It’s ever a joy to return to two of my all-time favorite SF restaurants (one for fine dining/special occasions), the other, my top Italian for offal, meat and wines. I’ve visited Incanto many times over the years, falling in love instantly with Chris Cosentino’s bold cooking, his gift for making innards palatable, and a deft hand with meats, seafood and… Read more →
On the Town
Winemaker dinners… intimate affairs where a winemaker comes to town, and shares a multi-course dinner with you as their wines are paired with each course. Not a bad way to spend the night. Especially with these two winemakers and their wines: ARGENTO Winemaker Dinner at One Market New Zealander, Nick Goldschmidt, is one of those rock stars of winemaking. This… Read more →
July 15, 2010
“I write to discover what I know.” – Flannery O’Connor Summer riches surround me with a Wine Country wedding, BBQs, film nights in the park and visiting family. I am off to New Orleans in a few days for Tales of the Cocktail, so you know more is on its way from one of my favorite cities! Top Tastes runs… Read more →
60’s Retro Dining, Oysters & Southern Ham, Upscale Vegetarian, Mission Chinese & 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. EXPENSIVE RESTAURANTS THERMIDOR, SoMa – The Mad Men craze is a natural for me as that… Read more →
Imbiber
The Mission’s New GRAND COFFEE Grand Coffee, 2663 Mission Street (at 23rd), 415-206-1238 – My favorite new coffee spot in a city rife with them? Grand Coffee in the Mission (the neighborhood that sickeningly gets all the great coffee… well, SoMa follows close on its heels). Owner Nabeel Silmi is works hard all day, every day behind the counter, creating… Read more →
Real Thoughts On Momofuku + Scandinavian, Venezuelan & Malaysian NYC Favorites
My beloved New York. The city that awakened me, at the sensitive age of 14, to cities… and the world. I put my hand over my heart upon first glimpse of the radiance of Manhattan at night from Jersey’s banks, where I lived during high school (and my family lived for years beyond). There’s always dear friends, family, and such… Read more →
M.F.K. FISHER Among the Pots & Pans by Joan Reardon
Like any self-respecting food lover (and writer), I’m well aware that, hands down, M.F.K. Fisher (Mary Frances) is our greatest food writer and I’ve been pursuing the pleasurable endeavor of working my way through her entire catalog over the years. As with my literature preferences, I find myself more often drawn to the classics, or, in this case, first flush… Read more →
Top Tastes
MISSION BEACH CAFE 198 Guerrero Street (at 14th Street)San Francisco, CA 94110415-861-0198https://missionbeachcafesf.com-us.com We need to be reminded, in the constant hype over new openings, to return to what is and has remained great through the years. Mission Beach Cafe, aka MBC, a welcoming corner restaurant many go to for brunch or incredible baked goods and Blue Bottle coffee in the… Read more →
Brick & Bottle Opens in Corte Madera
BRICK & BOTTLE55 Tamal Vista BoulevardCorte Madera, CA 94925415-924-3366www.brickandbottle.com I’ve followed chef Scott Howard’s various restaurants over the years, from his stint in San Francisco at self-named Scott Howard restaurant, to Five in Berkeley. He recently returned to his home county where he started it all (at Fork) with Brick & Bottle. It’s essentially in a shopping mall in Corte… Read more →
July 1, 2010
“… there is only the unattended Moment, the moment in and out of time, The distraction fit, lost in a shaft of sunlight, The wild thyme unseen, or the winter lightning Or the waterfall, or music heard so deeply That it is not heard at all…” – T.S. Eliot, “The Four Quartets” The past two weeks have kept me hopping… Read more →