The New Aphotic: Wildly sustainable seafood and house-distilled cocktails

by  on  in The Latest

I won’t forget my first visit to Palette soon after opening in 2019 when chef Peter Hemsley grilled up rare, local coonstripe shrimp just caught that morning, buttery-fresh and revelatory; like eating our divine local spot prawns for the first time. Midwest-born Hemsley’s hand with seafood was evident from those early days. So maybe it’s little surprise that as Palette closed, Hemsley and team just opened Aphotic in the same space on March 21, 2023, as a sleek tribute to… you guessed it: seafood. Read more →

April 15, 2023

by  on  in Intro Letter

THIS ISSUE:
— Juniper & Starter Bakery: Two new bakeries already set to stand among the Bay’s best.
— Coho: In sleepy Mill Valley, a surprisingly quality land-to-sea newcomer.
— St. Louis Dining Guide: 13 Places to Eat & Drink Now.
— Staycation Palo Alto: A Spanish-themed hotel & two newer restaurants.
— DISTILLER Bottle Column: This issue I review rum, sherry, gin, non-alcoholic wines, Australian whiskies, soju, ciders, American single malt and vodka. Read more →

In Sleepy Mill Valley, A Surprisingly Quality Land-to-Sea Newcomer: Coho

by  on  in Around the Bay, The Latest, Uncategorized

Coho’s Dungeness crab noodles. Photo by Virginia Miller. No one was more surprised than me to find a standout new restaurant, one even worth crossing the bridge for, in sleepy, idyllic Mill Valley. Marin County is infamously talked about amongst many of my industry and food obsessed colleagues as the one subpar food county in all the Bay Area. Despite Marin’s… Read more →

Staycation Palo Alto: A Spanish-Themed Hotel & Two Newer Restaurants

by  on  in Around the Bay, Uncategorized

View from our deck at el Prado, Palo Alto. Photo by Virginia Miller. COME SEE OUR NEW HOME — The Bold Italic has a new home online, and this story has moved! Read it here: https://www.thebolditalic.com/staycation-palo-alto-a-spanish-themed-hotel-two-newer-restaurants From recent staycations in the Silicon Valley town of Sunnyvale to the coast in Half Moon Bay, for 21 years I’ve researched and written of… Read more →

Two New Bakeries Already Set to Stand Among the Bay’s Best: Juniper & Starter Bakery

by  on  in The Latest, Uncategorized

Juniper bakery’s choux. Photo by Virginia Miller. COME SEE OUR NEW HOME — The Bold Italic has a new home online, and this story has moved! Read it here: https://www.thebolditalic.com/two-new-bakeries-already-set-to-stand-among-the-bays-best-juniper-starter-bakery Few U.S. cities have a fraction of the world class bakeries that line San Francisco, a city that has led the baking renaissance of the past 20 plus years via Tartine… Read more →

April 1, 2023

by  on  in Intro Letter

THIS ISSUE:
— March Eats Checklist: 5 Standouts of the Month,  from heartwarming Jamaican food to another worthy Italian seafood haven in North Beach
— SF’s New Copra: Coastal India vibes & relaxed, modern Indian cuisine from a chef who ran the U.S.’ only 2 Michelin Indian restaurant.
— Top Cocktail Bars in Seoul, South Korea: My Whisky Magazine bar guide.
— Anomaly SF: Hidden whimsical-molecular restaurant (formerly a beloved pop-up) opens on a sleepy residential block. Read more →