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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
“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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →