Poor House Bistro reopens in San Jose’s Little Italy — finally!

I’m sure I’m not the only one who thought I’d be enjoying jambalaya, hurricanes, sausage bread and beignets at Poor House Bistro again a lot sooner. But the wait is over, and 19 months after the New Orleans-style eatery was lifted onto a truck and hauled a half-mile to San Jose’s Little Italy district, the good times are rolling again.

Officially now the Famiglia Meduri Poor House Bistro, leaning into owner Jay Meduri’s Italian roots, the restaurant welcomed dozens of customers back Wednesday to the new location on St. John Street, wedged between Henry’s Hi-Life and the new Italian Museum and Cultural Center that is close to opening.

“It’s been a long road,” said Meduri, who cut the ribbon with Mayor Matt Mahan. “Good things are going to be happening in Little Italy, and we’re happy to be a part of it.”

The building was moved in January 2022 to make way for Google’s planned Downtown West project, which is now delayed (or as the city says “timeline shifted”). At the time, there was some optimism the restaurant would be ready to open a year ago.

Meduri didn’t want to dwell on the negative aspects of the long wait and praised city staff and inspectors for keeping the process moving. But anyone who’s tried to put in an ADU or do an extensive home remodel can probably list off the potential delays: construction material shortages, getting permits and inspections, waiting for utility hookups and managing cost overruns. That would be normal for any project, but this was a 100-plus year old house that was also serving as a restaurant.

Poor House Bistro will share patio space with the Italian Museum, and Meduri says they’ll also be bringing live music back slowly, too “We’re going to work together to make this area a nice place to come to eat, dine, and enjoy some entertainment,” he said.

Little Italy also will be the site of the Urban Vibrancy Institute’s next downtown block party on Aug. 24, starting at 5:30 p.m. You can get more information at www.urbanvibrancy.institute/block-party.

SPARTANS RETURN: San Jose State President Cynthia Teniente-Matson, who took office in January, sounded a note of optimism in her first fall welcome address to kick off the academic year for the campus community on Thursday.

“As I start my eighth month in the Spartan community I am convinced we are — you are — at the epicenter of the future,” she said. “Our campus has unbridled intellectual energy that has been and will continue to be a catalyst for industries of the future.”

Teniente-Matson pointed to gains the university has made in enrollment, improving its four-year graduation rate and introducing an online degree program, SJSU Online. She noted two upcoming causes for celebration — the phased opening of the new Interdisciplinary Science Building, the first new academic building in 30 years, and the 20th anniversary of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. library, which marked a major collaboration between San Jose State and the City of San Jose.