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 →
Weaver’s Coffee: if you aren’t drinking it, you should be. Based in San Rafael, Weaver’s has a chill, little shop serving and selling their coffee and teas. The shop fronts their roasting facility and offices, which I had the privilege of touring recently. John Weaver, master roaster and founder, was Peet’s master roaster for over 20 years, working directly with… Read more →
Just released in early March, here are two new reads I’d recommend not only for foodies but for fans of absorbing, well-crafted memoir. Life, On the Line – Grant Achatz & Nick Kokonas When Alinea’s chef genius Grant Achatz writes a memoir, it’s destined to get buzz amongst foodies. When this visionary chef was diagnosed with stage four tongue cancer,… Read more →
Foodies, take note. If you like offal, Malaysian food, or adventurous eating, there’s a “secret” offal menu through Blackboard Eats (the offer was available on March 8th only) that runs until May 8th. It has been awhile since I visited Betelnut, though I used to frequent it in my early years of living in SF. Chef Alex Ong has been… Read more →
“When I was young and the urge to be someplace else was on me, I was assured by mature people that maturity would cure this itch… Now that I am fifty-eight perhaps senility will do the job. Nothing has worked… The sound of a jet, an engine warming up, even the clopping shod of hooves on the pavement brings on… Read more →
There continues to be a proliferation of memorable cocktails around town this Winter… THE HIDEOUT, Mission – I regretfully write about The Hideout at all – though it has been written up a couple times, it has, by-and-large, remained well under the radar. I hate to contribute to any increase of crowds but wanted to share of its joys. Open… Read more →