1152 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 Tue-Sun, 3pm-2am (wine happy hours: 3-6pm; 10pm-12am) I had the privilege weeks back of a sneak preview test dinner with friends at B3, a new project set to soft launch June 15 in the former Senses space on Valencia, which they are currently repainting and decorating in warm, neutral tones [as of early… 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). When I travel to NY, there’s always… Read more →
I was one of the lucky ones, spending eight days in NY, my old stomping grounds, for the first annual Manhattan Cocktail Classic, May 14-18, highlighting and celebrating the art of the cocktail and its greatest talents. Or so I thought… I won’t gripe too much, though I will say that despite the stunning transformation of the already gorgeous New… Read more →
In a world-class city like New York, I’ve long been shocked that a proper coffee, whether it be straight-up cup (I refuse to say “cuppa”), a cappuccino or espresso, is in such short order, especially given NY’s Italian influence. From that Italian perspective, coffee is as crucial to daily life as wine. One would not dream of serving Folgers or… Read more →
“One by one the nights between our separated cities are joined to the night that unites us.” – Pablo Neruda As this hits your inbox, I’ve just arrived in New York for the Manhattan Cocktail Classic and eight days of food, drink and dear friends. Back in my beloved Big Apple, the city that first awakened me to the world… 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. CHEAP EATS **2013 Update: I strongly recommend against Red Door. The longtime host/owner insults locals and… Read more →
CHAMPAGNE I hadn’t been to Bubble Lounge in awhile, recalling former pleasant weeknights sipping bubbly while live jazz played, but not as into sceney crowds there for DJ sets on weekends. I returned to meet with Wine Director, Sabawun Kakar, who’s passion for bubbly shows in his thoughtful selections and sabrage skills. Food is surprisingly tasty, and welcome to settle… Read more →
So this one of those special media events it could get annoying to hear about if you couldn’t attend yourself, except that it was at three places I highly recommend in a rare Absinthe-themed crawl on May 4, 2010. Pernod Absinthe, the original absinthe since 1805, hosted an intimate group of writers for an Absinthe Crawl at three worthy locations:… Read more →
Social Kitchen & Brewery – This brand new brewery opened at the beginning of May in the Inner Sunset, adding a welcome member to the small but mighty collection of local brewers. The beers were created by Rich Higgins, President of the SF Brewers Guild and a certified cicerone. Watch out: opening week alone brought out what felt like the… Read more →
Despite the suburban setting, the spirit of servers and food is authentically Italian at San Mateo’s Acqua Pazza. Owned by three Rosano brothers (out of nine children!) from Naples, they brought their Mama’s own recipes from Italia, as well as technique learned at Naples’ Scuola Albergheria and Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Vong in London. Amalfi Coast photography lines the hallway and the dining… Read more →