In the midst of the latest, hottest, buzzed about new openings, the greats get forgotten. Whether it’s old school classics like seafood at Tadich Grill, or arguably the best souffles in the US at Cafe Jacqueline, where Jacqueline has dedicated decades to churning out perfect souffles every night, many of our greats keep their steady following yet stay under the… Read more →
Another year, another 600+ restaurants… or that’s how many I kept track of via spreadsheet – there’s even more in actuality (YES, this is my annual average). While I’ve long been a global traveler, 2013 was the most full yet: I visited over 25 cities in 10 different countries, so weeding through best tastes is more complicated than ever. 2013… Read more →
We live in one of the great culinary cities of the world – and certainly the US – graced with many a Michelin-starred restaurant from Napa to the South Bay. While I have dined at 30 of the 38 Michelin-starred restaurants in the Bay Area, and many more around the world, I’ve recently had a heavy dose of restaurants graced… Read more →
Breakfast through dessert, here are five of the best dishes at new eateries and restaurants around San Francisco: WAFFLES at LINEA CAFFE, Mission (3417 18th St. at San Carlos) Look for the tiny, wood-walled shop behind Duc Loi, a bustling Asian grocery in the Mission, with sidewalk table seating only. You’ll find micro-batch roasted coffee from Andrew Barnett, founder of… Read more →
May these photos be a reminder of why these two restaurants are among San Francisco’s best, an impetus to return and try what are among the best dishes their chefs have created since opening. The best things improve with age. COMMONWEALTH, Mission (2224 Mission St., between 18th & 19th, 415-355-1500) Commonwealth, one of my overall top San Francisco restaurants out… Read more →
Peruvian food was long my favorite South American cuisine even before my unforgettable trip to Peru this year. Pisco cocktails – another love and one of the great gustatory pleasures of Peru. When getting my Peruvian fix, one of my favorite respites this sunny fall have been waterside brunches. Here are two spots where Bay or Pacific Ocean views invigorate… Read more →
Two Spanish meals in SF, both wildly different, both transporting… one a chic restaurant from Esquire Magazine’s just named chef of the year, one an ideal neighborhood outpost. CANELA, Castro (2272 Market St. at Noe, 415-552.3000) Canela is an ideal neighborhood Spanish restaurant, a welcoming haven for Spanish wine or olive oil flights, platters of jamon Iberico and manchego cheese.… Read more →
RUSSIAN HOME COOKING Article & Photos by Virginia Miller RED TAVERN, Outer Richmond (2229 Clement St. between 23rd & 24th Avenues, 415-666-3420) Childhood memories are richly intertwined with one of my dear girlhood friends in Southern California, a Russian whose mother and grandmother cooked meals that still haunt me. Sleeping over at her house turned into an event when her mother… Read more →
PARALLEL 37, Nob Hill (600 Stockton St. between California & Pine, 415-773-6168) When Parallel 37 first opened at the end of 2011, it looked rather corporate for the Ritz-Carlton on Nob Hill, though touches of orange, comfy couches in the bar/lounge, and elegant black and white photography of trees on the back wall warmed up the space. Closing the celebrated… Read more →
AMAWELE’S SOUTH AFRICAN KITCHEN, SoMa (Rincon Center, 101 Spear St. between Mission & Howard, 415-536-5900) There’s no “sit down” at Amawele’s South African Kitchen. In fact, it’s a counter in the Rincon Center open only during the week for lunch so unless your office is nearby, order a few items to go. Amawele is the Zulu word for “twins”, chosen… Read more →