Welcome to Chez TJ Restaurant

The Home

Originally built in 1894, the structure at 938 Villa Street was home to Julius and Fanny Weilheimer. Julius was Vice President of the Mountain View Farmer’s and Merchant’s Bank as well as a member of the town City Council and, later, the town’s Mayor. The home has had many roles in its storied history: in the most recent iteration, George Aviet and Thomas J. McCombie acquired the property in the early 1980’s, opening as the restaurant Chez TJ and serving their first dinner on November 26, 1982.

Thomas and George met at Thomas’ prior restaurant, Pear William, in Menlo Park, CA. Both dreamt of building a restaurant together and were determined to turn their dreams into something real. The press reviews were glowing with Gourmet exclaiming that it was “worth a detour from San Francisco!” In the height of 1994 the unthinkable happened as Thomas passed away. In honor of Thomas’ memory and their longtime friendship, George continued with the restaurant on the same path as they had always envisioned. Chez TJ earned its first Michelin star in 2007 and continues to be the bastion of French cuisine in the South Bay that helped establish San Francisco as America’s culinary capital. Under George's guidance, Chez TJ  became known as a culinary incubator for a succession of highly regarded Michelin chefs.