San Francisco is a pizza town. We’re obsessed with our pies, particularly the Neapolitan kind. Getting into favorites is a tricky subject as one has to dig through a sea of styles: Neapolitan, NY slice, Chicago deep dish, California creative, and so on, to begin to categorize “bests.” We won’t list all-time favorites now, but scouring joints new and old… Read more →
In my recent travels in Portland I trekked to three distilleries within city limits, two established, one brand new. My top priorities were Clear Creek and House Spirits which have been the best I’ve tasted historically of what is coming out of Oregon. I also visited brand new Bull Run Distillery near Clear Creek, boasting a retro tasting room lined… Read more →
“”If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” – Antoine de Saint Exupéry Visiting friends, family and intense deadlines… it must be summer. As I wrap up work on the 2013 Zagat restaurant guide… Read more →
FIVE PLAYFUL SUMMER DISHES Here’s five dishes that made a recent impression, from meaty, current-day classics in Oakland, at a bar brunch, and along Market Street, to fresh new joys in Palo Alto and SF – each bringing a little sunshine to the table. 15 ROMOLO – Fried Chicken Bacon Breakfast Biscuit Sandwich Brunch at one of the city’s best… Read more →
Grandaddy of the speakeasy resurgence, New York’s Milk & Honey, has been doing the menu-less thing since 2000, while places like LA’s Library Bar get their inspiration from daily-changing, farmers market produce. Two fascinating new SF bars are serving custom cocktails their own way, only able to go sans menu because of strong talent behind the bar. RIO GRANDE, Mid-Market (1108 Market… Read more →
Media hype has been high for pastry chef/owner William Werner’s new Craftsman & Wolves, a unique Mission bakery/cafe/patisserie for creative baked goods and sweets, changing sandwiches and salads, Sightglass Coffee, Naivetea, crave-inducing Valrhona drinking chocolate and (you’re hearing right) dreamy, sippable caramel made with salted butter and mini-croissant crostini to dunk. At a media preview on 6/13 a few days… Read more →
Visiting over 50 places in one week, I may have just gotten started in Portland, but I certainly made a dent. So much so that I’ll need to break this into a 4-5 part series. Here’s my restaurant list – now I cover Portland’s famous food carts, ice cream, coffee (all important), chocolate, farmers markets, bakeries and other memorable snacks.… Read more →
These eight books are new spring releases, among the best of what has landed on my desk this year. TRADITIONAL DISTILLATION: ART & PASSION – Huber Germain-Robin Anyone who knows US craft distilling knows Hubert Germain-Robin, one of the pioneers in the American craft distilling movement. He was making world class, French-style brandies (he is French, after all) since the… Read more →
Photos & Text by Andi Berlin On June 20-21, San Francisco “opened its mind, unfastened its senses” and joined Hendrick’s Gin in two evenings of unusual revelry (Hendrick’s Voyages Into The Unusual). The Scottish gin company went to great lengths to create a Victorian underworld-themed party, decking out the 100-plus year old Swedish American Hall with anthropomorphic shrubbery, taxidermied… Read more →
“Wonder rather than doubt is the root of all knowledge.” – Abraham Joshua Heschel My BBQ obsession is no secret. I’m delighted to be offering a VIP package for two (valued at $214) to you, my readers. It’s for the 2nd annual Bay Area BBQ Championship, an AFS fundraiser, on Saturday, 7/7, at Oakland Coliseum. Besides the A’s vs. Mariners game,… Read more →