’s kitchen and taproom on Main Street to sample their lagers and IPAs. Or ditch downtown for the Marsh Manor Shopping Center, where you’ll find Freewheel Brewing, which specializes in English-style cask ales. It’s also just a few doors from Feast and Floral, a delightful new wine bar and flower shop — a perfect spot to finish up the day.