With my brother and sister-in-law living there for years, I’ve been exploring Denver (plus Boulder, Fort Collins, Aspen, Breckenridge and beyond) for some time now, savoring the riches available in Colorado food and drink. With my five top new food destinations this visit here (recommends over past years here), these are the top five new bars that have opened since… Read more →
This article was first published in two parts (one and two) at Table8 where I am national editor. Chicago ever remains one of the country’s great food towns. My recent return to visit family, friends and attend the James Beard Awards and surrounding activities as a judge, of course, yielded more worthwhile spots in a range of prices and categories.… Read more →
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. More on Chicago food recommends here. Chicago ever remains a great drinking town. My recent return to visit family, friends and attend the James Beard Awards, yielded more worthwhile spots. I appreciate the vibe and the gracious service at Tiki favorite, Lost Lake, especially post-fire with their… Read more →
Philadelphia is definitely a food lover’s town and my recent explorations just began to scratch the surface. The cocktail scene is smaller, especially compared to other cities of this size, a bit behind or not in keeping with other cities of this size or such a palate for great food. But what is here is strong, vibrant and growing. Unless… Read more →
Like many a US city these days, Third Wave coffee has taken over Philadelphia. No longer relegated to the pioneering West Coast that launched this wave as far back as the 1960’s when Peet’s first opened in Berkeley, CA, Philly has had its own key pioneer since 1994: La Colombe. When even NYC was still a wasteland for great coffee — not… Read more →
My May 26th Oakland Magazine feature article ran in both June print issues of Oakland and Alameda Magazines, covering two romantic escapes in Beverly Hills and on the beach in Santa Monica as well as where to eat and drink nearby. My other Oakland and Alameda Magazine articles include going well beyond wine in the Willamette Valley with beer, spirits, ciders,… Read more →
Philadelphia is as much the food lover’s town as you’ve heard — or maybe you haven’t and need to get schooled. There are some seriously fantastic eats here, whether you’re going old school and hunting for cheesesteaks or hitting up some of the best Middle Eastern and hip, Jewish-influenced restaurants in the country. While the cocktail scene has a few… Read more →
This article was originally published here at Food Republic on May 19, 2016: With its waterside setting, educated demographics and crisp, New England weather, Boston has long been a draw for seafood, historic restaurants and even claims key 1960’s years when California-born Julia Child lived in Cambridge, where she researched and tested recipes from her years in France. Despite even… Read more →
As I continue to call out OC food gems (more here) from a County I partly grew up in — but one known more for its chain restaurant blandness and mall-mentality than its culinary gems — here are a few more places worth seeking out in the endless, freeway-laced suburbs of LA. PLAYGROUND, Santa Ana Yes, I finally made it… Read more →
Last month, I wrote a Zagat feature article on hot, newer restaurants in Hawaii, including a number of standouts during my fantastic 2 weeks in December on Oahu and Kauai to end 2015. In my Zagat feature, I cover a number of recommended restaurants — The Pig & the Lady (my top choice), Pint + Jigger, Mud Hen Water, Koko… Read more →