What happens when one of the nation’s greatest pastry chefs opens a restaurant with a chef from a two Michelin restaurant at the height of pandemic in 2020? Apparently, magic. Lots and lots of heartache on their part, but for us, sheer magic. Read more →
Handroll Project opened May 18, 2022, in a lofty, minimalist space with murals from local artist The Apexer. A handroll restaurant was actually Lee and Truong’s original plan even before Ju-Ni, with their vision of a casual, “quick bite” kind of spot… Read more →
Reviewed this issue:
— Fords Sloe Gin (London)
— Quechol Sotol (Durango, Mexico)
— Mackinac Island Rum (Mackinac Island, MI)
— Le Moné Aperitifs (New York)
— Song Cai Vietnam Floral and Dry Gins (Vietnam)
and more… Read more →
THIS ISSUE:
— May Eats Checklist: Korean BBQ to Mexican Brunch.
— Refreshingly Audacious, Bold Newcomer: Shuggie’s Trash Pie + Natural Wine, one funky-fun newcomer.
— Distiller Magazine Bottle Column, April 2022: I review Calvados, vermut/vermouth, fernet/amaro, rum, gin, vodka, Irish whiskey, soju, wheat whiskey, bourbon, RTDs (canned/bottled cocktails, syrups).
— New Modern Korean Bansang Needs Honing But Shows Promise Where It Matters: On the Plate.
These six newcomers (or new menus) cover the gamut, from the ultimate Korean barbecue to Mexican brunch in your PJs, if you wish. Alongside this month’s full restaurant reviews — Shuggie’s Trash Pie + Natural Wine, Bansang, Cole Valley Tavern, The Madrigal — these six are worth visiting (as always, I’ve vetted, visited and ordered from each place reviewed): Read more →
As of April 19, 2022, Velvet Cantina is (dramatically) reborn as Shuggie’s Trash Pie & Natural Wine, no longer dim and dusty but colorful, loud and playful in bold yellow and green. Given the deteriorating nature of the front room, it had to be gutted and rebuilt, now all yellow and white, lined with yellow disco balls, lip-shaped sofa and cheetah mural, centered around an open kitchen with bar seats over a glittery gold countertop. Read more →
Opening a more upscale, untried concept on a block that already holds three Michelin-starred restaurants — State Bird Provisions, The Progress and Avery — is ambitious, to say the least. When it is one that needs tightening up, as brand new Bansang does, it’s even riskier. But in its initial soft opening month of May (opening the tail end of April 2022), Bansang’s promise is all on the plate. Read more →
— Ideal New Neighborhood Hang: Cole Valley Tavern serves 99 Flake, heartwarming food & cocktails.
— Retro-Chic Lounge with Secret Cocktails & Stellar Food: The Madrigal (also your pre-and-post show hang).
— Restaurant Review: Buzzy (yet hit-or-miss) Marina Italian at Norcina.
— Low-Key Molecular: Talking science of cocktails with Ted Kilgore of St. Louis’ Planter’s House.
Legendary Kezar Bar & Restaurant has been a Cole Valley staple since 1989, but even after revamps, couldn’t quite hang on. The good news is it’s staying neighborhood-owned with local Jim Angelus of nearby Bacon Bacon reopening it as Cole Valley Tavern (he became a partner in Kezar back in 2018). It’s packed every night since opening late April 2022, carrying on the tradition but with an upgrade: convivial, welcoming yet with heightened comfort food and cocktails. Read more →
Reviewed this issue:
— Calvados Armagnac Blend
— Spanish Vermouth/Vermut
— Fernet from Brooklyn
— Organic Dominican Republic rum
—Mississippi and El Dorado Hills, CA, gins
… and more Read more →