“Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.” — Bertrand Russell Just back, exhausted and exhilarated from Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans (event recap and Nola reviews soon to come), two of my favorite San Francisco events all year are underway. This week… Read more →
MAVERICK: Better Than Ever at 7
MAVERICK, Mission (3316 17th St. between Mission and Valencia, 415-863-3061) Opened in 2005, by modern day restaurant standards, Maverick is a longtimer. I’d posit at its 7th anniversary (July 13), it’s better than ever with new executive chef Emmanuel Eng brought on last year by owners Scott Youkilis and Michael Pierce (GM, Wine Director). In contrast to its more casual, younger sister Hog… Read more →
Wandering Traveler: Cocktail-ing in PORTLAND
Over 50 places in one week… I may not have covered all Portland this May, but I certainly made a dent. So much so that my Portland reviews are broken up in a four part series. Soaking wet half the week, I biked out to neighborhoods East, West and North with my usual (if grumpy, cold and irritable) tenacity to… Read more →
Under the Stars in GUERNEVILLE
BIG BOTTOM MARKET, 16228 Main Street, Guerneville; 707-604-7295 Amidst towering redwoods, summer heat, and parties along the Russian River is the small town of Guerneville, one of Sonoma’s most unique towns, with vibrant gay community, laid back river/woods culture, and haunting redwood state park, idyllic for a quiet forest walk. On a recent summer weekend, barbecues and live twang bands added… Read more →
In Love with Madeira
At a recent industry Vinho Madeira wine tasting at the Hotel Monaco, I sampled through a range of vintages and producers of the fortified Portuguese wine produced in the Madeira Islands. While some think sweet when they think fortified wines, I find one of the joys of Madeira is that there’s often funky, earthy notes contrasting the after dinner factor. Ranging… Read more →
July 15, 2012
“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious… He to whom this ’emotion’ is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder, or stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. His eyes are closed.” – Albert Einstein In the throes of Summer, I am about to depart for my beloved New Orleans, soon to bring… Read more →
Top Tastes: Visionary Chef Creations at Manresa & Atelier Crenn
A strong concentration of the US’s cutting-edge chefs are right here in the Bay Area. Widely acknowledged in food publications and amongst global diners, there’s been an uptick in Bay Area creativity buzz in recent years. Collaborative dinners between local chefs and with chefs from countries beyond uniquely showcase the forward-thinking cooking coming out of our region. I’ve been privileged… Read more →
Bar Talent & Rare Bourbon Barrels on 16th St.
16th Street between Valencia and Guerrero is packed with good food and longtime dive bars. As classic cocktail dens and mixology menus are the norm rather than the exception in this town, it’s easy to forget that some of our great ‘tenders continue to serve the quality drinks we crave without fuss. On this stretch of 16th, there’s two in… Read more →
Pizza Pie: The Latest Pies in Town
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 →
Talking Portland Distilleries & Winemakers
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 →