It was a privilege to attend the Mad Men-themed Spirited Awards Dinner on July 24 as a guest of The Bitter Truth gentleman from Germany, Stephan Berg and Alexander Hauck. Happily, they won for Best New Product with their incomparable celery bitters. San Francisco represented well with the Rickhouse crew nominated in three major categories, including Best American Cocktail Bar… Read more →
Notable Drinks at 2010 Tales of the Cocktails
It’s a sad truth that at events on the scale of Tales of the Cocktail, it can be hard to find a decent drink… yes, it’s not easy batching drinks for hundreds of people. But whether on a smaller scale in a tasting room or with simple but robust recipes, like Audrey Saunders’ drink below, here are a couple that… Read more →
Dining & Cocktails in New Orleans’ French Quarter
Tales of the Cocktail brought me back to my beloved Nola. I’ve done articles on the CBD, Uptown, Carollton and Garden District, Fauborg Marigny and Treme neighborhoods, and on French Quarter food. Now I’m back in the Quarter with drink and food updates… French Quarter Cocktails Loving the time-transporting atmosphere of the truly magical Jean Laffitte’s and the dank, historical… Read more →
August 1, 2010
“Having found myself on business in New Orleans – or… having found it my business to find business in New Orleans…” – Calvin Trillin I returned a mere few days ago from my adored New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail (yes, I found myself finding business there), where I averaged three hours of sleep a night, met wonderful people… Read more →
Top Tastes
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 (for example, I appreciate Rocketfish opening by my office in Potrero Hill, though don’t have a… Read more →
Imbiber
SPIRITS CAMUS COGNAC – Cognac is a realm I’ve yearned to dive more fully into ever since I had my first cognac flight at Brandy Library in NY years ago. I have made attempts to learn more by attending cognac seminars at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans or the Manhattan Cocktail Classic. But where is the cognac equivalent… Read more →
Visiting 4 of NYC’s Most Acclaimed Cocktail Bars
Though my May New York adventures brought me to some of the city’s newer treasures (see June 15 issue), I also made sure I hit up some of the greats of the past decade for a sip of what they’ve been serving lately: Milk & Honey, Lower East Side – Through its dodgy, unmarked door into a musty yet romantic… Read more →
Top Tastes
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 →