Reviewed in this article:
—Modern Afghani Gamechanger: Jaji, Oakland
—Next-Level Sports Bar (and I’m Not into sports): Splash
—Ferry Building’s Latest Delights: Lunette, El Porteno, Ocean Malasadas
—Honduran-Yucatecan Heartwarmer: Catrachita Yucateca
—Glitzy Korean Steakhouse: AB Steak
—New Vegetarian Dishes Delight: Tiya
—14 & (Still) Fabulous: State Bird Provisions
—Tiny Cajun & Creole Go-to on The Hill: Po’Boy’s Kitchen Read more →
Reviewed in this article:
—Intimate Michelin Star Spot Turns Two Years Old: Anomaly
—Better Than Ever Austrian Treasure: Leopold’s
—Peruvian Brunchin’ with Live Music: Altamirano
—Donuts, Donuts, Donuts: George’s Donuts & Merriment,
—A New Creperie: Bistro La Chaumière
—Ping Pong & Games with Solid Food: SPIN San Francisco Read more →
Bon Délire debuted in October 2024 along the Embarcadero from restaurateur Kais Bouzidi, who owns Sens and Barcha. Whereas his Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurants are directly correlated to his North African roots and Tunisian father, this newcomer nods to his childhood on tiny Ile Saint-Louis, the island where Notre-Dame Cathedral sits in the middle of Paris. It also nods to his French mother, who ran a creperie. Read more →
A tough reservation to snag ever since it opened in 2018 in San Francisco’s Western Addition neighborhood, Che Fico remains a destination for chef David Nayfeld’s inspired pastas and unique take on pizzas with sourdough crust done in certified Neapolitan style.
I wrote of the restaurant being reborn in pandemic, then in November 2023, their gorgeous Menlo Park location opened, along with Che Fico Mercato, a market, wine shop and gelateria. Now there is a fourth entrant — and third restaurant — in the growing Che Fico family. Nayfeld and Matt Brewer of Back Home Hospitality opened Che Fico Pizzeria in Thrive City October last year; part of a growing web of new restaurants surrounding the Chase Center. Read more →
Change is hard, especially when a beloved restaurant, Gozu, morphs into something entirely new: The Wild, starting September 2024. Read more →
These newcomers or new menus cover the gamut, from Peruvian to pizza. Alongside my latest restaurant reviews, these seven are also worth visiting: Read more →
Published October 11, 2024, in my Medium column: For a lifetime I’ve been in love with American Southern food. Its ranges and its comforts, from Low Country to Creole or Cajun, and don’t even get me started on barbecue. Over two decades, I’ve taken countless road trips and repeat visits across the South to study its cuisines and its music. So it… Read more →
Japan is a land that perfects each native dish with restaurants entirely devoted to one item, from comforting okonomiyaki to delicately fried tempura. And often at a handful of seats in a tiny space. Enter Sobakatsu, a closet-sized restaurant with a max of 11 seats, no reservations and a sole focus on cold and hot soba, Japan’s silky, thin buckwheat noodles that are friendly to all gluten-free-ers. Read more →
Raving about Merchant Roots’ wildly-changing, eight-seat dinners since chef Ryan Shelton launched the first themed menu in January 2019, I’ve felt this magical team and concept should have a Michelin star and more, though they are Michelin-recommended, thankfully. But it’s a whole “new bag” for the clever restaurant as they’ve just moved to a far larger, 4,500-square-foot space in SoMa, debuting August 23, 2024: Read more →
Little Original Joe’s in the Marina has been a full house from the get-go in May. This is the latest outpost from siblings John and Elena Duggan, who have carried on the family’s long-standing tradition of Italian-American comfort food with a modern twist. Known for running the iconic Original Joe’s and its spots in North Beach, Daly City and West Portal, the Duggans have turned their focus to this stylish Marina location, bringing the same warmth that’s kept their other spots buzzing. What’s the “secret sauce” making the Duggan’s restaurants beloved? Read more →