El Mil Amores in Mission pays tribute to owner Andrea Becerra’s grandma and Mexico City roots… Read more →
Sunny, Chic New Oyster Bar with Low-ABV Cocktails & Irresistible Seafood Opening Today: Little Shucker
San Francisco is blessed with iconic oyster bars, from the one, the only Swan Oyster Depot for over a century, to the Castro’s great Anchor Oyster Bar since the 1970s. As the city that gave birth to the likes of cioppino and Crab Louie salad, these oyster houses are decidedly West Coast, often showcasing our glorious local oysters and dungeness crab. But we don’t have one like brand new Little Shucker, opening August 9, 2023, on bustling Fillmore Street. Read more →
DISTILLER Bottle Column: July 2023
Spirits reviewed this issue:
— Rượu Dế SuTi Lion 45 Vietnamese Spirit (Kennedale, Texas)
— Camikara 12 Year Aged Rum (Northern India)
— Yoichi Single Malt 10-Year-Old Whisky (Hokkaido, Japan)
— Watershed Distillery Four Peel Strawberry Flavored Gin (Columbus, OH)
and eight more… Read more →
From Sushi to Gelato: 6 New SF Food Standouts of the Month
In this article:
—Sleek New Neighborhood Sushi & Sake Stop: Kuma on Valencia
—Daily Fresh Pasta for Home Cooking: Pasta Supply Co
—Sicilian Gelato & Sweets Haven: Hila Gelato
—Massive Portions of Heartwarming Mexican Fare in Inner Richmond: Caliente Bistro
… and more
Read more →
10 Top Las Vegas Bars Now
In the Summer 2023 print issue (Vol. 19, Issue 1) of Distiller Magazine: My Distiller Magazine features since 2013 (10 bars, distiller, bar manager interviews in each city/ region): Read more →
August 1, 2023
THIS ISSUE:
— Noodle in a Haystack: Ramen-inspired tasting menu from self-taught chefs.
— Portugal’s Dining & Lodging Scene Now: And chef José Avillez’ new Casa Nossa retreat, in my VOICES magazine feature
— Che Fico is a Restaurant Reborn Post-Pandemic: They also still serve unique pastas & one of the ultimate, much-copied pineapple pizza
— New Orleans Bar Guide: My latest 10 top Nola bars guide in Gin Magazine
— Interview with Lost Spirits’ founders Bryan Davis & Joanne Haruta & distiller Mary Dempsey: My interviews with the Jammyland Bar Team in Las Vegas
Read more →
Noodle in a Haystack: Ramen-inspired tasting menu from self-taught chefs
When international fellow dining judge friends are asking me about tiny Noodle In A Haystack in my city of San Francisco, I pay attention. I was already curious but skeptical about the pricey ($185 extended menu, $130 weeknight menu) cult ramen pop-up, opened by husband-wife duo Yoko and Clint Tan in spring 2022 as their first brick-and-mortar. It’s looks abandoned: an unmarked corner space with covered-up windows and a 10-seat counter in the Inner Richmond… Read more →
Portugal’s Dining & Lodging Scene Now + Chef José Avillez’ New Casa Nossa Retreat
My interview with Portugal’s most celebrated chef, José Avillez; on Lisbon and Porto’s dining scene now; standout hotels in city and countryside across Portugal; and visiting Avillez’ and wife Sofia Ulrich’s truly unique, private new Casa Nossa retreat house in the region of Alentejo southeast of Lisbon. Read more →
Interview with Lost Spirits’ Founders Bryan Davis & Joanne Haruta + Distiller Mary Dempsey & the Jammyland Bar Team in Las Vegas
An amusement park and one-of-a-kind show-inspired distillery — that also houses an innovative fine dining restaurant… Lost Spirits shows us a new kind of distillery experience. Read more →
Che Fico is a restaurant reborn post-pandemic
Che Fico has been a special pizza, pasta and house charcuterie haven in a city that’s silly with the best in the nation in each of those categories. But despite our plethora of world-class pizza and pasta in San Francisco, chef David Nayfeld has a unique take unmatched in SF — or anywhere, for that matter. Yet the style is so very San Francisco. Che Fico has made dramatic shifts behind the scenes since pandemic. How does that translate on the plate? Read more →