In the Winter 2021-2022 print issue (Issue 19) of Distiller Magazine:
—My interview with Redbird bar manager Tobin Shea
—My interview with The Spirit Guild owner/distiller Miller Duvall Read more →
March 15, 2022
This Issue:
— Old School Steakhouse Keeps Classic SF Spirit Alive: Harris’ Restaurant.
— 8 Places to Eat & Drink Now: East Bay Edition.
— Los Angeles Travel: Spring 2022 Coffee, Snacks & Drinks Guide.
— Buzzy New Rooftop Spot Transports to Peru: KAIY? Rooftop.
— Beer Restaurant of the Future: Fort Point Valencia Reopens.
— Distiller Magazine: LA Top 10 Bars 2022.
Los Angeles Travel: Spring 2022 Restaurant & Food Guide
My fall 2021 return to Los Angeles, the region I partly grew up in and spent over 12 years of my youth and, later, young adulthood living in was a busy one. I visited over 35 places, from cafes and coffee roasters, to restaurants and eateries — like pre-pandemic times. While the bar scene was clearly struggling on the service end even more than restaurants were, restaurants were coming back to life.
Here’s the good, the bad and the damn delicious: Read more →
Reinventing Rare Classic Gin Cocktails at Bars in San Francisco, Hong Kong & London
This issue I cover three bartenders and global bars, featuring their cocktail recipes inspired by more unsung classic gin cocktails…
+ My opinion column on the state of gin and cocktail bars in the U.S. now: How Will We Drink in 2022?
Los Angeles Travel: Spring 2022 Coffee, Snacks & Drinks Guide
My fall 2021 return to Los Angeles, the region I partly grew up in and spent over 12 years of my youth and, later, young adulthood living in was a busy one. I visited over 35 places, from cafes and coffee roasters, to restaurants and eateries — like pre-pandemic times. While the bar scene was clearly struggling on the service end even more than restaurants were, restaurants were coming back to life.
Here’s the good, the bad and the damn delicious: Read more →
This Old-School Steakhouse Is Keeping San Francisco’s Classic Spirit Alive
Harris’ American wagyu ribeye. (Photo: Courtesy of 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/this-old-school-steakhouse-is-keeping-san-franciscos-classic-spirit-alive Visions of reds, browns and oranges flow from booth to bar, with ice-cold martini in hand (gin and gin only), a juicy, medium-rare cut of steak and live jazz.… Read more →
8 Places to Eat & Drink Now, East Bay Edition
Six new restaurants/eateries, plus one pre-pandemic gem and two bar stops, all draw me to the East Bay. Digging in also meant some disappointments, including solid but not destination-worthy cocktails at charming Palmetto, or overwrought cocktails that sound exciting but don’t deliver at The Miranda. But each of these eight has one (or a few) winning aspects: Read more →
A Buzzy New Rooftop Spot in SF Transports Patrons to Peru
KAIYO Rooftop’s beet-cured salmon tiradito. (Photo: Courtesy of Virginia Miller) On a crisp, clear, wind-less February night, we bypassed the line to get in with a reservation at brand-new KAIYŌ Rooftop atop the Hyatt Place Hotel. It was clear immediately from the line down the sidewalk to the bustling, Latin music-tinged party on the rooftop that this is already one of… Read more →
Distiller Magazine: LA Top 10 Bars 2022
—My article on 10 of LA’s best bars below (online here)
—My interview with Redwood bar manager Tobin Shea here
—My interview with The Spirit Guild owner/distiller Miller Duvall here
BARS FEATURED:
— Redbird, Bar Calo, Bar Jackalope, Neat, The Musso & Frank Grill, Genever, Thunderbolt, Bar Flores, Agnes, Tiki-Ti Read more →
March 1, 2022
— 6 New Restaurants Worth Visiting This Month: These six newcomers cover the gamut, from Mexican pizza and Jewish deli pop-ups, to a food hall nailing cuisine from Africa to the Middle East.
— Vietnamese Chef Legend Charles Phan’s New SF Sandwich Shop: Chuck’s Takeaway.
— Support Our Beloved Wine Countries: Guerneville Edition.
— 6 New Spots Worth Visiting, Cafe, Bar & Food Truck Edition: These six newer spots include two Brazilian go-tos, a winning bottle shop and arcade/game bar with food.
— Distiller Bottle Column: I review aquavit, Japanese whisky, Cognac, tequila, non-alcoholic aperitif, aperitivo, gin, Irish and American whiskies, RTDs (canned/bottled cocktails, hard kombucha, non-alcoholic beer).