This Issue:
— Old School Steakhouse Keeps Classic SF Spirit Alive: Harris’ Restaurant.
— 8 Places to Eat & Drink Now: East Bay Edition.
— Los Angeles Travel: Spring 2022 Coffee, Snacks & Drinks Guide.
— Buzzy New Rooftop Spot Transports to Peru: KAIY? Rooftop.
— Beer Restaurant of the Future: Fort Point Valencia Reopens.
— Distiller Magazine: LA Top 10 Bars 2022.
My fall 2021 return to Los Angeles, the region I partly grew up in and spent over 12 years of my youth and, later, young adulthood living in was a busy one. I visited over 35 places, from cafes and coffee roasters, to restaurants and eateries — like pre-pandemic times. While the bar scene was clearly struggling on the service end even more than restaurants were, restaurants were coming back to life.
Here’s the good, the bad and the damn delicious: Read more →
This issue I cover three bartenders and global bars, featuring their cocktail recipes inspired by more unsung classic gin cocktails…
+ My opinion column on the state of gin and cocktail bars in the U.S. now: How Will We Drink in 2022?
My fall 2021 return to Los Angeles, the region I partly grew up in and spent over 12 years of my youth and, later, young adulthood living in was a busy one. I visited over 35 places, from cafes and coffee roasters, to restaurants and eateries — like pre-pandemic times. While the bar scene was clearly struggling on the service end even more than restaurants were, restaurants were coming back to life.
Here’s the good, the bad and the damn delicious: Read more →
An old school temple to steak, San Francisco’s Harris’ Restaurant keeps classic steakhouse, martini and live jazz spirit alive: Read more →
Six new restaurants/eateries, plus one pre-pandemic gem and two bar stops, all draw me to the East Bay. Digging in also meant some disappointments, including solid but not destination-worthy cocktails at charming Palmetto, or overwrought cocktails that sound exciting but don’t deliver at The Miranda. But each of these eight has one (or a few) winning aspects: Read more →
On a crisp, clear, wind-less February night, we bypassed the line to get in with a reservation at brand-new KAIYŌ Rooftop atop the Hyatt Place Hotel. It was clear immediately from the line down the sidewalk to the bustling, Latin music-tinged party on the rooftop that this is already one of the hottest newcomers in town. Read more →
—My article on 10 of LA’s best bars below (online here)
—My interview with Redwood bar manager Tobin Shea here
—My interview with The Spirit Guild owner/distiller Miller Duvall here
BARS FEATURED:
— Redbird, Bar Calo, Bar Jackalope, Neat, The Musso & Frank Grill, Genever, Thunderbolt, Bar Flores, Agnes, Tiki-Ti Read more →
— 6 New Restaurants Worth Visiting This Month: These six newcomers cover the gamut, from Mexican pizza and Jewish deli pop-ups, to a food hall nailing cuisine from Africa to the Middle East.
— Vietnamese Chef Legend Charles Phan’s New SF Sandwich Shop: Chuck’s Takeaway.
— Support Our Beloved Wine Countries: Guerneville Edition.
— 6 New Spots Worth Visiting, Cafe, Bar & Food Truck Edition: These six newer spots include two Brazilian go-tos, a winning bottle shop and arcade/game bar with food.
— Distiller Bottle Column: I review aquavit, Japanese whisky, Cognac, tequila, non-alcoholic aperitif, aperitivo, gin, Irish and American whiskies, RTDs (canned/bottled cocktails, hard kombucha, non-alcoholic beer).
Published March 1, 2022 at Distiller Magazine, my bottle column covers trends and reviews international spirits and RTDs, with taste ratings (last month’s column here): — New Alchemy Distilling Fylleangst Aquavit (El Dorado Hills, CA) — Sazerac de Forge & Fils “Finest Original” Cognac (Cognac, France)— El Pintor Blanco (Tequila, Mexico)— Ortolan Rosolio (Berkeley, CA)— Mulholland Spirit of Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)— Philadelphia Distilling’s Bluecoat Gin for Seltzer (Philadelphia, PA)— Martini & Rossi Non-Alcoholic… Read more →