As in so many of the world’s best cities these days, coffee has risen to an art form, whether influenced by the hot, flat white-driven coffee scene in Australia, or the decades-long history of superlative coffee on the US’ West Coast (Oregon, Washinton and California), whether pulling from Italian coffee drink perfection or Japanese equipment precision (Hario, siphon, etc.) Berlin… Read more →
My Summer 2015 feature for Distiller Magazine on Los Angeles, with an 11-page print spread, my photos and article: ______________________________________Past issues (top 10 bars, local distiller and bar manager interviews in each city): Save Read more →
As I went to Aspen Food & Wine this June, I also spent a few days while in Colorado in Denver with my brother and sister-in-law, catching up on the latest in a city I’ve been talking about it for years when it comes to their ever-growing food and drink scene. I fueled up with excellent coffee at Little Owl… Read more →
A quick overnight for a U2 show (a girlhood favorite) provided one shot to eat and drink in LA for the night. While that’s always a tough call when my go-to list is continuously long, I decided to forgo the barbecue and hole-in-the-wall favorites I’ve already been to in sketchy Inglewood surrounding the Forum to check out one of the… Read more →
The OC dining wasteland that was one of the homes of my youth — a place I lived a total of 12 years of my life — is still not remotely in league with even the dining scenes of the US’ great mid-size cities. But better eats continue to pop up and increase around the massive county, which is an… Read more →
The world’s largest and most revered fish market is one of those “musts” during a visit to Tokyo. But to go with a Japanese-born sushi chef is a whole other experience, one I am grateful to have had. The Renaissance Man and I were privileged to share our morning exploration through Tsukiji Fish Market with Chef Ken Tominaga and his… Read more →
For lovers of Japanese whisky — akin to and birthed from Scotch and Scotland but entirely Japanese in its sense of balance and harmony — Yamazaki is a special whisky. Privileged as I have been to taste many variations and special casks of Yamazaki over the years, including the acclaimed 1984 and Sherry Cask bottlings, and being the whisky that… Read more →
Tokyo: not since Rome, my favorite international city outside the US, has a city captured me so wholly, immediately and fully. To arrive the first night was to plot, with the Renaissance Man, when we could return. Japan is a game changer, even for the seasoned traveler. More difficult and closed to outsiders — especially for a city with the… Read more →
Hong Kong is a fascinating city — one showcasing Chinese culture in a sophisticated, worldly way that often feels more international than it does expressly Chinese. It’s an easy city to get around in, both in terms language (English is widely spoken) and in navigation, from Hong Kong Island and Central to the short distance across the Bay to the… Read more →
Where Tokyo is expanse, towers, lights and endless depth, Kyoto is the stillness of gardens and temples bearing a silence unlike anywhere else, encompassing and lush. It’s the charm of an ancient village, shockingly intact, yet with the offerings or range of a mid-size city. Amsterdam meets Japan in Kyoto’s canals (particularly magical at night) and its temples, gardens and… Read more →