“Spring, an experience in immortality.” – Henry D. Thoreau For me, the pleasures of taste, of sound, of smell… are intensified by Spring’s gentle breezes, its subtle fruits and its glowing sunsets. My Top Tastes of the month: – A brilliant cappuccino (of Blue Bottle ilk) from Four Barrel Coffee – right now, get their coffee in the alley (Caledonia, between 14th &… Read more →
Author: Virginia Miller
3 Belgian Beer Destinations: La Trappe, Monk’s Kettle & The Trappist
The Belgian craze hit hard last year with three Bay Area openings… its not new news. But it’s good news. Here’s my take after they have been open a few months: La Trappe: My personal favorite for atmosphere alone, made perfect by the beer selection. When you walk down a dark wood, winding staircase to the brick walled, candlelit basement, you’re… Read more →
Around the Bay: BREAKFAST in OAKLAND
East Bay breakfasts, particularly in Berkeley, are abundantly good, so I have a tough time deciding where to go across the Bay. Oakland has its own breakfast classics – we’ll explore one old and one new (don’t forget my favorite Oakland breakfast, the amazing Bakesale Betty’s bakery, which I highlighted in February). Brown Sugar Kitchen: In the wilds of West Oakland next to warehouses… Read more →
6-Month-Old Pizzeria Mozza
It almost doesn’t seem worth writing about a place that’s already such a hit… unless you love it enough to add your voice to the din. Enter Pizzeria Mozza. Though open little over half a year, reservations need to be made a month in advance and a line forms before it’s opening hour of noon. It’s not a hip “scene”,… Read more →
April 2008
“Reviewing has never struck me as having much to do with assigning scores or handing out demerits. The reviewer’s job – and pleasure – is akin to any reader’s. It is the pleasure of talk. If nobody talks about books [or the suject of review], if they are not discussed or somehow contended with, literature ceases to be a conversation,… Read more →
Mexican Treasure: Lolo in the Mission
3230 22nd Street (between Mission and Bartlett)San Francisco, CA 94107415-643-5656Hours: Tuesday-Thursday: 5:30-10pmFriday-Saturday: 5:30-11pm Yet another “fusion” restaurant, nonetheless Lolo has captured my fancy as a great Mission addition and a step above the average Nuevo Latino spot. Combining cuisines of the owners’ homelands of Mexico and Turkey (with an unwitting touch of Asia?), Lolo’s servers are affable, aiming to please. The… Read more →
Unsung Portola
When I mention Portola as an SF neighborhood, most locals look confused. Like me, you probably don’t spend a lot of time eating south of Bernal Heights. But I’ve kept quiet for too long about two gems full of dingy charm on San Bruno Avenue. In the midst of Asian food hole-in-the-walls, fast food joints, banks and ethnic markets, lies… Read more →
Wandering Traveler: Steak & BBQ in OKC
I realize Oklahoma is far from a culinary mecca and I do struggle to find noteworthy meals here. Variety and quality are not standards in any area but one: beef. Similar to neighboring Texas, OK has tasty beef everywhere, from steakhouses to BBQ (albeit sadly not grass fed or humanely raised in most cases). If you find yourself in the… Read more →
March 2008
“The roaring of the wind is my wife and the stars through the window pane are my children…” – John Keats Spring arrives, the rain is pouring more than usual, but green abounds in promising lushness… new things are birthed out of the longest winters. This month in The Established, we’ll explore Dim Sum alternatives to the most popular, overpriced spots.… Read more →
Dim Sum Around SF
After you’ve tried the hyped, delicious, but overpriced local dim sum kings Yank Sing, Ton Kiang or Daly City’s Koi Palace, check out these much cheaper options and see if they don’t fit the bill for your dim sum craving (minus the roving carts at all three spots): Shanghai Dumpling King3319 Balboa Street (between 34th & 35th Avenues)415.387.2088Mon, Wed-Fri 11am-9pm,… Read more →