{"id":350678,"date":"2026-06-07T16:22:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T16:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/350678\/"},"modified":"2026-06-07T16:22:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T16:22:14","slug":"the-biz-beat-san-joses-sourdough-eatery-offers-art-on-the-side","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/350678\/","title":{"rendered":"The Biz Beat: San Jose’s Sourdough Eatery offers art on the side"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nestled in a 100-year-old former residence, Sourdough Eatery in San Jose feels like a roadside attraction on Route 66. Part delicatessen, part art gallery and part living history museum, it is a tribute to owner Barbara Lenhart.<\/p>\n

Every visible wall is covered with Lenhart\u2019s oil portraits of celebrities, politicians and glamor girls. Lenhart sits at the register in front of a self-portrait of her modeling the blue champagne gown designed by Edith Head for Grace Kelly\u2019s 1955 Academy Award acceptance speech. Lenhart donned the gown herself, as Milton Berle\u2019s date in the 1966 film \u201cThe Oscar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought the dress deserved a portrait on its own,\u201d she told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cI\u2019ve been told that it is in a museum in Monaco. In those days, I was lucky enough to fit into it. I\u2019m not 100% sure I could now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ABarbara Lenhart in front of the self-portrait of her wearing Grace Kelly\u2019s blue champagne gown. Photo by Robert Eliason.<\/p>\n

A natural raconteur, Lenhart shares stories about her father cooking at Hollywood\u2019s Brown Derby, her study of art and her three years in Paris dancing and singing at the Folies Berg\u00e8re. There she met her late husband Michael, an importer and exporter of haute couture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The couple settled in the South Bay in the late 1970s and opened their own clothing store. In 1978, after being displaced twice by development, they drove past the current Sourdough Eatery location on North First Street on their way to the courthouse in search of relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d been pushed out of two places and weren\u2019t happy about it,\u201d Lenhart said. \u201cThis place had just gone up for sale. We said, \u2018This is just what we\u2019ve been looking for.’\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Sourdough Eatery is located at 848 North First Street in San Jose. Photo by Robert Eliason.<\/p>\n

Being across the street from the former City Hall and surrounded by attorneys\u2019 offices, they settled on the sandwich shop concept, catering to the lunchtime crowd with the same hours they maintain today: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.<\/p>\n

Then, as now, the operation is built for speed.<\/p>\n

There is a fixed menu of 20 sandwiches displayed on worn placards above the deli counter, each listing the types of meats or cheeses used, most noting some variation of \u201ccooked and sliced by owners.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Sourdough Eatery owner Barbara Lenhart bringing fresh sourdough bread to sandwich maker Gelacio Sanchez. Photo by Robert Eliason.<\/p>\n

There is also the \u201cno\u201d sign: \u201cWe do not make custom-made sandwiches; we make what is on the menu only.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of our customers only have half an hour to pick up their lunch and get back to their office, so time is really the essence,\u201d Lenhart said. \u201cWe are as expeditious as possible so they can have the experience and, hopefully, still eat their sandwich while it\u2019s warm.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is a business model resistant to change, even following Michael\u2019s death in 2018. According to Lenhart, only three or four menu items have been swapped out since Sourdough Eatery opened. The shop\u2019s sole employee besides Lenhart, sandwich maker Gelacio Sanchez, was hired in 1992 at age 18.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s my right-hand man,\u201d Lenhart said. \u201cAnd he is such a perfectionist. He really doesn\u2019t even like it when we have extra help because he says then he has to watch them as to what they\u2019re putting in the sandwiches as well as doing his own.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is an almost unconscious, but synchronous flow between Lenhart and Sanchez that keeps the sandwiches coming out from behind the counter. She roasts the meat and bakes the bread, keeping the loaves rolling out every five or 10 minutes as needed, purely by instinct.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have a clock on it,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t believe in working by the clock. It\u2019s by taste, smell and timing. I want my people to always have fresh bread so they can enjoy a warm sandwich for their lunch. That is the cornerstone of what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Gelacio Sanchez making a sandwich. He is the sole employee besides owner Barbara Lenhart, and was hired in 1992 at age 18. Photo by Robert Eliason.<\/p>\n

Keeping pace with orders, Sanchez treats each individual sandwich with handcrafted care. The meat and bread are sliced to order, and the vegetables are never prepped ahead of time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI slice the veggies when a sandwich is ordered, because I like them to be crunchy,\u201d Sanchez told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cThey have a special flavor when you slice them in front of the customer \u2014 they have to be fresh. If you slice them before, they get a different taste, and we are very particular about that stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The No. 15: a sliced white-meat turkey and pastrami sandwich. Chopped lettuce, tomatoes and onions serve as a base, then are topped with Swiss cheese and generously piled with meat. Photo by Robert Eliason.<\/p>\n

Sanchez favors No. 17, a spicy turkey sandwich with salami and Swiss cheese. He said all of the spices are blended in-house to give the sandwich a unique flavor. Lenhart\u2019s favorite is No. 3, a thin-sliced white-meat roasted turkey sandwich with Swiss cheese.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is the easiest one to make, but any combination of meat and cheese is delicious when paired with our bread,\u201d she said. \u201cI do credit my longevity to the fact that I eat really well because I eat here every day, and I know the food is really first class with no preservatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Barbara Lenhart with a signed print of her portrait of former President Bill Clinton. The eatery has a portrait gallery of Lenhart\u2019s paintings.\u00a0 Photo by Robert Eliason.<\/p>\n

Consider No. 15: a sliced white-meat turkey and pastrami sandwich. Sanchez builds the sandwich from the bottom up \u2014 the chopped lettuce, tomatoes and onions serve as a base, then are topped with Swiss cheese and generously piled with meat.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

It measures an impressive 3 inches thick, 4 inches across and 8 inches long. (\u201cOh, heck,\u201d Lenhart said, \u201cI\u2019ve been telling people it\u2019s 6 inches.\u201d) And all the flavors are there: the lightly seasoned turkey, the lean pastrami, the sparklingly fresh veggies and the crisp-crusted, still-warm bread.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"In-line<\/a><\/p>\n

Customer Brianna Ieong favors the tuna salad sandwich, saying it might be one of the best she\u2019s ever had.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the vibe of the place,\u201d she told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cThe sourdough is a lot better quality than other places that I\u2019ve been to. I also like the size of the sandwich. It\u2019s a really good price point for what you\u2019re getting. The bread is so soft, and it\u2019s freshly baked. It\u2019s still really yummy.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Lenhart will not disclose how old she is \u2014 \u201cAge is just a number and mine is unlisted\u201d \u2014 she still thrives on working five days a week, even after 48 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had the most wonderful life,\u201d she told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cI am happy to have been a part of this community. People think of our shop as a destination and like to show it off. They know our food is consistently the best we can provide, and I\u2019m very proud of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Contact Robert Eliason at [email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: The Biz Beat is a series highlighting local small businesses and restaurants in Silicon Valley. Know a business you\u2019d like to see featured? Let us know at [email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sourdough Eatery<\/p>\n

Located at 848 North First Street in San Jose<\/p>\n

(408) 295-7709<\/p>\n

Open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.<\/p>\n

Venmo and cash only<\/p>\n

Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Website<\/a><\/p>\n