650 Gough Street 415-869-1900 www.smugglerscovesf.com I’m crazy about all things Tiki and its accompanying kitsch… which is why I’ve long been a fan of Alameda’s Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge. Martin Cate helped make that bar great with his cocktails, going beyond the usual too-sweet, one-note swill often paired with such a setting. Though he departed Forbidden Island awhile back, we’ve… Read more →
“[San Francisco] sparkles with that crystalline northern California light that makes everything pop out from the background. All the buildings and people have hard, crisp edges. It’s bucolic and hard to believe – a picture postcard, unreal.” – David Byrne, “Bicycle Diaries” A beautiful Thanksgiving it was, with family, food, excursions, a peaceful stay at Lake Tahoe. As usual, plenty… Read more →
Top Tastes is my usual run-down of tastes over the past two weeks. Rather than a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether), it’s highlights since my last newsletter, often from new openings. Many don’t make the cut, being a revisit written about before or simply not as stand-out as dishes mentioned. SAVORY – SEAFOOD • I’ve long… Read more →
BEER • Attending a media-only Sam Adams Utopias dinner was a real treat at Monk’s Kettle on 11/19. Monk’s chef, Kevin Kroger, created a four course dinner of luxurious comfort food, each course paired (and some cooked) with a Sam Adams brew. I must digress to food for a moment: medium rare, ultra-tender Beef Tenderloin Tournedos in classic green peppercorn… Read more →
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain I’m giving away a pair of VIP tickets to this Thursday’s (11/19) Indy Spirits Expo at Mighty (6-9pm; 5pm entrance for… Read more →
10/24 Loretto Dinner with Phoenix Supper Club Meet at a corner disclosed when making a reservation to Phoenix Supper Club‘s Loretto dinner. A limo awaits with champagne and about 10 other guests all guessing where you’ll be dining. October 24, the first Loretto dinner, brought us to historical Haas-Lilienthal House/Museum, where we were ushered to candlelit tables and entertained by… Read more →
“A cocktail hath the soul of wit, it is brief. It is a jest, a bon-mot, happy thought, a gibe, a word of sympathy, a tear, an inspiration, a short prayer. ” – Sportsman/travel writer, Francis Francis in Nineteenth Century COCKTAILS • Neyah White at Nopa can always be counted on to create a superior cocktail… Nopa’s sherry cocktails are… Read more →
Top Tastes is my usual run-down of tastes over the past two weeks. Rather than a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether), it’s highlights since my last newsletter, often from new openings. Many don’t make the cut, being a revisit written about before or simply not as stand-out as dishes mentioned. SAVORY – SEAFOOD • At Circolo, Miso-glazed Sea… Read more →
“I write because I want to remember. ” – Isabel Allende In the throes of Fall, SF continues to experience balmy 70 degree days with the invigorating evening crisp of the season. I’m craving pumpkin-spiced tastes, awaiting family visits, and settling into a new home. Top Tastes reflects the best new places and dishes from my recent culinary explorations, while… Read more →
Top Tastes is my usual run-down of tastes over the past two weeks. Rather than a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether), it’s highlights since my last newsletter, often from new openings. Many don’t make the cut, being a revisit written about before or simply not as stand-out as dishes mentioned. SAVORY – SEAFOOD • Bar Tartine is getting… Read more →