Rum bears a rough and tumble history, whether as the Royal Navy’s spirit of choice, or on a grim note, benefiting from the slave trade. Despite its dark days, rum thrives as the spirit of the Caribbean where, along with Latin America, the majority of the world’s rum is produced. Legend swirls throughout rum’s history, as with the story of… Read more →
Two unrelated seafood restaurants have quietly undergone chef and menu changes in the last year. Less than impressed with both when they debuted, they’ve taken a turn for the better. There’s a low-key Mission seafood outpost with a vegan emphasis, Weird Fish, now Dante’s Weird Fish, and a Financial District restaurant catering to the FiDi set, Georges, with upscale-casual seafood.… Read more →
Last issue we journeyed through six newer cocktail destinations in Chicago – with a little food. This time, its food highlights from my recent Chi-town travels – sometimes with cocktails. Listing stand-out places or dishes, first I recap coffee, tamales and deep dish explorations. Though Intelligentsia Coffee was launched here in 1995 by San Francisco transplants Doug Zell and Emily… Read more →
“… Renaissance means “rebirth”, a rebirth of faith in our potential, a belief that what we do matters. For cultures, as for individuals, when we reach out courageously to express our ideals, our lives blossom into new possibilities.” – Diane Dreher, Your Personal Renaissance As this goes out, I am flying to Hawaii for the first half of November –… Read more →
One Night Only: SWEDEN’s MAGNUS NILSSON & SF’s DANIEL PATTERSON Cook Together at COI Photos and article by Virginia Miller Food lovers in the know are well aware of Chef Magnus Nilsson and his restaurant Faviken Magasinet in the furthest reaches of northern Sweden, the small restaurant causing the biggest food magazines in the world to trek hours from… Read more →
Sushi bars proliferate around SF with two more brand new spots on Russian Hill and in the Mission. ELEPHANT SUSHI, Russian Hill (1916 Hyde St., between Green St. & Delgado Pl., 415-440-1905) Think of Elephant Sushi as on “island time” (read: chilled out) and you’ll enjoy your experience all the more. Reminiscent of early days at the original Sushi Bistro… Read more →
Clearly we can’t get enough chocolate. As chocolatiers continue to proliferate around the country, we are blessed with an endless wealth of fine chocolate to choose from. Tirelessly sampling chocolates from every possible corner of the world, including every city and country I travel in, there are standouts from numerous angles, some perfecting a certain truffle, others a pure bean-to-bar… Read more →
The nuances and clean lines of Japanese cuisine have long intrigued. I grew up during East Coast days with my lifelong best friend, who is half Japanese, discovering authentic cuisine in her home and around New York City, fondly recalling the first time I had sushi, okonomiyaki and sake, shabu-shabu in Manhattan. SF boasts one of few Japantowns in the… Read more →
For years it seemed no one could talk Chicago cocktail bars without the subject centering almost solely around Violet Hour. Though I preferred cocktails and service at the Drawing Room, there wasn’t the selection of artisan cocktail bars three years ago that there is now. The following six places are all new since my last visit to Chicago, all with solid… Read more →
“My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night; but ah, my foes, and oh, my friends – it gives a lovely light!” – Edna St. Vincent Millay Fall is full with tastes and exploration as I journey on a few press trips not far from the Bay Area – to the Diestel family turkey farm near… Read more →