A major new fine dining, 100% live fire cooking restaurant two years in the works just opened from chef Seth Stowaway. Read more →
Staycations, Santa Cruz Edition: Where to Eat, Stay & Drink Now
As COVID rages on, local trips and overnights beckon for easy, close-to-home getaways that don’t require flights. It was 2011 when I last wrote about Santa Cruz highlights, though I’ve stayed there and passed through numerous times in between, including visiting the chill town of Aptos, eight miles down the road. Here is my guide to a few highlights in the laid back, surfer city of Santa Cruz (SC), a brief 70 miles south of San Francisco.
Atelier Crenn, One of the World’s Best Restaurants, Turns 11 Years Old
Published January 7, 2022, in my The Bold Italic column and weekly restaurant reviews: 10 years old this month, I revisit one of the world’s best restaurants (and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants), Atelier Crenn.
South Lake Tahoe: Where to Eat, Drink & Stay Now
Lake Tahoe has long held the enchantment for me it has for many: stunning beauty, expansive blue, snow-capped mountains on all sides, dense pine and fir forests. It’s the Switzerland of California, complete with wood cabins and cozy restaurants.
Granted, much of the food caters to tourists or the basics — city-worthy food, this is not, only slightly improving in the 20 years I’ve been week-ending in Tahoe. But there are gems and here’s a guide to a few, from dining to coffee to cocktails, in South Lake Tahoe.
DISTILLER Bottle Column: December 2021
Published January 1, 2022 at Distiller Magazine, my bottle column covers trends and reviews international spirits and RTDs, with taste ratings (last month’s column here):
Reimagined a Decade Since Opening, Bluestem Brasserie Is a Slice of Comfort in Downtown SF
A reborn, 10 year-old, downtown restaurant that continues to offer homey comfort, over-the-top desserts, and now, a remodel, a new market and an addictive, all-day snack.
January 1, 2022
THIS ISSUE:
— TBI’s Top 12 New Restaurants of 2021: My Bold Italic feature on the top 12 new restaurant openings of the year + top new bars, best of 2020 (the “lost” year) and honorable mention new openings.
— Le Fantastique: Your New Music, Wine & Bites Hangout: My full review of a new Hayes Valley restaurant that marries McIntosh amps, vinyl and a smart team with raw, cured and aged fish, small plates, white Burgundy and Champagne.
— 5 New Restaurants of the Month Worth Visiting, December 2021: These five notable newcomers cover the gamut, from fine dining pop-ups to Peninsula food halls housing Michelin-starred chefs.
— Flavors of the Big Screen: Three global bars’ cocktails inspired by film & TV — in Los Angeles, Guadalajara and Hong Kong — my latest feature in Gin Magazine.
— 12 Standout Wines (To Suit All Palates) for the Holidays: 12 bottles to suit a range of palates, meals and occasions from low-key, cozy meal to celebratory splurge, champagne to red wines, natural to elegant.
5 New Restaurants of the Month: December 2021
Published December 31, 2021, in my The Bold Italic column and weekly restaurant reviews: These five notable newcomers cover the gamut, from fine dining pop-ups to Peninsula food halls housing Michelin-starred chefs:
Flavors of the Big Screen: 3 Global Bars’ Cocktails Inspired by Film & TV
My latest print feature in Gin Magazine, issue 16/December 2021-February 2022. This issue I cover three bartenders and global bars, featuring their cocktail recipes inspired by film and TV:
Le Fantastique: Your New Music, Wine & Bites Hangout
Im my The Bold Italic column and weekly restaurant reviews, a new Hayes Valley restaurant, Le Fantastique, that marries McIntosh amps, vinyl and a tight, smart team with superb raw, cured and aged fish, small plates, white Burgundy and Champagne.