Matt McNamara, co-founder of the Michelin-starred Sons & Daughters, is opening a new Pretty Good Advice location in downtown San Jose. The fast-casual spot, known for seasonal, farm-fresh vegetarian-leaning dishes, draws from his 83-acre farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The new site at 125 Paseo de Antonio begins operations on Wednesday with hours from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Pretty Good Advice reimagines fast food with seasonal, fresh, and locally grown ingredients sourced from Matt McNamara’s farm. McNamara co-founded Sons & Daughters in San Francisco, which earned a Michelin star in 2012. He established the 83-acre farm in 2013 to supply the restaurant but departed in 2017 to reside there with his family.
Several years later, McNamara launched the first Pretty Good Advice in Soquel, followed by a second in downtown Santa Cruz. The expansion to San Jose eliminates the need for Bay Area diners to travel Highway 17. McNamara left fine dining to broaden access to his cuisine. “My objective is not to charge you 300 bucks to sit down,” he told SFGATE. “My objective is that this fruit should be consumed by the whole community.”
He noted that fine dining underutilizes farm output: “We produce massive amounts of fruits and vegetables — fine dining uses very little food,” with only about 50 customers per sold-out night. In contrast, Pretty Good Advice serves up to 800 people on Saturdays, with 70% of customers returning regularly.
The menu evolves seasonally, currently highlighting citrus from 600 trees across 20 varieties. Dishes include a Brussels sprouts salad with preserved Meyer lemon dressing, curried carrot soup infused with Makrut limes, and pot de crème topped with candied yuzu. Standouts are hummus with pomegranate chermoula and house-made pita, plus the OG Spicy Boy breakfast sandwich featuring a fried egg, roasted jalapeños, and caramelized onion.
McNamara plans crops around menu items, such as additional eggplants for an upcoming sandwich due to the new location. Summer yields stone fruits, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, and berries; fall brings pomegranates, pineapple guavas, apples, and pears. He cultivates unique varieties like pink blueberries, plum cherries, and rangpur limes.
Sustainability is central: 300 chickens consume scraps, fertilize soil, and supply eggs for breakfast sandwiches with rectangular hash browns. McNamara purchases fallen fruit for jams and uses downed trees as charcoal for smoking. Excess produce supports local businesses like Fruition Brewing and Kitchen, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales, and Bookie’s Pizza.
Raised in Cupertino, McNamara selected San Jose for its vibrant food scene and vegetarian community. He recently enlisted his brother-in-law for bread production and anticipates further expansions. “This is a very honest product, and I think any community would really appreciate having it,” he said.
