“I wanted to get lost and love the questions there Beauty and the truth I could breathe like air Then I finally found the signposts in a strange land.” – Sam Phillips’ song “Signposts” The new year is certainly in full swing already. My moments of solitude and reflection have been sweet but I’m already fighting to keep them in… Read more →
Visiting Bourbon Steak – Union Square
I’ve been a couple times to Michael Mina’s new Bourbon Steak in Union Square… admittedly a national chain, something I approach with caution, if at all. But, then, it’s Michael Mina. Hype, fame and all, I’ve consistently experienced great to superb meals at his flagship restaurant over the years. Bourbon Steak held some warm and fuzzy Mina moments. I almost… Read more →
Talking Breakfast, Coffee, Thai, Korean, Peruvian, Middle Eastern & More Cheap Eats
Top Tastes, rather than a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether), are among the best eats since my last newsletter, often from new openings. Many don’t make the cut, being a revisit previously written about or simply not as stand-out as dishes mentioned. A MEAL CHABAA THAI’S Pork Neck Larb, Inner Sunset – I am transported straight back to… Read more →
The 10 Best Openings of 2010
In a ridiculously rich year of new restaurant openings, the most prolific I’ve seen yet, it is harder than ever to name the top ones. There are many noteworthy places, from the “Mad Men”-esque vibe of Thermidor, to the stratospheric prices and fabulous snapping turtle veloute at Benu. Some of our best cafes (Ma’velous) and cocktail bars (Burritt Room) were… Read more →
Around the Bay: Best Bay Area Restaurant Openings 2010
In Top Tastes I list the top ten new restaurant openings of the year in San Francisco. Here I list an additional four best new Bay Area openings: one in the South Bay, two in the East Bay, one in Wine Country. In the midst of Oakland’s continued proliferation as a dining hotspot and the new downtown Napa reign of… Read more →
January 1, 2011
“Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.” – John Boswell Happy New Year, friends! I’ve been out of town with family and recovering from sickness so this issue delivers a few stories from recent travels and meals prior to my Oklahoma trip. I wish you… Read more →
Around the Bay: Daniel Patterson’s New PLUM in Oakland
Easily the best new opening in Oakland in 2010, Daniel Patterson’s long-anticipated Plum delivers his impeccable technique in heartwarming food. After a handful of visits both for dinner and lunch (and a preview dinner back in September), I come away with a sense of being enveloped, not by the communal seating or uncomfortable bar stools, but by the warmth of… Read more →
In Tequila, Mexico, at Fortaleza Distillery
Fortaleza is truly a special tequila. On my recent visit to Tequila, Mexico, this distillery enchanted with its agave covered hillsides and haunting caves. Fortaleza means fortitude, though in Mexico, you’ll find their bottles labeled Los Abuelos in memory of the grandfathers of Guillermo E. Sauza, the fifth generation producer who passionately runs Fortaleza by old world methods. He comes… Read more →
4 Under-the-Radar LA Spots, From a Oaxacan Mole Menu to a Cuban Bakery
My last jaunt to LA yielded a few spots I thought you should know about: OLD PLACE, Agoura Hills – Take to the winding roads of Agoura Hills where happening upon Old Place feels like a mirage in the wild West. The smell of BBQ lures you in, while a rustic wood porch makes you want to pull out a… Read more →
Japanese at the New Chotto in the Marina
Chotto delivers a needed izakaya-style restaurant to the Marina. Based on merely one visit in its initial opening weeks (and therefore limited), I find a welcoming space. The staff care and are informed about Japanese food. In a brief chat with the chef, he talks with gusto of traveling through Japan researching menu ideas. While no particular dish was an… Read more →