This Paper Plane bartender put San Jose on national mixology map

When it comes to mixing cocktails, Mary Palac of downtown San Jose’s Paper Plane is one of the best in the business. And that’s now official, with the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation naming her one of the top 10 bartenders in America.

Palac — who has been at Paper Plane for four years and previously worked at downtown lounges Haberdasher and the Loft — said it’s an honor not just for her but for the city, too. “If you look at that list there are people who are literally my role models,” she said. “If you look at the pedigree of the bars, those are some of the best bars in the world. So it’s pretty cool to see Paper Plane and San Jose on that list.”

At Paper Plane, she’s earned a reputation for being able to guide customers through the lounge’s eclectic drinks menu, all with a smile. “I love when I’ve made exactly the right drink for the right person. After you’ve made a thousand drinks the process becomes sort of automatic, but when you hit the nose on a drink for someone, that’s always special,” she said. “That being said, from a technique standpoint, I’ll never turn down the opportunity to light something on fire.”

Palac mostly learned on the job, but she also completed the prestigious Bar 5-Day certification program in New York City in January — sort of a master’s degree in mixology — and also won the championship trophy at Barmania, a speed bartending competition held in Las Vegas in March.

As part of a new generation of mixologists who combine speed, flair and craftsmanship, Palac says she’s also excited to be a role model for women of color and an Asian-American woman in the field. “A former employer once told me that women don’t do as well in this industry, which I think is just plain silly,” she said. “There are so many women out there proving this sentiment wrong every day, and I hope I continue to be one of them.”

The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation also named Paper Plane as one of the top 10 “high volume” bars in the western U.S. region. The Best Bartender winner will be announced at Spirited Awards in New Orleans next month, and while Palac did not make the “final four” nominees, she said being recognized by her peers in the top 10 is praise enough — for now.

WHO’S THE BOSS?: Guiseppe “Pino” Spatola of Paesano Ristorante took home first place in Little Italy San Jose’s third annual Boss of the Sauce competition on Sunday, beating out seven other Bay Area Italian restaurants. And given that Spatola’s eatery is in the growing business and cultural district near SAP Center, he didn’t have far to take it.

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Art in construction zone will move to new downtown San Jose home The judges’ panel included the discerning palates of Shirlee DiNapoli Schiro and Chef Umberto Pala of Vin Santo and Il Sogno, who won last year’s People’s Choice award. This year, the crowd bestowed the People’s Choice crown on Chef Myke Gorton from Il Fornaio.

Rob DiNapoli added up some impressive stats for the fundraiser for the Little Italy Museum of Cultural Center: 40 gallons of red sauce, 160 pounds of dry pasta, 16 pounds of parmesan cheese, 400 meatballs from Il Sogno in Campbell, 100 servings of tiramisu from Mio Vicino in Santa Clara and more than 400 attendees, including San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and his family.

DEVELOPER GETS THEATRICAL: Michael Van Every didn’t disappoint as the guest host of San Jose Stage’s 26th annual “Monday Night Live!” political satire fundraiser, especially when it came to costumes. The president and managing partner of Republic Urban Properties wore lederhosen during an opening sketch with industry colleagues Chris Neale and Case Swenson about developing Coyote Valley into a vast cannabis farm. Then during his monologue, he put his NFL allegiance on display by slipping into a sports jacket adorned with Raiders logos and a silver-and-black hard hat.

Van Every says he’s staying loyal to the team even as they abandon the Bay Area for Las Vegas. “They’re pirates,” he said. “They don’t need a (bleeping) home.” San Jose Stage Artistic Director Randall King, however, is glad to have Van Every solidly on the theater company’s team, telling the sold-out crowd that the developer has raised more than $100,000 for San Jose Stage.

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