My Top Food Articles: June 15-30
From my 15 articles/posts a week as Zagat Editor, I summarize and link to just some coverage highlights here – you can sign up for Zagat’s weekly newsletter for highlights here and follow along on Twitter @ZagatSF, where I post daily.
As I have been for over a decade, I’m on the ground daily looking for early standouts at each new opening, while sharing underrated places and dishes you’ve seen me write about here at The Perfect Spot for years, and, of course, plenty of drink coverage (cocktails, wine, spirits, beer).
My biggest feature article of the last two weeks hit yesterday, in line with Best Thing We Ate lists in each Zagat city around the US – here is my list of the top 12 Best Thing We Ate dishes in the Bay Area this year so far.
Interviews
Chef JOSH SKENES on SAISON’s New $498 Test Kitchen Dinners and Winemaker Dinner Series
New Bay Area Openings
What to eat at MARLA BAKERY’s restaurant, just open in Outer Richmond
First Look at BELCAMPO MEATS new San Francisco restaurant and sustainable, ethical butcher shop
New PIATTINI ADDS A SLICE OF VENICE to Mission St.
Every Friday: 25 NEW RESTAURANTS TO TRY IN THE BAY AREA
URBAN PUTT GETS BOOZE – and what to eat one month in at the quirky mini-golf restaurant/bar
Day Trip: Port Costa
If Savannah (or other quirky, historic Southern town) met a California Gold Country Western town, it might feel a lot like PORT COSTA, home to one of the country’s best dive bars and a cosmopolitan restaurant and cocktail bar
East Bay
Early Tastes at PERDITION SMOKEHOUSE in BERKELEY from Mikkeller Bar SF & The Trappist Founder
What to eat & drink at downtown OAKLAND‘s new CAPTAIN & CORSET
Secretly Awesome: TRABOCCO’s pizza and pasta in an ALAMEDA strip mall
Rockridge’s (Oakland) OSMANTHUS renews your fried brussels sprouts crush
Underrated & Established Spots
8 reasons to revisit LOCAL KITCHEN & WINE MERCHANT in SoMa
The 8 BEST HOT DOGS in San Francisco
Unsung Heroes: SF’s best Afghani food for over 20 years at HELMAND PALACE
The 10 BEST PLACE FOR FRIED CHICKEN in San Francisco
NICO ADDS NEW ROSE PAIRING and LOW PROOF COCKTAIL menus with these dishes
THREE TWINS ORGANIC ICE CREAM & GOTT’s ROADSIDE join forces
South Bay/Peninsula
LEXINGTON HOUSE, a destination restaurant and cocktail haven in LOS GATOS
Elegant weekend escape to CARMEL (where your boutique hotel houses a Michelin-starred restaurant)
Silky crudo, standout salads and Carlos Yturria’s cocktails at LURE + TILL in PALO ALTO
Events/Dinner Series
ICHI, Commonwealth and more join STONES THROW CHARITY DINNERS throughout the summer