“Everything contains some silence… An hour of city holds maybe a minute of these remnants of a time when silence reigned, compact and dangerous as a shark. Sometimes a bit of a tail or fin can still be sensed in parks.” – “Sharks’ Teeth” poem by Kay Ryan Bracing the cold of Chicago for memorable food, drink and times with… Read more →
Month: February 2013
Regional Journeys in Spain and Italy in SF & Oakland
Nothing replaces experiencing a place directly, but regional dinners are one way of traveling vicariously. Occasionally, it’s more than a meal, as with a January 23 dinner at Oakland’s Latin American haven, Bocanova, which hosts monthly Rick’s Supper Club highlighting South American cuisine. As we dined on wild shrimp and lobster ceviche in passion fruit sauce or smoky, steamed mussels… Read more →
COCKTAILS & BITES: Mezcal Coffee, G&Ts & Crudo, Artful Salads & Cilantro Daiquiris
In my endless treks ’round the city for the best partnerships of drink and food, here are a few notable current menu offerings: COMSTOCK SALOON, North Beach (155 Columbus Ave. at Pacific, 415-617-0071) www.comstocksaloon.com Easily one of our city’s great bars, Comstock Saloon maintains historical reverence to SF’s Barbary Coast days without being stuffy. Old World decor, live jazz and… Read more →
Chinese Scene at the New Hakkasan & M.Y. China
Style-over-substance at popular restaurants grew old in my Los Angeles days. A pretty package matters little if food isn’t excellent. In SF, we tend towards the other direction. Thank goodness for places like Gitane, Bix, Foreign Cinema, which manage both – a little style is welcome. With the entry of two new, upscale Chinese restaurants, we get style aplenty. One,… Read more →
OKC Goes Hipster?
OKC is far from hipster, which, granted, has its pluses. Years behind national food and drink trends, they’ve only recently opened their first third wave coffee haven (Elemental Coffee, a true coffee oasis with sleek cafe and roasting facility), a proper cocktail bar (the bar at Ludivine – see below), a couple hipster food outposts and further from Oklahoma City,… Read more →
February 1, 2013
“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” – Simon Weil A lovely January it’s been with balmy, warm days and dear friends and family visiting from near and far. I’m readying for the Chicago cold in a few days, though thrilled to return for more Chi-town treasures, the latest being from my Fall visit. Check out my Perfect… Read more →