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☀️ Osaka Summer Festival, Trivia, and New Local Businesses

☀️ Osaka Summer Festival, Trivia, and New Local Businesses

New businesses opening in San Mateo, a popular restaurant closes its doors, and an update on San Mateo's budget.

Greg Kemper
August 20, 2026

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Good morning neighbors!

Welcome to this week’s San Mateo Scoop! We’ve got news on local businesses, including a fan-favorite restaurant closing, plus San Mateo’s budget shortfall and a San Carlos safety project. We’ve got an exciting event lineup - including Osaka summer festival, trivia, pottery painting, outdoor barre class, and dance parties!

Let’s get to it!

In this week’s edition:

City Updates: Crestview Drive safety project, San Mateo County budget shortfall
Business Updates: New fan-favorite restaurant suddenly closes, plus new local businesses opening
Events: Osaka summer festival, trivia, pottery painting, outdoor barre class, and dance parties

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San Carlos advances design work on the Crestview Drive safety project

The city continues moving forward on its Crestview Drive Pilot Improvements Project, aimed at slowing speeding and improving pedestrian and bike safety along about 2.2 miles of the steep, heavily-traveled road between Edgewood Road and the Belmont city line. Plans include new unprotected bike lanes with buffers, narrower vehicle lanes, more pedestrian crossings with beacons, and curb bulb-outs, timed to align with a repaving project. Residents along or near Crestview Drive should watch for community engagement opportunities as the design phase continues into next year. Read more here.

San Mateo County faces a $226 million funding shortfall that could trigger deep cuts

County and city officials rallied outside County Center to press state lawmakers for a permanent fix to a growing Vehicle License Fee funding gap, warning that without action, around 1,000 government jobs could be at risk. The county alone faces a $134 million gap, and its 20 cities and towns face another $91.6 million combined. Some cities have already started cutting: San Bruno eliminated eight positions, including firefighter and police jobs, and San Mateo's own shortfall jumped from $7.1 million to $12.9 million. If unresolved, officials warn residents could see fewer police, firefighters and nurses, plus cuts to libraries, parks and shelter and rental assistance programs. Read more here.

Marlove Flowers is opening in Hillsdale

Marlove Flowers is a San Mateo-based florist specializing in premium, artfully arranged bouquets, roses, orchids and plants for everything from birthdays and anniversaries to weddings and sympathy gifts. The shop also carries greeting cards and handmade chocolates, and offers same-day delivery across the Bay Area. Read more here.

Growing Ivy is expanding to Burlingame

Growing Ivy is a children's boutique founded by Wendy Ye that got its start in downtown Los Altos, offering clothing, shoes, gifts and everyday essentials for babies and kids from newborn through around age 10. The shop is known for its curated mix of neutral and pastel-toned products, including handmade toys and items sourced from Europe and Japan, plus a small in-store play area for little ones. The Burlingame expansion is part of a broader push across the Bay Area for the fast-growing brand. Read more here.

Colander Kitchens Closes Its Doors

A little over a year after opening, Colander Kitchens has closed its doors. Colander Kitchens offered Southern Brunch favorites, Island-style seafood & grill, French-inspired salads, California-style sushi burritos, with a vintage Café Truck serving classic Italian espresso drinks. Stay tuned to hear what's next for Colander Kitchens as the team searches for a new location to continue serving the community. More here.

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Limón in Burlingame

Limón brings Peruvian cuisine to downtown Burlingame, with a menu built around rotisserie chicken, ceviches, stir-fries and other Peruvian specialties. Its open-flame rotisserie chicken is marinated with a blend of spices and aromatic herbs and served with ají amarillo sauce. The menu also includes classics such as lomo saltado, with wok-stir-fried beef, tomatoes, onions and ginger-infused soy sauce served with fries and jasmine rice, as well as arroz con mariscos and ají de gallina. Other offerings range from chicharrón de pollo and empanadas to ceviches, plantains and Limón’s signature truffle mac and cheese.

West Park Bistro in San Carlos

West Park Bistro is a contemporary American-fusion bistro in downtown San Carlos that emphasizes locally sourced produce and an extensive wine collection. Its menu covers a wide range of dishes, including fish tacos with red snapper and jalapeño-lime aioli, grilled octopus, Wagyu beef meatballs and a half-pound American Wagyu burger. Entrées include seafood risotto with salmon, mussels, prawns and clams, Scottish salmon, linguine with clams, lamb shank and a soy-marinated skirt steak. The restaurant also offers vegetarian and vegan dishes such as lemon basil pasta with coconut cream, mushroom and zucchini. West Park Bistro has an outdoor patio and a wine room for private gatherings, with its menu spanning seafood, meat, pasta, salads and sandwiches.

We do our best to verify dates/locations of events, but please independently verify before attending as details are subject to change

🌸 Osaka Summer Festival | Foster City | Osaka Marketplace | 8/20-23 | more
Celebrate the taste of Japan with authentic regional street food, free samples from favorite Japanese brands, and a can't-miss live tuna-cutting demo on Sunday.

🎸 Rock the Dock | Redwood City | 459 Seaport Court | 8/22 | more
Kick back at the waterfront for a free outdoor concert, with this week's lineup bringing classic rock hits from local favorites SONA.

🎭 Shakespeare Staged Reading | Woodside | Filoli | 8/22 | more
Watch "A Midsummer Night's Dream" come to life for the first time ever beneath Filoli's towering redwoods in this magical outdoor evening of theater.

🦜 Happy Birds | San Carlos | Hiller Aviation Museum | 8/22 | more
This elite team of parrots, macaws, and cockatoos — TV veterans of The Tonight Show and more — wows crowds with tricks, impersonations, and even a little opera singing.

💃 Milonga Dance Party | San Mateo | Motion Arts Center | 8/22 | more
Sway to music from the Golden Age of Tango at this lively milonga, welcoming dancers and spectators of every skill level.

🌿 Artisan Garden Market | Belmont | Ladera Gardens and Gifts | 8/22 | more
Stroll the nursery for handcrafted goods, fresh flowers, and local eats at this charming community garden market.

🐾 Registration Open: Belmont Water Dog Run | Belmont | Online | 9/26 | more
Sign up now for the 5K, 10K, kids' mile, or Fido-friendly run happening September 26, with proceeds supporting local youth programs.

🩰 Outdoor Pure Barre Community Class | Burlingame | Town Square | 8/23 | more
Grab a mat and join the neighborhood for a free, all-levels barre workout right in the heart of downtown.

🎨 Grand Opening: Color Me Mine | San Mateo | Color Me Mine | 8/23 | more
Celebrate the studio's debut with a ribbon-cutting, pottery painting, complimentary coffee and matcha, and a raffle for a year of free studio fees.

🎬 Action Adventure Movie Trivia Night | San Carlos | Out of the Barrel | 8/26 | more
Round up your team and put your action-and-adventure movie knowledge to the test at this popular taproom trivia night.

🥂 Summer Bistro Dinner | San Carlos | 3P Wines | 8/27 | more
Savor a seasonal, chef-curated bistro dinner paired with 3P Wine Co.'s small-lot Santa Cruz Mountains wines.