It was 10 years ago that I spent a month in England, a country I felt immediately at home in. Returning to the incomparable London last month certainly revealed changes – most for the better, including the ignited culinary and cocktail scene (I covered cocktails last issue). Maybe it wasn’t as devastatingly amazing as some claimed (and produce still falls… Read more →
There’s not enough Cuban food in the Bay Area. No, this is (thankfully) not Miami with its close proximity to Cuba and, therefore, plethora of Cuban food. But I wouldn’t trade the vibrant cuisines we are swimming in for anything. It’s with joy I speak of a new Cuban cafe, Cana, in Oakland. Pretty much a walk-up counter with one… Read more →
I’m always reading – often not related to food or drink (give me poetry, classic literature, non-fiction, memoirs, religion and philosophy – I devour it all). But on the imbibing front, there are ever intriguing reads and resources to share… Food Mission Street Food: Recipes and Ideas from an Improbably Restaurant – Anthony Myint & Karen Leibowitz Leave it to… Read more →
“Those two short months in another country and another language had recalibrated my inner compass in ways that lingered with me… I was aware, above all, and at long last, that the world was a broad and grand place and that I was equal to and worthy of my surroundings wherever I went. I was also aware that no one,… Read more →
THREE to WATCH Here’s two new places that just opened, showing a lot of promise… and one that keeps getting better. Sexy, ’70’s foodie lounge: CHAMBERS EAT+DRINK, Tenderloin (601 Eddy Street at Polk, 415-829-2316) The Phoenix Hotel has long exuded rock star hipness. Its prior restaurant was more bar than food destination… and it really wasn’t memorable on the drink… Read more →
Twenty-five bars across multiple areas, from Notting Hill to Hoxton… I did some serious exploring of London’s famed cocktail scene, from cutting-edge experimentation to divey comfort, legendary classics to just-opened destinations. I sipped with cocktail luminaries like Nick Strangeway over dinner at Hix, and imbibed incognito. As I dig into the scene in any city I travel, here’s my take-aways… Read more →
Intimate and focused, there’s nothing like hearing from and tasting with a winemaker directly. Last issue, I met with three Napa/Sonoma winemakers. This issue, it’s two European ones from the unparalleled regions of Bordeaux and Kamptal. Look (or ask) for these wines in local wine shops. LAURENZ V., Austria – Technically Laurenz, the 5th (but read as Laurenz Five), Laurenz… Read more →
Ever a fan of a civilized (and delicious) respite for afternoon tea, here are two wildly divergent new options: Gourmands Pop-up Tea: KETTLE WHISTLE at Burritt Room through October, 417 Stockton Street (at Sutter), 415-400-0500 On the last Saturday of every month through October (other dates and locations may happen beyond), Kettle Whistle launched its inaugural tea this past Saturday… Read more →
“Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.” – Langston Hughes I am off to London, then Ireland, for two weeks of exploring restaurants, distilleries, cocktail havens, pubs, the Irish countryside, theaters, bookshops, and seeing old (and new) friends. As I won’t be back before… Read more →
There’s not enough knowledge around sustainable fish… just ask anyone who knows anything about it. The majority of Americans eat whatever is on a menu with little to regard to where it’s sourced, its health properties (or lack thereof), unaware if the creature they are eating is endangered. I was privileged to attend a recent intimate round-table discussion with Peru’s… Read more →