A six-day-a-week modern Mediterranean waterfront restaurant that serves quality food, cocktails, wine and is open for lunch and dinner on the Embarcadero? Open at the tail end of January 2024, Alora fits that bill… and fits it with surprising affordability compared to the average downtown newcomer. Amid a number of mezze (shared small plates), only a duck liver mousse exceeds $20, while larger plates hover $25 to $39 and only two beef dishes above that. Read more →
Reviewed this issue:
— Silvio Carta vermouths
— St. George Spirits Valley Gin
— Kapriol Gin Artigianiale Italiano
— Alma del Jaguar Tequila
— Traverse City Whiskey Co. Old Fashioned & Cherry Old Fashioned
— High Wire Distilling Company Whiskies … and more Read more →
Published June 25, 2024, in my Medium column: This month, I review five notable restaurants and three luxurious-yet-relaxed resorts across Sonoma County, all resorts with remodels and two of them with notable restaurants. The restaurants range from high to low, sushi omakase tasting menu to order-at-the-counter Lebanese food. Here, eight places worth visiting now for a day trip or overnights in ever-magical… Read more →
Reviewed this issue:
— Tso’Ok Rum
— Sausalito Liquor Co. Marin Coastal Gin
— Balcones Mirador Eclipse American Single Malt
— Gracias a Dios Tobala and Tepextate Mezcal
— Casalú Rum Seltzers
— Waterford Whisky Peated Cuvée “Fumo”
and more… Read more →
Published in American Whiskey Magazine Spring 2024 in the print issue, a glimpse of the article: Read more →
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 →
Reviewed in this article:
—So Brilliant, This 2 Michelin Should Be 3: Lazy Bear
—Still Shining in Its New Era: Saison
—Back to its Original Format but Refreshed: Lord Stanley 2.0
—Seafood & Drink Glories Like No Other: Aphotic
—Asian Art Museum-Inspired: Gilda’s Salon Dinners at the Proper Hotel Read more →
San Francisco’s limitless brunch options can reach religious fervor here with long waits for no-reservation spots. Here are 10 restaurants that (mostly) take reservations, across a range of cuisines and price levels. All offer something to please mom, from colorful cocktails to heartwarming dishes (and they’re great brunch options any time of the year!) Read more →
Reviewed this issue:
— Amante 1530 aperitif
— Tenango Rum
— Juliette Peach Liqueur
— Grown Folks seltzer
— Meikle Tòir whisky
and more… Read more →
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 →