July 15, 2022

by  on  in Intro Letter

THIS ISSUE:

— Ernest: My Bold Italic #1 new restaurant of 2021, reviewed over one year in.
— Uccello Lounge Review: Live music from SF Conservatory students with food from chef legend Loretta Keller.
— My Gin Magazine Bar Guide: Ten of the best bars in Honolulu, Hawaii.
— Rum Magazine: 8 top U.S. rum bars (and they’re not just tiki bars, but have some of those, too).
— Distiller Magazine Bottle Column, June 2022: I review aperitifs/aperitivo, Scotch whisky, rum gin, tequila, mezcal, Irish whiskey, RTDs.’
\

Read more →

Our #1 New Restaurant of 2021, Over 1 Year In: Ernest

by  on  in Best Of, Top Tastes

Ernest opened March 2021 in the lofty, two-tiered, industrial space that formerly housed Coffee Bar. One year into the pandemic — which means they were in planning mode well before — was one of the worst times to open a restaurant, especially an ambitious one. Next door to legendary Heath Ceramics, and in a neighborhood lined with nationally lauded restaurants and bars, Ernest entered seamlessly into that tier.

Now, a few visits later and over one year in, my review on Ernest today: Read more →

Live Music from Conservatory Students with Food from Chef Legend Loretta Keller: Uccello Lounge

by  on  in The Latest

Chef Loretta Keller is a San Francisco treasure since she opened Bizou in 1993, which became the long-beloved COCO500 in 2005… I’ve dined at all her ventures multiple times over the last 21 years, so delighted I was to see her return… to open Uccello Lounge on the ground floor of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s (SFCM) new Bowes Center. Read more →

July 1, 2022

by  on  in Intro Letter

THIS ISSUE:
— Michelin-Starred SF Great: State Bird Provisions, 10 years in.
— June Eat & Drink Checklist: These five newcomers (or new menus) cover the gamut, from Korean hot pot to Roman-style pizza.
— Brand New For the Record & Members Only Reviewed: Two female bartenders with a perspective you can taste in the glass.
— Honolulu Guide 2022, Part 2: 10 Top Restaurants Now + Where to Stay.
— 12 Summer Wines & Somm-Curated Wine Clubs.

Read more →

June Eat & Drink Checklist: 5 Standout Newcomers

by  on  in Top Tastes

These five newcomers (or new menus) cover the gamut, from Korean hot pot to Roman-style pizza. Here is what is standing out at each, alongside this month’s full restaurant reviews. And for the kids (and kid in you), hit up brand new Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience Store, tributing Ghirardelli’s 170th anniversary with much more seating options (read: no lines for locals) and chocolate-making viewing, in-house sundaes, ice cream and chocolate drinks (as always, I’ve vetted, visited or ordered from each place reviewed): Read more →

Two Female Bartenders With A Perspective You Can Taste in the Glass: For the Record & Members Only

by  on  in Imbiber, The Latest

A few elements must align to come into one’s own voice and it’s never a one-time deal but an ongoing evolution. Maturity, experience and time are the oft-discounted but key factors to holistic integration for those pursuing it. However, other crucial pieces include timing and the right platform/s from which to express one’s voice…

Normally, this Friday review is devoted to restaurants: and both these new bars serve food, so we’ll get into that. But this week, it’s more about drink menus on par with great food and about two women coming into their voice on their current menus: Read more →