From an affordable Michelin-starred to top Korean, private dinner parties to fish and game perfection, these five restaurants exemplify why SF remains a wonderland of upscale innovation that is simultaneously soulfully delicious: Read more →
Tag: Fine Dining
A New Era for 3 San Francisco Fine Dining Greats: Atelier Crenn, Californios, Merchant Roots
These 3 restaurants boast everything from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants status to Michelin stars, but what they’ve evolved to is bold flavors & unexpected fun:
—3 Michelin, World’s 50 Best Great Reimagined at 14: Atelier Crenn
—The Only 2 Michelin Mexican Restaurant in N. America Turns 10: Californios
—Of Eggs & Broken Things: Humpty Dumpty Experience at Merchant Roots
February Eats: 6 Standouts of the Month
Reviewed in this article:
—Intimate Michelin Star Spot Turns Two Years Old: Anomaly
—Better Than Ever Austrian Treasure: Leopold’s
—Peruvian Brunchin’ with Live Music: Altamirano
—Donuts, Donuts, Donuts: George’s Donuts & Merriment,
—A New Creperie: Bistro La Chaumière
—Ping Pong & Games with Solid Food: SPIN San Francisco Read more →
The Dream of the 90s is Still Alive at These SF Treasures: Gary Danko & Boulevard
Portlandia references may be old news, but I can’t help but hear the show’s Dream of the 90’s song in my head when I return to these two great restaurants — Gary Danko and Boulevard — that have been showing San Francisco how it’s done since the 1990s. Here’s multiple reasons why they’re still relevant. Read more →
Enclos: a new era for Sonoma dining
Healdsburg has long been the favored Sonoma town square, packed with charm, shops and great food. Over the 24 years I’ve been visiting, it has grown into a destination for world travelers and foodies since SingleThread opened in 2016. Earning one, then two, and eventually three Michelin stars, Healdsburg has attracted upscale resorts, hotel remodels, pricey condos and a chic reputation.
Alternately, Sonoma’s larger town square has remained steady, even old-school, the past 24 years I’ve visited. With Enclos opening December 5, 2024, in a cozy Victorian cottage a half block off the square, the town is set to change: Read more →
From Gozu to The Wild: A Michelin-worthy evolution in SF dining
Change is hard, especially when a beloved restaurant, Gozu, morphs into something entirely new: The Wild, starting September 2024. Read more →
SF Staycation — Luxury Hotels with New Menus: Luce at Intercontinental SF & MKT at Four Seasons San Francisco
One of many things I adore about living in my beloved San Francisco for 23 years, far above my bi-coastal upbringing in the suburbs of LA and NYC and midwest Oklahoma and Kansas City roots, is the endless layers and beauty of tiny SF. Thus I am ever experiencing my City anew and rarely get “staycations.” I travel so much for dining and drink research, judging and consulting, it’s a gift when I am home, relishing the world class and unique joys abundant all around me.
However, it’s a privilege when I get a media invite to stay overnight to check out a hotel minutes from home after checking out a new menu or chef at said hotel. I recently visited two notable SF hotels offering feasts creative (Luce) or comforting (MKT). What worked (and didn’t) at each: Read more →
SF’s most imaginative, themed dinner parties go big: the new Merchant Roots
Raving about Merchant Roots’ wildly-changing, eight-seat dinners since chef Ryan Shelton launched the first themed menu in January 2019, I’ve felt this magical team and concept should have a Michelin star and more, though they are Michelin-recommended, thankfully. But it’s a whole “new bag” for the clever restaurant as they’ve just moved to a far larger, 4,500-square-foot space in SoMa, debuting August 23, 2024: Read more →
Fine Dining in SF: 5 Places to Celebrate Now
Reviewed in this article:
—So Brilliant, This 2 Michelin Should Be 3: Lazy Bear
—Still Shining in Its New Era: Saison
—Back to its Original Format but Refreshed: Lord Stanley 2.0
—Seafood & Drink Glories Like No Other: Aphotic
—Asian Art Museum-Inspired: Gilda’s Salon Dinners at the Proper Hotel Read more →
Where to brunch on Mother’s Day in San Francisco
San Francisco’s limitless brunch options can reach religious fervor here with long waits for no-reservation spots. Here are 10 restaurants that (mostly) take reservations, across a range of cuisines and price levels. All offer something to please mom, from colorful cocktails to heartwarming dishes (and they’re great brunch options any time of the year!) Read more →