There’s nothing quite like Monterey’s Restaurant 1833 in San Francisco. Yes, our city boasts fantastic food, cocktails, wine and beer lists, competitive with the best in the world. But 1833’s magical setting sets it apart, truly the whole package – and worth a drive from SF. Housed in an adobe structure from 1833 (hence the name), I was captivated by… Read more →
Two Restaurants (One Eastern European, One Basque) On the Rise Photos & article by Virginia Miller Age is good thing: for wine, whiskey, cheese, wisdom and sense of self, to name a few. Age deepens, fills out, matures, makes whole. In the scheme of things, these two restaurants are youngsters – one could hardly call them “aged”, though Bar Tartine… Read more →
HEAVEN’S DOG, 1148 Mission Street (between 7th & 8th Streets), 415-863-6008 Heaven’s Dog has been a haven for superb cocktails since it opened, with excellent bartenders like Erik Ellestad (Savoy Stomp) and pre-Prohibition era cocktails ($10 each) from Charles H. Baker’s The Gentleman’s Companion (aka Jigger, Beaker & Glass). The bar still serves Baker classics, and with new bar manager… Read more →
Call it dessert wine if you will, icewine (eiswein in German) is definitely sweet. But winemakers prefer to call it “rich and concentrated”, an apt icewine description, which, when produced well, retains enough acidity to keep it from being cloying. Icewine’s intensity comes from frozen grapes, allowing greater flavor concentration. Unlike in Sauternes, Bordeaux, icewine is not sweet from botrytis… Read more →
““Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts.” – Charles Dickens, Great Expectations March rains have hit… we didn’t get much rain this winter so it’s time. Time to contemplate and cozy up with a book, a dram, and a cherished companion. In this… Read more →
Southern food has a profound hold on me. No, I am not a Southerner. Having grown up in the Midwest, and mostly East and West coasts, it seems to be the major US region my family didn’t move to. Yet few cuisines the world over elicit in me such yearning and comfort. Whether road tripping through numerous states in the… Read more →
The lunch hour advances around town with a slew of notable openings or new lunch menus. Here are some of the best lunches from new chefs or recently opened spots (most opened in the last one to six months). NOMBE, Mission (2491 Mission St. at 21st, 415-681-7150) Nombe faced a bit of a struggle recovering from uber-talented chef Nick Balla’s… Read more →
Spending nearly half my life in Southern California, I continue to explore LA’s best foods, often miles – and hours – apart. My latest return, staying in a modern, neutral-toned suite with retro spirit at the new, peaceful respite of Hotel Wilshire, yielded more edible hits (and a miss). Last issue I explored more LA cocktail havens. This issue it’s… Read more →
Over the holidays and family visits, I branched out to a few new spots, curious if massive, suburban Orange County finally is entering the gourmet realm long ago the standard in areas far less populated. Multiple visits a year (since the days I lived here) and an exceptional meal is still quite rare. Though I finally found one intriguing cocktail… Read more →
“And one by one the nights between our separated cities are joined to the night that unites us.” – Pablo Neruda It’s been quite a week: I’ve been in Kentucky, tasting over 50 spirits a day, judging ADI’s (American Distilling Institute) annual awards. Palate fatigue, yes, but also an incredible team of judges and a confirmation that artisanal, craft spirits… Read more →