I sample dozens of spirits, wines, beers and beyond in any given month. If there are tasting events (and there are), then multiply that a few times. I am working on perfecting spitting… and, yes, some tastes rise above others. Here, I share three (or less) sips in varying categories that rose above others: COCKTAILS ALEMBIC, – Alembic‘s Georgia Mud… Read more →
“What she [M.F.K. Fisher] may not have realized was how paying such great attention to her senses would change her. Knowing she would write home about almost everything she ate and saw, she became increasingly observant.” – Anne Zimmerman, “An Extravagant Hunger: The Passionate Years of M.F.K. Fisher” Savoring the current warm, clear nights, Spring is in full force, and… Read more →
After a dreamy week in Hawaii, I have a slew of recommendations to share with you, which will be a multi-part series. This time around, I focus on street food and the KCC farmers market in Honolulu, then food on Oahu’s fabulous North Shore, surfing capitol of the world. HONOLULU Street Carts & Farmers Market KCC Farmers Market – The… Read more →
Top Tastes is not a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether). Instead, I write about the best eats since my last newsletter, often from new openings. I’ve been eating at new openings like Taco Libre and Craw Station (a worthy stop for bags of spicy crawfish/mudbugs), returning to places like Oakland’s Hibiscus, Skool, Emilia’s Pizzeria in Berkeley, Zero Zero,… Read more →
COCKTAILS ZERO ZERO, SoMa (826 Folsom, between 4th & 5th, 415-348-8800) – Zero Zero’s gracious bar manager, Joel Teitelbaum, recently integrated new Spring cocktails on his menu and there are a number of highlights. For those who think they don’t like cognac, here is a ‘gateway’ cocktail: Purple Chandelier ($10), featuring VS cognac from one of my favorite cognac houses,… Read more →
There’s always fine pours to be had at the (12th) annual Whiskies of the World (a.k.a. WoW) — held March 26th — particularly from smaller distilleries. Bourbon, rye, scotch, Japanese and Irish whiskies all flow freely. As I said in my coverage last year when it was held at Hotel Nikko, the downside was tight, body-to-body crowds. This year, that… Read more →
1. Local story – Yes, Don Pilar is actual tequila, which means it must be made in Jalisco, Mexico (in the Lowlands and Highlands around the town of Tequila. Now that we have that out of the way, I want to highlight that Don Pilar (aka Jose Pilar Contreras) is a local, Bay Area entrepreneur and all-around, Mexican-American success story.… Read more →
“… the sun started to set and we lit the paper bag luminaria, which burned soft glowing amber, punctuating the meadow and the night, and the lamb was crisp-skinned and sticky from slow roasting, and the root beer was frigid and it caught, like an emotion, in the back of my throat.“ – Gabrielle Hamilton, “Blood, Bones & Butter” In… Read more →
My January jaunt to LA yielded a number of discoveries from mediocre to delightful – here’s a rundown: Latest & Hottest A-FRAME, Culver City – I hit A-Frame, Roy Choi’s (of Kogi Korean taco truck fame) latest restaurant, just a few weeks after it opened. How could I not love the converted IHOP with a-frame shape and outdoor patio punctuated… Read more →
Top Tastes is not a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether). Instead, I write about the best eats since my last newsletter, often from new openings. MID-RANGE NOMBE, Mission – I was sad to see Nick Balla leave Nombe for another place I love, Bar Tartine. Not because I’m not excited about the Eastern European slant he’s bringing there,… Read more →