Coastal India Vibes & Relaxed, Modern Indian Cuisine from a Chef Who Ran the U.S.’ Only 2 Michelin Indian Restaurant: SF’s New Copra

by  on  in The Latest

For a decade I’ve been raving about chef Srijith “Sri” Gopinathan’s cooking, even before he became the only Indian chef in the U.S. with a two Michelin-starred restaurant for Indian fine dining at Taj Campton Place, San Francisco. I dined there after he started in 2008, when he started showing his range in his Spice Route menu, as he garnered a Michelin star, and again as he moved to two stars.

Thrilled I was to hear of Thapar and Gopinathan back in SF, taking over the former Dosa on Fillmore to open Copra Restaurant, focused on the coastal cuisines of India’s southern states, including chef Sri’s home state of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where he grew up. Read more →

Hidden Whimsical-Molecular Restaurant (Formerly A Beloved Pop-Up) Opens On A Sleepy Residential Block: Anomaly SF

by  on  in The Latest

The speakeasy trend peaked in the mid-aughts in New York and San Francisco cocktails bars where it first launched in the years prior, just as it was taking off around the country. But the clamor for “secret,” hidden spaces in restaurants and bars has not abated. There remains a thrill in finding a gem behind nondescript doors, a hidden room, a cozy hideaway.

Brand new Anomaly SF, opening January 19, 2023, from chef/owner (and former competitive cyclist) Mike Lanham, feels like just such a space. Read more →

March 15, 2023

by  on  in Intro Letter

THIS ISSUE:
— New Chef with Stockholm & London Roots: Reborn Michelin-starred Sons & Daughters.
— Palm Springs Guide: 18 places to eat, drink & stay now.
— 30 Years at One Market & New Fine Dining Chef at Luce: Two longtimers with new life.
— DISTILLER Bottle Column: This month I review sour cherry aperitif, rum, gin, Scotch, tequila, Indian whisky, non-alcoholic wine, American single malt and RTDs (ready-to-drink/canned) cocktails.
— Top Cocktail Bars in Seoul, South Korea: My Whisky Magazine bar guide. Read more →

New Chef with Stockholm & London Roots at Reborn, Michelin-Starred Sons & Daughters

by  on  in Top Tastes, Uncategorized

Sons & Daughters’ kusshi oyster in a daikon shell (Photo Credit: 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/new-chef-with-stockholm-london-roots-at-reborn-michelin-starred-sons-daughters/ . . . . . . . . . Since first visiting Michelin-starred, intimate fine dining gem Sons and Daughters (S&D) when it opened in… Read more →

Palm Springs Guide: 18 Places to Eat, Drink & Stay Now

by  on  in Uncategorized

Palm Springs’ snowy mountains and palms (Photo Credit: 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/palm-springs-guide-18-places-to-eat-drink-stay-now Palm Springs midcentury glory is a major draw for a lifelong retro girl like me. At home, I’ve long decorated midcentury in my San Francisco 1890’s Victorians, just… Read more →

30 Years at One Market & New Fine Dining Chef at Luce: Two Longtimers with New Life

by  on  in Top Tastes, Uncategorized

Luce‘s octopus “lasagna” (Photo Credit: 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/30-years-at-one-market-new-fine-dining-chef-at-luce-two-longtimers-with-new-life There are longtimers, then there are longtimers. This week I talk about two. One is a 15-year-old fine dining restaurant at the InterContinental SF hotel with a new Greek chef who… Read more →

March 1, 2023

by  on  in Imbiber

THIS ISSUE:
— Eating Raw Beef Off the Side of a Cow, Ancient Hot-Cold Cooking Techniques & More: Elevated Korean barbecue in Seoul.
— February Eats Checklist: 5 dining standouts of the month.
— Latin Vibes, Tunes, Cocktails & Food with Stunning SF Views: New rooftop bar, Cavaña.
— Boundary-Pushing Asian Food at Two Newcomers: Taiwanese-inspired Piglet & Co. & Chinese-Venezuelan Cantoo.
— Oklahoma City Rising: 12 Places to Dine Now. Read more →