Who’s behind it: San Francisco’s Bacchus Management Group runs several Bay Area restaurants, including Grand Award winners Spruce and the Village Pub, as well as Best of Award of Excellence winner Selby’s. The group has expanded its portfolio with Augustine and the adjoining Cafe Augustine on San Jose’s Santana Row, a lively luxury shopping and residential district where Bacchus has operated Pizza Antica for more than 20 years.
When it opened: March 14, 2025
Why you should know about it: Santana Row, which has nearly 5,000 residents, “is a fantastic market. It’s very international, and there are a lot of people who want a diverse assortment of dining options, and they’re very underserved,” explained Andrew Green, president of fine dining and a partner in Bacchus. “There’s a tendency in the Bay Area to think that only the best of the best happens in San Francisco, and, in reality, there [are] fantastic guests to be had in the South Bay.”
The next door Cafe Augustine offers an all-day menu of sandwiches, salads, pastries and coffees. The space’s developer “saw that we have something similar in Woodside, [Calif.], with the Village Bakery,” Green said. “There was a need for the community: a place for them to get a morning coffee or a breakfast sandwich.”…