Author: Virginia Miller

Indonesian, Fried Chicken, Plant-Based Filipino, Pizza & More: 7 SF Restaurants Standouts of the Month

Reviewed in this article:
—Familial Fried Chicken Haven: Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement
—Pizza from Dough Masters: Tartine Manufactory
—Creative Shared Plates & Natural Wines: Bar Jabroni
—Plant-Forward Filipino for Takeout or Patio Times: Mestiza
—Indonesian Rarities: Rasa Rasa Kitchen
—Japanese Bento Takeout & Matcha Stop: Komeya No Bento
—Quirky Bagels at a New Outer Sunset Bakery: Batches Bakehouse Read more →

Stookey’s New Blue Room: A live music retro bar duo that ties together SF’s past and present

Weaned on films of the 1930–1960s as a child, I was a martinis and jazz girl long before I could drink. I dreamed of the kind of 1930s bars and 1940s supperclubs I saw in those movies, teeming with icy martinis, jazz and a beautifully-dressed clientele. When Tim Stookey, his wife Leslie Cole and her cousin Aaron Cole, opened Stookey’s Club Moderne in Lower Nob Hill/TenderNob in 2015, it stepped right out of a 1930’s film. Their devoted passion for the era translated to an intimate bar of glossy blues and whites that feels like time traveling. Enter their brand new neighboring live music bar, The Blue Room, which debuted February 8, 2024. Read more →

Winter Into Spring: 8 Restaurant Standouts of the Month

Reviewed in this article:
—Best Kept Secret & Daily Changing Menus: Camino Alto
—Taiwanese Bites & Asian-Influenced Cocktails: The Rabbit Hole
—Wine Bar & Bites Happiness: Cultivar
—Focaccia Pizza With a View: Il Parco
—Top-Notch Palestinian Falafel: Habibi Falafel
—Creative but “Real Deal” Hot Dogs: Hayz Dog
—A Unique, Arty Pop-Up: Sister, Mother, Crone
—Tunisian Hideaway: Gola Read more →

Michelin-starred restaurant rebirthed as a casual-chic RTB Wine Bar

Saddened to see tiny, Michelin-starred Avery move to Edinburgh, Scotland, recently, the restaurant went with chef Rodney Wages and his wife. Since the Fillmore Street gem opened in 2018 — in the same Michelin-rife couple of blocks as State Bird Provisions, The Progress, Anchovy Bar and Merchant Roots — it quietly bucked upscale trends with Wages irreverent, rock star attitude towards fine dining, complete with caviar bumps and his soon-famed liquid tortellini en brodo (in broth). Avery’s exquisite champagne and sake selections made it all the more special. I gave it a perfect five stars in my Time Out days, and will never forget the “feels like you’re in Tuscany” magic of their pop-up dinners in Napa during pandemic, complete with limo rides to and from SF. Read more →