SAN CARLOS THE REFUGE – Much has already been said about the famed pastrami at San Carlos’ Belgian bar and hearty sandwich/burger spot, The Refuge. Jan Newberry of San Francisco magazine rightly lists it as one of the best in her sandwich guide. All I can say, is get there if you haven’t. These are among the best of these… Read more →
There may be other Bay Area concert winery venues (Mountain Winery, for example), but none like family-owned Wente Vineyards in Livermore. Run by the same family for five generations and set on a 3000 acre expanse of golden rolling hills and vineyards, Wente is managed by delightfully down-to-earth family members who keep the business alive, yes, with wine-making, but also… Read more →
COMMIS, Oakland Commis is Oakland’s shining star of culinary excellence and experimentation since James Syhabout put it on the map with multiple awards as Best New Chef in Food & Wine magazine, among countless other accolades since it opened in Summer 2009. There isn’t much new I could add to the din, other than to share dinner highlights on my… Read more →
HEALDSBURG SPOONBAR – I could write a piece on the cocktails alone at brand new Spoonbar in the h2hotel off of Healdsburg’s town square. You’ve already heard me mention Scott Beattie many times over the years. He truly is one of our country’s great bartenders and his cocktail menu at Spoonbar is a revelation. Yes, you’ll get waylaid by the… Read more →
BRICK & BOTTLE55 Tamal Vista BoulevardCorte Madera, CA 94925415-924-3366www.brickandbottle.com I’ve followed chef Scott Howard’s various restaurants over the years, from his stint in San Francisco at self-named Scott Howard restaurant, to Five in Berkeley. He recently returned to his home county where he started it all (at Fork) with Brick & Bottle. It’s essentially in a shopping mall in Corte… Read more →
Despite the suburban setting, the spirit of servers and food is authentically Italian at San Mateo’s Acqua Pazza. Owned by three Rosano brothers (out of nine children!) from Naples, they brought their Mama’s own recipes from Italia, as well as technique learned at Naples’ Scuola Albergheria and Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Vong in London. Amalfi Coast photography lines the hallway and the dining… Read more →
OAKLAND Encuentro – One of three owners behind this new-ish Oakland vegetarian is Millennium exec chef, Eric Tucker, long a standard-maker in vegetarian cuisine. The food here is inventive, even if portions are tiny. Just a few blocks off Jack London Square, the high-ceilinged space is modern and airy, though a little stiff (as is service, in some ways), but… Read more →
“I imagine heaven to be a lot like spring in Sonoma.” – Herb Caen SANTA ROSA Rosso Pizzeria – Let’s just get right to it: this is some of the best pizza in the Bay Area, and certainly my favorite north of the city. And we are blessed with an array of incredible pizza. From the moment you sit down… Read more →
BERKELEY • Gather – Yes, it’s local, sustainable, organic (even the spirits, wine and beer). Though that’s happily typical in the Bay Area, I venture to say that Gather, open only since December, already operates like a hardly “typical”, fully-realized restaurant. In a large, rounded corner room, the bustling, open space is in full view of the kitchen, a muted… Read more →
FARMSTEAD, St. Helena St. Helena’s new kid on the block, Farmstead, is part of delightful Long Meadow Ranch, a welcome package of winery (tasty $42 2005 Cab), poultry farm (eggs for sale!), herb garden, grass-fed beef ranch, and olive press (LOVE their grassy, gorgeous select extra virgin olive oil, $20 – I prefer it to their $49 Prato Lungo oil).… Read more →