My latest article for The Bold Italic, published April 30, 2021 (my regular Bold Italic articles here), covers 5 of Japantown’s best (the very first and one of only a couple Japantowns left in the nation):
Category: Featured Neighborhood
Rediscover Polk Street: Eat, Drink, Shop & The Arts
Published in the January-February 2020 issue of Haute Living Magazine, my feature on where to eat, drink, shop and view art on Polk Street. MY HAUTE LIVING ARTICLES— Wine Country Inns with Exceptional Dining (& Growing Their Own Produce) here.— A visionary San Francisco bar manager combining spirits and wine… in the same glass here.— Dining & drink in Toronto and the… Read more →
One Block: Valencia Street
Published by Where Traveler (my other Where articles here) in the October 2019 print issue, my “One Block” article on where to eat, drink, shop and take in art on Valencia Street in SF’s Mission District: — EAT: AL’s Deli, Media Noche, Dosa on Valencia— DRINK: The Beehive, Wildhawk, Bon Voyage— SHOP: 826 Valencia, Dog-Eared Books, 1-2-3-4 Go! Records— VIEW: Artists’ Television Access,… Read more →
Interviewing Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu’s & Talking SF Chinatown — at KCET Los Angeles
Published November 28, 2018, in conjunction with a TV episode on the same subject, my article for KCET in Los Angeles on San Francisco’s historic Chinatown, legend Cecilia Chang, Mister Jiu’s and chef Brandon Jew, China Live, The Wok Shop, America’s first Chinatown’s past, present and future: www.kcet.org/shows/the-migrant-kitchen/the-ever-shifting-future-and-flavor-of-san-franciscos-chinatown Chinatown In one study both men and women who were having difficulties… Read more →
UNION SQUARE: What to Eat Downtown
So you have to meet up downtown. Whether dining with a visiting friend or colleague or needing a meal pre or post downtown event, here are five newcomers and longtimers serving worthwhile dishes near meetup central, Union Square. THE CAVALIER, SoMa (360 Jessie Street between 5th & 4th, 415-321-6000) A fox hunting mural, riding artwork, red and black banquettes, taxidermied… Read more →
The Best of Upper Haight & Cole Valley
I’m constantly asked what my favorite restaurant is. It’s an impossible question. Inquire about my favorite taqueria, German, tea house, French bistro, and I’m ready to talk. There’s a favorite for every style and mood in a metropolitan, dense city such as ours. My current home is on the cusp of Haight-Ashbury and Cole Valley, which, like every neighborhood in… Read more →
Hayes Valley Rising
Hayes Valley has gone through multiple rebirths, from its pre-’89 quake days under the shadow of freeway ramps, to its age as shoe and boutique shopping destination. The addition of Patricia’s Green in recent years brought a communal gathering place to the neighborhood, tying together north and south of Hayes Street in a cohesive strip of green. For years, Hayes… Read more →
Outer Richmond, Part Two
Here’s a link to Outer Richmond, Part One. Now let’s hit more of my favorites in the wealth of cheap, tasty Outer Richmond food: BRUNCH Cliff House Bistro: This one isn’t cheap and the location is notoriously touristy as it is historical, perched on the edge of the sea. But since the remodel a couple years ago, when faced with the need… Read more →
Outer Richmond, Part One
You’re out in the ‘wilds’ of the Richmond, near the ocean or the Presidio, in the middle of housing grids where restaurants are infrequent and predominantly Asian. But there’s way more to the Outer Richmond than its fabulous array of authentic, cheap Asian food. Like just about every neighborhood in the city, Outer Richmond holds treasures aplenty, varied and affordable… Read more →
Unsung Portola
When I mention Portola as an SF neighborhood, most locals look confused. Like me, you probably don’t spend a lot of time eating south of Bernal Heights. But I’ve kept quiet for too long about two gems full of dingy charm on San Bruno Avenue. In the midst of Asian food hole-in-the-walls, fast food joints, banks and ethnic markets, lies… Read more →