MIKKELLER BAR, Tenderloin (34 Mason St. between Turk and Market, 415-984-0279) In the heart of the Tenderloin and a couple short blocks from Union Square, Mikkeller Bar has soft-opened, a boon for beer aficionados and fans of the beloved Copenhagen brewery. But this bar and restaurant is not a replica of Mikkeller Bar in Copenhagen. Opened by Chuck Stilphen, founder… Read more →
With America’s Cup in full swing, Team New Zealand represents with a pop-up restaurant, and visiting New Zealand chefs, one who shared NZ specialties during SF Chefs. As part of the forward-thinking design of America’s Cup Park, Waiheke Island Yacht Club is a New Zealand pop-up restaurant in historic Pier 29, open through December. Walking into the pier structure, there’s… Read more →
“Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.” – James Baldwin In my beloved New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail during the sultry heat of summer on the Gulf, I savor the joys of home as I immerse in the glories of the South. Here’s my latest at Spoonwiz and Liquor.com… Read more →
THE PALACE, Outer Mission (3047 Mission St. between 26th and Capp, 415-666-5218) Think spruced-up dive, a corner restaurant long housing Palace Family Steak House, where Mission and 26th Streets meet Cesar Chavez. It’s now called simply The Palace. Here Chef Manny Torres Gimenez and wife/General Manager Katarina showcase Gimenez’ five-course tasting menu for a reasonable $50, or a small a… Read more →
AQUITAINE, Financial District (175 Sutter St. between Lick Place & Kearny St., 415-402-5290) We lost San Francisco’s great, historic spirits shop, John Walker & Co. But the former storefront has been reinvented in what could have been just another wine bar. One-month-old newcomer, Aquitaine, is a stand-out wine bar and restaurant, transporting me straight to Europe. Opened by Michelin-starred chef extraordinaire, Laurent… Read more →
While any quality spirit should be enjoyed all year round, rum carries the island breezes of summer in its cane sugar and/or molasses nectar. In honor of rum and summer, here are seven rum cocktails currently on menus around town… each one capturing the celebratory simplicity of the long days of summer. —— ALEMBIC’s 30-Day Notice ($11) Alembic’s 30-Day Notice,… Read more →
Driving north up Highway 1 along the Sonoma Coast to Jenner feels worlds away from San Francisco or even “typical” Wine Country towns. Though I’ve lived in the Bay Area over 12 years, weekending and day-tripping in remote towns all over, I had not driven this stretch of coast further north from Bodega Bay, well south of Mendocino. As with… Read more →
“I remembered that the real world was wide, and that a varied field of hopes and fears, of sensations and excitements, awaited those who had courage to go forth into its expanse…” – Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre July is here… and the year is already half over. Didn’t it just begin? I’m excited to be part of a just-launched website, Spoonwiz,… Read more →
There’s only a few places in the country where one can find fried Neapolitan pizza, a twist on Italy’s perfect pies. There’s Forcella and La Montanara in NYC, and now A16 Rockridge. Even in Naples, there are few restaurants making this style of pizza. The owners of A16, included Wine Director/Sommelier Shelley Lindgren, fell in love with fried pizza in… Read more →
MEXICAN TALES: 5 New Mexican Spots Article & Photos by Virginia Miller Mexican food of all regions and categories is not only commonplace in California, it’s essential to our culture, intertwined as we are with our Mexican heritage. One can find Mexican food of every stripe across this massive state, whether San Francisco’s vibrant Mission District taquerias, the farming communities… Read more →