Mendocino & Fort Bragg Magic: Soulful, Foodie Weekend Getaways

by  on  in Around the Bay

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/mendocino-fort-bragg-magic-soulful-foodie-weekend-getaways FORT BRAGG: the Surreal Inn at Newport RanchThin places — where heaven and earth come closer or the veil between the here and the otherworld is especially thin — is beloved lore for thousands of years. On California’s breathtaking Mendocino Coast,… Read more →

Visionary Cal-Moroccan at Mourad SF

by  on  in Top Tastes

Mourad Lahlou’s Mourad is the best upscale modern Moroccan restaurant I’ve been to in the U.S. Mourad’s visionary Cal-Moroccan cuisine, a more upscale sibling to his long-beloved, more casual Aziza, has been a trailblazer in that category since he opened it in San Francisco’s Richmond District in 2001.

Just after I wrote this review, California Michelin stars were announced earlier this week, and I am puzzled as to why Mourad would lose its Michelin star of multiple years, especially given the tighter-than-ever service, drink pairings and dishes I experienced there last week. When not one but three dishes leave a deep impression, that already is well above the average. I’ll explain. Read more →

Roman Pinsa Multiplies in SF: Montesacro Marina

by  on  in The Latest

When Roma native Gianluca Legrottaglie opened Montesacro in SoMa in 2015, it was the first proper Roman pinseria in the nation, complete with pinsaiolis (akin to a pizzaiolo) from Rome. Not familiar with pinsa? It’s an ancient Roman-style pizza, oval-shaped, happily crispy and airy simultaneously and made from a more easily digestible fermented soy, rice and wheat flour blend. Montesacro’s thoughtfully-made recipe remains the best I’ve had anywhere.

… in June 2022, San Francisco gained their second Montesacro in the Marina. Read more →

December 1, 2022

by  on  in Intro Letter

THIS ISSUE:
— November Eats Checklist: 7 standout restaurants & newcomers of the month.
— Seoul Guide: Where to dine & stay in Korea’s capital city.
— Malaysian Buzz in Sleepy Outer Noe: The new Damansara.
— Rosemary & Pine: Playful neighborhood comfort from Michelin-starred team.
— Distiller Magazine Honolulu: Interview with Pint+Jigger and Harry’s Hardware Emporium bar manager Dave Newman. Read more →

Malaysian Buzz in Sleepy Outer Noe: The new Damansara

by  on  in The Latest

In deep dives tasting my way around Singapore, to my love for dear departed places like Indonesian great Warung Siska (chef Siska Silitonga, please come back!), I am crazy about the unique cuisines of this island-heavy corner of Southeast Asia. This includes Malaysia, which deeply informs much of Singaporean cuisine as its very close neighbor and sister. Together, they’re known for incredible dishes like kaya toast or laksa soup (although there are styles of laksa in Indonesia and southern Thailand as well). So I was certainly delighted when I heard chef Tracy Goh found an outer Noe Valley brick-and-mortar space for her Malaysian pop-up, Damansara, opened October 19, 2022. Read more →