Michelin-starred restaurant rebirthed as a casual-chic RTB Wine Bar

by  on  in The Latest

Saddened to see tiny, Michelin-starred Avery move to Edinburgh, Scotland, recently, the restaurant went with chef Rodney Wages and his wife. Since the Fillmore Street gem opened in 2018 — in the same Michelin-rife couple of blocks as State Bird Provisions, The Progress, Anchovy Bar and Merchant Roots — it quietly bucked upscale trends with Wages irreverent, rock star attitude towards fine dining, complete with caviar bumps and his soon-famed liquid tortellini en brodo (in broth). Avery’s exquisite champagne and sake selections made it all the more special. I gave it a perfect five stars in my Time Out days, and will never forget the “feels like you’re in Tuscany” magic of their pop-up dinners in Napa during pandemic, complete with limo rides to and from SF. Read more →

YOUNTVILLE OVERNIGHT: Where to Eat, Stay & Drink in Napa Valley’s Most Foodie Town

by  on  in Around the Bay

Published March 8, 2024, in my Medium column: A day trip or overnight in stunning Napa Valley is joy, and a regular part of the lives of many San Franciscans. In this guide, I’ve squeezed in a “cheap eats” spot, a 40-year restaurant classic and a notable new cocktail bar in the nearby town of Napa, but stay centered in Yountville. As… Read more →

Remodeled Quince feels like a restaurant reborn in Jackson Square

by  on  in Top Tastes

Three Michelin-starred Quince is widely known to be one of the best restaurants in the world. I remember Quince’s cozy original space that opened in 2003 on Octavia Street, where chef Michael Tusk and wife, Lindsay, first revealed to us his Bologna, Italy-trained pasta perfection and her hospitality and restaurateur genius. They moved to Jackson Square six years later, and now — with a recent renovation — Quince is a restaurant reborn. Read more →

Meals for a Winter’s Day: 7 Restaurant Standouts of the Month

by  on  in Top Tastes

These newcomers or new menus cover the gamut, from dim sum to traditional Irish or Russian food. Alongside the latest full restaurant reviews — why SF is the U.S.’ best food city, The Halfway Club, Nick’s Cove, Movida/Bar Gemini/Stoa, Canela, Chotto Matte, 2023’s top new restaurants and bars — these seven are also worth visiting, with last month’s standouts here (as always, I’ve personally vetted and visited each one): Read more →

Why San Francisco is the U.S.’ best food city

by  on  in Best Of

San Francisco has long been rife with world’s best cocktail bars: it was one of three cities, alongside New York and New Orleans, that introduced the world to cocktails in the 1800s, after all. Then SF and NYC led the cocktail renaissance of the past three decades. But as one of the world’s best food cities, many of these bars also serve killer food. While bars like True Laurel and The Snug are shining examples of this combo, there’s a recent wave of new bars where food and drink shine together, but the vibe is fully bar vs. restaurant. Three of the most interesting newcomers? Stoa, Movida and Bar Gemini. Read more →

A new neighborhood hang comes to San Francisco: The Halfway Club

by  on  in The Latest

Many a happy night was spent at Broken Record over a decade ago with my friends and family, playing pool, sipping a dram from their affordable whiskey list, and filling up on excellent bar food. After closing in September 2022, I couldn’t have predicted that friends Ethan Terry and Greg Quinn would end up taking over the space and opening The Halfway Club, their dream long in the making. Read more →