April 15, 2020

—April’s Best New Bay Area Restaurants & OG Alternatives To-Go
— Travels in Chengdu, China: Why Sichuan cuisine is widely misunderstood.
— A Guide to the Bay Area’s Local Grocers: International markets, CSAs, CFAs, farmers markets and 10 of our best independent, local grocers from SF to the East Bay and Peninsula.

Read more →

Travels in Chengdu, China: Why Sichuan Cuisine Is Widely Misunderstood

When you hear the word Szechuan (aka Sichuan), most think of mind-numbing heat and red chile oil. While both are certainly a staple, what many consider China’s most complex cuisine —and therefore one of the most complicated in the world— Sichuan merely begins at spicy. This is a cuisine where key flavors start at 24. Yes, there are at least… Read more →

April 1, 2020

— A Guide to the Bay Area’s Local Grocers: International markets, CSAs, CFAs, farmers markets and 10 of our best independent, local grocers from SF to the East Bay and Peninsula.
— NYC’s Top 10 Bars
— Distiller Bottle Column: Stay-home sips ranging from a San Jose peated single malt you’d think is Scotch to the best maraschino liqueur I’ve ever tasted.
— The Hunters Point Supper Club That Helped Transform a Community Needs Your Support

Read more →

Gin Magazine: NYC’s Top 10 Bars

My latest print feature in Gin Magazine, issue 10/Mar-May 2020 (from the publishers of Whisky Magazine, which I have also written for here). Obviously, this was written pre-pandemic so here’s wishing support and lifelines for these greats bars through it (check the websites and social media for each if you live in NYC to see if they’re doing home delivery or takeout).… Read more →

March 23, 2020

—The State of the Bar World is Dire: As donations and aid changes daily, info is quickly out of date, but hearing from some of our best bar owners and managers early this week, the precarious state of our beloved bar world is real… and global.
— Bay Area, It’s Time to Get Takeout/Delivery: 10 of our best in every food category from Burmese to bagels.
— The Best Tacos in San Francisco That Aren’t La Taqueria: Updated with current takeout/delivery options.
— Chasing the Funk: R(h)um lovers, drink Haitian Clairin.

Read more →

The State of Our Bar Community is Dire

Published March 22, 2020, at Distiller Magazine, I wrote this piece the week prior and much has shifted each day, including the welcome regulatory relief for the state of California from the ABC last Thursday (these are law changes that should be permanent, “relieving” archaic, impractical Prohibition-esque holdovers). More on all that later. My friend Eric Grenier of Jack Daniels is compiling… Read more →