Yokai is an ode to jazz with quality 1970s JBL Pro Series studio speakers and sound-proofing, making music the soul of the lofty space that was home to Salt House for years. The steel, brick and wood-lined bar and restaurant on Mission Street opened just last month, adding a feather in the caps of Marc Zimmerman, Ben Jorgensen and team behind Gozu, one of the great modern Japanese restaurants in the nation since 2019: Read more →
While many seek the bustle, party, slots and commercial lights of Vegas, I’ve never been such a person. The nearly-gone Rat Pack, old school, kitschy-glitz Vegas is much more my scene, growing up a jazz and old movie lover as a kid in the 1980s and 1990s. I don’t find much of that anymore (see Golden Steer below), even as I saw glimpses of it during my first visit to Vegas in the 1990s before the Flamingo and other great pieces of history changed their look dramatically.
Despite the exhaustion I feel even after one day of Vegas’ heat, crowds and partying, even since my 20s, there are gems worth seeking out. Here are 15 places to eat, from high to low, upscale to fast casual — and three hotels with different strengths. Read more →
Turkish food is having a moment locally, thank goodness. And from some masterful chefs. Fresh off the heels of my review of new Turkish restaurant, Meyhouse in Palo Alto, chef duo Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz opened Dalida in San Francisco on June 30, 2023, in one of the Presidio’s striking brick buildings lining the Main Parade Lawn, within eyesight of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge, surrounded by forests. Read more →
Covering Charleston this issue of Distiller Magazine, my interviews with Virgil Kaine founder/distiller David Szlam and Doar Bros.’ bar manager Stephen Blackmon: Read more →
Reviewed this issue:
— Spirit Works Distillery Sloe Amaro
— Bayou Reserve Select Barrel Rum
— Mala Mia Mezcal
— Tilden Non-Alcoholic Cocktails
— Celosa Rose Tequila
— Martha Stoumen Wine Spritzer
— Kurokame Honkaku Shochu
and 6 more Read more →
The Tenderloin’s (TL) roughly 7-by-5 blocks get a massive amount of bad press as the center of San Francisco’s worst drugs and homelessness. As it has everywhere, pandemic has made conditions worse as Tenderloin’s decades-old issues have expanded a few blocks. But the TL remains a tiny part of our ever vibrant city with top-notch food, as in every SF neighborhood. Yet due to the TL’s location next to tourist central Union Square and hotels, it gets outsized attention compared to much larger difficult neighborhoods in other U.S. cities. Read more →
From sparkling crushers to thoughtful natural wines, I’ve got 13 bottles to suit a wide range of palates, meals or occasions, including standout non-alcoholic wines, as we are in the thick of harvest season around the world. For more reviews, my summer and holiday wine recommendations. Read more →
When I first dined at Meyhouse in Sunnyvale in 2019 not long after it opened, it was the best Turkish restaurant I’d been to in the West. So when I heard they were opening their second, more elegant Palo Alto location, I was “in,” despite the 45-ish minute drive there and back from San Francisco. As often happens, the opening was delayed, but Meyhouse finally debuted August 9, 2023, in a massive space with open air windows overlooking walkable downtown Palo Alto. Read more →
THIS ISSUE:
— Adriano Paganini’s Corzetti Comes to Downtown SF: A major San Francisco restaurateur and Italy native brings new Ligurian-Italian life to Union Square.
— Absinthe Turns 25: The craft cocktail pioneer and all-day, classic French restaurant retains old school French spirit with refreshed lightness in their new menu.
— London Cocktails: My Gin Magazine guide to 9 of London’s most interesting bars now.
— Distiller Bottle Column August: This issue I review brandy, tepache, agricole rhum, mezcal, gin, Scotch whisky, tequila, port, Japanese whiskies, RTDs, and more.
— Distiller Bottle Column July: This issue I review rượu dế Vietnamese spirit, rum, Japanese whisky, gin, Scotch whisky, tequila, cider, vodka, American whiskies, and more. Read more →
Locals don’t exactly flock to downtown San Francisco in regular times, and certainly not post-pandemic as Union Square and neighboring Tenderloin are hit the hardest. But numerous changes have been bringing downtown (slowly) back. The newest is Corzetti, just opened in the new Hotel G off Union Square on August 14, 2023. Read more →