SAP Center goes vegan at Billie Eilish concerts in San Jose

The SAP Center regularly offers some vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, but this is believed to be the first time the arena has changed its entire menu for an artist. (The willingness to do this could even be a selling point for SAP Center should Paul McCartney, who is a vegetarian, decide to move his “Got Back” tour to the Bay Area next year.)

What if you’re not a vegetarian? Well, you could try it once in the evening, or at least feel forewarned and plan to eat something before the show.

As part of this initiative, Eilish also partnered with Google Maps to recommend vegetarian and vegan restaurants in cities on her tour. For San Jose, their favorites are Vegetarian House (520 E. Santa Clara St.), Good Karma Fine Ales (37 S. First St.), Veggie Grill on Santana Row and Merit Vegan Restaurant (548 Lawrence Expy. in Sunnyvale).

I add to the list Tofoo Com Chay, a great Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant at 388 E. Santa Clara St., and Vegan Bistro and Donuts, which is also home to Aina’s Vegan Banh Mi at 10th and Santa Clara Streets (although it is regularly closed). Monday to Wednesday). Pizza My Heart at 117 E. San Carlos St. also offers many vegan and vegetarian specialty pizzas, including a vegan version of the garlic-stuffed Big Sur pizza.

If concertgoers want to make their trip even more sustainable, they should keep in mind that both VTA and Caltrain are good and more climate-friendly options for getting to the SAP Center.

ON THE RIGHT PATH: On the topic of Caltrain: State Senator Dave Cortese can’t believe the transit agency has agreed to move its entire decommissioned fleet – 90 gallery cars and 19 diesel locomotives – to Lima, Peru, after finally electrifying its entire fleet this fall.

“This is no way to run a railroad by removing diesel from California’s carbon footprint and then turning it right back on in Peru. Aren’t we all fighting to decarbonize the same air?” Cortese, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said in a press release. On Monday, he introduced a bill that expresses the legislature’s intention to restrict the resale of decommissioned diesel trains and rolling stock for further use.

I still like the idea of ​​permanently displaying a locomotive and gallery car at San Jose’s Diridon Station as part of a transit museum.

NINETEEN TIMES TWO FOR THE HOLIDAYS: San Jose musician Gus Kambeitz is a melodic Santa Claus this season, performing benefit concerts for two downtown theater groups with his jazzy Nineteen Big Band. On Dec. 10 at City Lights Theater Company, Nineteen will provide the tunes for seven actors who have appeared in “The Rocky Horror Show,” “Kinky Boots” and other City Lights musicals. Visit www.cltc.org for tickets.

Then, a week later, on December 17th, Nineteen will be at San Jose Stage Company for their “Sounds of the Season Holiday Bash,” playing jazzy versions of holiday favorites along with some familiar San Jose Stage voices: Adrienne Herro, Allison F. Rich, Will Springhorn Jr. and Jonathan Rhys Williams. Tickets are available at www.thestage.org/tickets.

And if that wasn’t enough, singer Ren Geisick has two chances this month to see her 10th annual “Winter Wonderland” show at City Lights, December 8th and 15th, featuring a mix of classic Christmas songs and… Presented his own compositions.

MUSICAL JAM: After the 49ers’ recent games, you might be looking for a less stressful way to spend your Sunday afternoon than seeing if they can beat the Chicago Bears. If so, there are three musical options on December 8th – but all take place at various South Bay venues at 3 p.m.