Getting lost amid the canals and museums of Amsterdam is mesmerizing. As with many cities of the world, Amsterdam is experiencing a food revival with new restaurants, markets and bars cropping up everywhere (read my food/dining recommends here). In terms of “craft” cocktails or the cocktail renaissance of the past decade plus, one does not find even close to the… Read more →
“You may have the universe, But let Italy remain mine.” – from Attila, music by Giuseppe Verdi, libretto by Temistocle Solera It’s been an unreal few weeks – from Italy, Austria, Switzerland, to a whirlwind trip to Galicia, Spain, I return to family visiting for the holidays, cooking a Southern-Asian-inspired Thanksgiving feast with many of the recipes from Smoke &… Read more →
2012 was an excellent year in cookbooks, holding in its months treasures like Nancy Singleton Hachisu’s inspiring Japanese Farm Food, Lonely Planet’s comprehensive Food Lover’s Guide to the World, the Middle Eastern mash-up from Sami Tamimi and Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem, Photographer Todd Selby’s artful masterpiece, Edible Selby, or Magnus Nilsson’s fairytale ode to rustic Swedish cooking, Faviken. 2013 has likewise… Read more →
FOG CITY, Embarcadero (1300 Battery St. between Broadway St. & Pacific Ave; 415-982-2000) What’s old is new again… or in the case of the completely revamped Fog City, the legendary former diner manages to offer food gourmet enough for locals and foodies, yet approachable enough for tourists and non-foodies. With booths now lining both sides of the restaurant, Embarcadero views are… 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 →
“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” – Federico Fellini Having just left Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region (where Fellini hails from, which inspired the quote), I then traveled to Austria and am now in Switzerland, a return to three countries I love dearly. Though I am sad to leave Europe, I am carrying back the inspiration and rejuvenation gained here.… Read more →
Oaxaca is more an experience of the senses than merely a place. It’s magic. Officially my favorite place in all of Mexico, it’s a small, ancient city rich with atmosphere, the smell of spices permeating the air, baskets everywhere piled high with mole blends or chapulines (fried grasshoppers). Hundreds of years old churches, live bands and street carts enliven cobblestone… 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 →
Exploring mezcal distilleries with bartenders and staff from the fantastic Los Siete Misterios Mezcal, was one of the most unforgettable trips of my life. Besides amazing days in Mexico City (read more here) and the enchanting town of Oaxaca (more here), I had unreal experiences at distilleries where Los Siete Misterios’ different mezcal varietals are produced – there are six… Read more →
No doubt about it: gin has had a year. Small batch producers are sprouting up in greater numbers than ever – in the US but also the UK. Though Bay Area local, Old World Spirits, made waves with their barrel aged gin, Rusty Blade, years ago, the aged gin trend has taken off, with even legendary Beefeater (who I had… Read more →