The notable restaurant openings of August were Roma Antica (friendly with almost all staff from Italy), Madcap in Marin, Ardiana in Noe Valley (love their brown butter heirloom tomato salad), Khamsa (below), Kitchen 335 in Healdsburg, Mamanoko (formerly Mamacita), Kuma Sushi & Sake (sunny, straightforward sushi spot), Perle Wine Bar in Oakland, another Proposition Chicken in Oakland, Top Round Roast Beef… Read more →
The first of my weekly Time Out column digs into four top Bay Area Spanish restaurants, from a vibrant newcomer (Barcino), to two longtime greats (Contigo, Canela), to one downtown Napa treasure (La Taberna)… No over medication – no erection problem at all Brush Your Teeth Most of us are not aware of that there is no need of taking… Read more →
Trying well over 100 dishes in July alone — from San Francisco to Albuquerque, New Mexico — here are my 7 standout dishes of the month. 1. Duna’s Farmer’s Cheese Spatzle Here’s my review and details on brand new Duna from the ever-talented Bar Tartine chef duo of Nick Balla and Cortney Burns. Their near perfect spatzle doused in fresh… Read more →
Well over 100 dishes tried in June alone, from San Francisco to Louisville, KY, Portland to Oregon’s Willamette Valley — here are the seven standout dishes of the month. 1. August 1 Five’s Green Crepe (Pesarattu), SF One of my top new restaurants of 2016 — and my favorite of the flush of Modern Indian restaurants to hit SF in… Read more →
Every month I cover the top new openings out of all restaurants and bars that have opened that month in the Bay Area (as I visit almost all of them — recent months here). Often these are mid-range or affordable, but sometimes a new opening is a “cheap eats” kind of gem but not necessarily one of the top 2-5… Read more →
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. Just like the four “best kept secret” restaurants I recently told you about, these three San Francisco restaurants have garnered new chefs in recent months, and with them, fresh life. All three are worth a revisit as their chefs innovate and serve damn great dishes. Here’s what’s… Read more →
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. San Francisco/the Bay Area has long been a bread capitol, whether turn of the 19th century when SoMa was lined with bakeries on most blocks, to the trailblazing days of SF’s “bread revolution” in the 1970s-80s when pioneers like Acme Bread in Berkeley led the nation’s return… Read more →
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. 2016 held steady with many notable new Bay Area restaurants. We lost some greats and said hello to many newcomers, with the heaviest category dose being hardcore Japanese restaurants, whether Tokyo-style edomae sushi temples or pristine kaiseki, fine dining restaurants. A number of the top new openings… Read more →
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. As I cover the standout new openings every month, there are a number of new restaurants that are welcome neighborhood go-tos serving food needed in that ‘hood, often at reasonable prices. In Napa, Oakland and San Francisco, here are five such new restaurants worth visiting. A Sleek… Read more →
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. The most notable restaurant and bar openings of September were Old Devil Moon, Nomica, Maybeck’s (essentially a renamed Spaghetti Bros.), Mezcalito, Eva’s Waterfront in Oakland and the delightful joys of Taiwanese snow at Powder. Here are my top three newcomers of the month… and why they stand… Read more →