My interviews with Wildhawk bar managers Christian “Suzu” Suzuki & Marguerite Regan ++ Seven Stills owner/distiller Tim Obert:
San Francisco’s Uma Casa Serves Up the City’s Most Authentic Portuguese Cuisine
Photo: Courtesy of Uma Casa Traveling around Portugal a few years ago yielded an unforgettable number of vineyards, vistas, warm people, and some of the best seafood in the world. While a wine press trip took me all over the magical Douro region, I went on to food and drink research in the cities of Lisbon and Porto. Lisbon’s connections to… Read more →
October 15, 2021
— Estiatorio Ornos: My full review of brand new hyperlocal Greek escape to Mykonos from Michael Mina.
— Turntable at Lord Stanley: My full review of a Michelin-starred restaurant reborn, offering a rotating showcase for global chefs with a powerhouse fall lineup of mostly female chefs from Argentina.
— Harvest Season Staycations, Sebastopol Edition: Where to eat, dine and drink in this hip Sonoma County town.
— DISTILLER Bottle Column: My drink reviews of the month cover grappa, Japanese sake vermouth, Scotch, mezcal, rum, sake, old tom gin, gin, Japanese whisky, RTDs (canned cocktails), kombucha and bourbon.
SF’s Estiatorio Ornos Is a New Hyperlocal Escape to Mykonos
Photo: Courtesy of J. Wade Public Relations Despite the wealth of Mediterranean food in this paradise of NorCal, there are few specifically Greek restaurants around. California’s coast and vast farmland are North America’s closest sibling to the Mediterranean climate, terrain, and soil, similar to Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Despite CA holding the largest U.S. Greek population after New York, it’s… Read more →
Top 5 Checklist: Restaurant Newcomers + Better-Than-Ever Favorites To Feast At Now
From two notable newcomers to three tried-and-true greats (one just gaining a Michelin star this week), these are five top places to eat, feast and support now — plus one bonus new bar. I’ve vetted, visited or ordered from every restaurant reviewed here: Fiorella Sunset crudo — Photo Credit: Virginia Miller BETTER THAN EVERMore Than A Steakhouse: Niku Steakhouse, SoMa/Design District Fresh off their first… Read more →
DISTILLER Bottle Column: September 2021
At Distiller Magazine, my bottle column covers trends and reviews international spirits and RTDs, with taste ratings for my top 12 bottles of the month here:
SF’s Turntable at Lord Stanley Is a Rotating Showcase for Many Top Female Chefs
The future (of dining) is (also) female Chef Mica, who visited SF from Buenos Aires earlier last month, kicking off Lord Stanely’s first Turntable event in September. (Photo: Courtesy of Instagram via @lordstanely_sf) In a city silly with Michelin-starred restaurants and globally-lauded chefs, Lord Stanley was one of our local Michelin-starred restaurants I’d visited less often than others. It’s easy for… Read more →
Harvest Season Staycations: Support Our Beloved Wine Countries, Sebastopol Edition
Sebastopol is historically famed as a plum and apple-growing region, home to Gravenstein apples and good-as-it-gets plums.
As with everywhere in Sonoma County, wine grapes are now the dominant agriculture, but a few dear souls keep the apple and stone fruit orchards alive (where to go apple picking in town), alongside produce farms like Two Belly Acre Farm (more on that below). Cider producers, farms and the impressive Barlow complex dominate the small Sonoma town. Here are five+ standouts for food, drink and a hotel stay in (and near) Sebastopol:
October 1, 2021
— 54 Mint: Reviewing San Francisco’s ultimate gastronomic escape to Rome.
— Serving Up Wanderlust: My Gin Magazine feature on bars, bartenders and their cocktail recipes inspired by regions outside their own — I feature Lisbon, Portugal; Taipei, Taiwan; and Brooklyn, New York.
— New Modern Filipino Destination, Abacá: Reviewing Fisherman’s Wharf new Abacá from celebrated chef Francis Ang of Pinoy Heritage with drinks by renowned bartender/owner Kevin Diedrich of PCH and Kona’s Street Market.
— Wine Time: Local canned wines, wine clubs and (yes, even) non-alcoholic wine worth drinking.
— 5 SF Rooftops for Dining & Drink: My Bold Italic feature on five SF restaurant with striking rooftops.
54 Mint Is San Francisco’s Ultimate Gastronomic Escape to Rome
Photo: Courtesy of 54 Mint via @54mintsf I’m Roma girl. Blessed to travel the world often for work, including almost every country in Western Europe multiple times, I connect with some places more than others. Among many of my globetrotting friends, thier favorite European city is often Paris. But mine has long been the Eternal City: Rome. Yes, it’s dirty,… Read more →