Category: On the Town

Top 7 Tastes at Outside Lands 2023: Food and cocktails we’re ready to order again

At last year’s August 2022 Outside Lands, I wrote about the festival’s top 7 eats, five of which were back — and still great — this year, and still available locally year-round. August 11-13 impressively marked OL’s 15th anniversary, the largest independently owned music festival in the US…

From a rousing Foo Fighters show (with surprise guest Michael Bublé popping up out of the audience), to an equally spirited Janelle Monáe set, the musical lineup was varied and diverse. So was the food and drink, with highlights here, which we can order year-round locally: Read more →

Top Tastes & Events from Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience 2023

In the small downtown of Healdsburg, Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience (HWFE) just hosted its second year, May 18–21, 2023, featuring a range of events highlighting some of Sonoma County’s best food and wines. From a region that grows some of the best produce in the nation, local produce is highlighted in the food, while the Queen grape is showcased at every turn — plus a few cocktails, too.

Here were the standout tastes and events this weekend: Read more →

From Louisiana to Jordan, Turntable at Lord Stanley Showcases Global Chefs in SF

In September 2021, I wrote here about the pandemic evolution of Michelin-starred Lord Stanley into Turntable at Lord Stanley, an exciting residency for chefs from around the globe and the U.S. to showcase their beloved menus, concepts they’re working on or other collaborations with the tight and consummate Lord Stanley team. Returning this August 2022, I experienced chef Melissa M. Martin’s cooking from New Orleans’ lauded Mosquito Supper Club: Read more →

We Are Losing So Much More Than Business: What Makes America Great?

The color drained from the world. That’s how I felt as the pandemic hit and independent restaurants, bars, food and drink purveyors were forced to shutter overnight. Millions are (still) unemployed in a $1 trillion industry that’s the U.S.’ largest private sector job provider. Many already can’t afford to come back (closure estimates range up to 85% from industry experts across the nation and in this recent detailed report). But we’re losing much more than jobs. We’re losing culture it has taken decades to build. A “secret” American strength. I’ll explain.

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