citylikeyou — San Jose / Kyle Pellet

Kyle Pellet is an artist and illustrator who was born, raised, and currently resides in San Jose, California. He spends his time preparing to be humiliated, creating things he hopes to God are of value to somebody other than himself, asking questions that probably have no answers, and feeling bad for his shortcomings.

http://www.pelletfactory.com

Artist Illustrator

Current city: San Jose

pelletfactory.com

San Jose / Cafe

Rollo’s is a block away from the house my mom grew up in. I don’t know how old it is, but it’s been there longer than I’ve been around. That neighborhood looks almost exactly as I remember it looking 20 years ago. I like that. They make blueberry donuts better than any place I’ve found.

San Jose / Shop

O’Henry’s is about half a mile from where I grew up. It’s located right across from what used to be a huge IBM plant (a space now occupied by a huge Hitachi plant and a half-assed strip mall). Everbody I grew up with would agree this is the best donut shop around. O’Henry’s has the best glazed donuts around, which taste blissful if you get them early in the morning (6am-7am).

San Jose / Cafe

I don’t think I’ve tasted a better donut than those made at Stan’s. Aside from the top-notch donut quality, the shop itself is beautiful – it looks like an old-fashioned diner that hasn’t renovated or updated anything since 1983. There’s a photo of the guy from Smashmouth on the wall, and I don’t know why. Unfortunately, the woman inside said I couldn’t take any pictures of the inside of the shop.

San Jose / Cafe

The donuts at Donut Wheel are always excellent, but the best thing about this place is that it’s open 24 hours, and is relatively safe. Most other 24-hour joints are in sketchy neighborhoods. I like to get a buttermilk donut and a cup of coffee, then paint all night long on one of their wobbly tables. Some of the best painting sessions I can remember have been at the Wheel.

San Jose / Shop

Manley’s has good donuts, the couple that run the shop are real nice, it’s open until mid-afternoon, and it’s very low key. You can get a crumb donut, a cup of coffee, then sit and let your mind clear on a Sunday morning if you wanted. It’s also soothing to watch all of the old people come in, read their newspaper, and grumble to themselves.

New York / Actor

Mitzi Akaha is a New York-based actress with roots in the Midwestern US, Japan, and the central coast of California. After developing her career in Japan, she relocated to New York in 2014 where she continues to contribute her particular talents and peculiar humor to a variety of projects, starring in national commercial spots, music videos and films. She is also a published writer and illustrator and has multiple scripts in development.

Salt Lake City / Graphic Designer

I’m a graphic designer working on things like identities, books, websites, exhibitions, apparel, and other kinds of products and editions. I’m often available for commissions, collaborations, and teaching.

San Francisco / Artist

Vanessa Woods is a visual artist and teacher whose artwork and films have been exhibited internationally, including Stanford Art Spaces at Stanford University, The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and The Institute of Contemporary Art in San Jose. She has also been awarded residencies at Djerassi, the Headlands Center for the Arts, the MacDowell Colony and in Pont-Aven, France, through the Museum of Pont-Aven. Her work is represented by Jack Fischer Gallery in San Francisco.

Sydney / Artist

Artist

New York / Artist

John Christian Rose is an artist and designer originally from Austin, TX now living in New York. Previously, he's worked at B.A.D. Studio, SSHH, and Pacific Books. Currently, he's a design intern at Gander.

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