• Viader is among the finer wines in Napa… and the place to go if you can’t stand California wines and remain married to old world, French sensibilities. Tucked up in the hills of Deer Park (between St. Helena and Calistoga), it’s a wonderland of mossy oaks and stunning vistas. Last month, founder, Delia Viader’s, daughter took my small group… Read more →
SPIRITS • For someone who’s every day is a taste adventure, I will say a private Russell’s Room tasting at Bourbon & Branch of Highland Park scotches was one of the most memorable I’ve ever been privileged to be a part of. There are only two such tastings going on in the country: here and in New York. I felt… Read more →
Here’s two brand new openings I’d recommend for sipping a glass of vino: • Brave 6th Street and duck into Passion Cafe, a spacious French bistro with rooftop garden and multi-room space so cool, it’s a pleasure to linger over a glass. • I’ve been a big fan of Kitchenette’s fabulous food since they opened… so it’s an easy win… Read more →
WINE • Oh, 2006 Puligny-Montrachet, you are such a gorgeous Chardonnay… thankfully, RN74 serves you by the glass. • I was delighted by the drinkability of Angove’s Nine Vines Rose, a South Australian wine that came across my desk. A blend of 70% Grenache/30% Shiraz, it’s zesty but rich, with spicy cherry notes, light but with satisfying depth. The winemakers… Read more →
650 Gough Street 415-869-1900 www.smugglerscovesf.com I’m crazy about all things Tiki and its accompanying kitsch… which is why I’ve long been a fan of Alameda’s Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge. Martin Cate helped make that bar great with his cocktails, going beyond the usual too-sweet, one-note swill often paired with such a setting. Though he departed Forbidden Island awhile back, we’ve… Read more →
BEER • Attending a media-only Sam Adams Utopias dinner was a real treat at Monk’s Kettle on 11/19. Monk’s chef, Kevin Kroger, created a four course dinner of luxurious comfort food, each course paired (and some cooked) with a Sam Adams brew. I must digress to food for a moment: medium rare, ultra-tender Beef Tenderloin Tournedos in classic green peppercorn… Read more →
“A cocktail hath the soul of wit, it is brief. It is a jest, a bon-mot, happy thought, a gibe, a word of sympathy, a tear, an inspiration, a short prayer. ” – Sportsman/travel writer, Francis Francis in Nineteenth Century COCKTAILS • Neyah White at Nopa can always be counted on to create a superior cocktail… Nopa’s sherry cocktails are… Read more →
“Alcohol may be man’s worst enemy, but the Bible says love your enemy.” – Frank Sinatra COCKTAILS It’s a special night (10/21) at Cantina (a worthy destination any night) when New York City’s Joaquin Simo, of Death & Co, and Toby Maloney (formerly of Milk & Honey, now running culinary cocktail bars around the country, including Chicago’s one-and-only Violet Hour)… Read more →
WINE • Contigo is a fine source for experimenting with Spanish and Portuguese wines, which the staff know well. Though a crisp, white Bodegas As Laxas from Rias Baixas ($9 glass; $23 carafe; $42 bottle) certainly paired well with my meal, the one I’d hunt down is recently added Vina Valoria Crianza, a 2004 white from Rioja (10 glass; $25… Read more →
COCKTAILS • At 7×7’s Mixology Madness final competition for Best Neighborhood Bartender on 9/8 at RN74, Scott Baird of 15 Romolo, created the drink of the night, Gulf Stream Express… and rightly won. Though required to use sponsor, Skyy Vodka (their Infusions Pineapple, in this case), Scott wisely added Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon and a splash of Racer 5 IPA,… Read more →