It wasn’t as apparent years ago, but to my profound pleasure, I’ve noticed that SF has become a damn great coffee city – one of the best in the country. Here are a few favorites in a city blessed with coffees rivaling the quality of Italian greats: Blue Bottle Coffee: (Hayes Valley, Ferry Plaza, Mint Plaza) – The Bay Area’s… Read more →
Less than 30 minutes drive from the city, Half Moon Bay has long been a charming excursion offering stunning Pacific vistas along Highway 1 and an idyllic small town both on Main Street and in the canyon. I love wading through tide pools and seeing seals (go at low tide or you won’t see a thing!) at nearby Fitzgerald Marine Preserve… Read more →
“The trees down the boulevard stand naked in thought. Their abundant summery wordage silenced caught In the grim undertow, naked the trees confront Implacable winters long crossquestioning brunt.” – D.H. Lawrence, Winter in the Boulevard, 1916 February is the month of love…or so they say. As always, I think it appropriate to celebrate with those you love, whatever month it… Read more →
Valentine’s I think Valentines as we know it is lame, with true love reduced to teddy bears, cherubs, bad chocolates… and overcrowded restaurants with ridiculously costly “special” menus that have become synonymous with a Valentine’s date. So if you ask me, I would avoid going out that night at all. But I just might go out some other time this… Read more →
A morning excursion across the Bay Bridge provides many pleasures… here are merely a couple of my favorite non-restaurant food stops in Oaktown: Bakesale Betty 5098 Telegraph Avenue (at 51st Street) Oakland, CA 94609 510-985-1213 www.bakesalebetty.us Hours Monday: 7am-3pm Tuesday-Saturday: 7am-7pm Yes, we San Franciscans have a wealth of bakery options, including near legendary Tartine, which I am thrilled to… Read more →
Dining pleasures are boundless in this stunning country… cheese and chocolate may be the items that come to the uninformed mind, but if you dine at a noteworthy restaurant in most Swiss cities or villages, you’ll also experience savory meats, the freshest of lake fish, generous vegetables, and always… clean, fresh cooking. LUCERNE After two visits, Lucerne remains my favorite… Read more →
“To read a poem in January is as lovely as to go for a walk in June.” – Jean-Paul Sartre Happy New Year! How grateful I am for newness, fresh possibility, a chance to look forward, to act, even in a small way, differently than before… one step closer to our dreams. This month in The Latest, savor 1300 on Fillmore with… Read more →
Old Movies at the Castro Theatre San Francisco’s historic Castro Theatre may not be as awe-inspiring as Oakland’s Paramount Theatre (which seems to have sadly stopped its monthly film classics screenings since earlier last year)… but it is still San Francisco’s shining jewel of movie palaces since 1922, harkening back to the old days with classic (and new) films accompanied by live… Read more →
1300 on Fillmore 1300 Fillmore Street (at the corner of Eddy) San Francisco, CA 94115 415-771-7100 www.1300fillmore.com Hours: Monday-Sunday: 5-11pm Lounge: 5am-1am The South enchants me. Even as its beliefs and mentality feel far removed from the essence of me, I cannot help but be profoundly drawn to its music and food as if it has long been a part… Read more →
Switzerland is incomparably glorious land and after a second visit, I only want more. What surprises is that the food, hardly noticed next to reigning European cuisines, French and Italian, holds such fresh, satisfying foods well beyond the cheese and chocolate they are rightly known for. I was amazed by fresh seafood, rich desserts… better food than I had expected… Read more →