Interviewing Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu’s & Talking SF Chinatown — at KCET Los Angeles

by  on  in Featured Neighborhood

Published November 28, 2018, in conjunction with a TV episode on the same subject, my article for KCET in Los Angeles on San Francisco’s historic Chinatown, legend Cecilia Chang, Mister Jiu’s and chef Brandon Jew, China Live, The Wok Shop, America’s first Chinatown’s past, present and future: www.kcet.org/shows/the-migrant-kitchen/the-ever-shifting-future-and-flavor-of-san-franciscos-chinatown Read more →

10 Best Hidden Bars in San Francisco

by  on  in Imbiber

My latest at Time Out on 10 top “speakeasy” or rather, hidden, bars. Article here. _____________________________________________________________________ ”Speakeasy” is a tired bar term for San Franciscans. Following NYC players like Angel’s Share and Milk & Honey, SF was the earliest in the country to jumpstart the speakeasy trend when Bourbon and Branch opened in 2006. Though the overplayed trend has taken… Read more →

10 Best Pie Shops in SF & Oakland

by  on  in Top Tastes

My latest at Time Out : in time for the holidays, 13 of San Francisco’s best sources (restaurants, shops and cafes) for pie. Article here. ___________________ The holidays are an obvious time for pie. But when pies are as excellent as they are in the Bay Area — whether a standard-setting PB&J ice cream pie, savory shepherd’s pie or a… Read more →

November 15, 2018

by  on  in Intro Letter

This issue:
— 8 Historic SF Restaurants Where the Food Is Still Good: From souffle master to 1970s-era red sauce Italian, 8 of SF’s classics I hope live forever.
— The Top New Restaurants of the Month: Seafood and meat glories from a 3 Michelin-starred chef, check box menus of “new school Italian” food and burgers made by robots.
— 8 Top Scotch Cocktails Around the US: From Albuquerque to Portland, 8 crushable whisky cocktails on menus now.
— Top 5 Whiskies at WhiskyFest 2018: American and Irish whiskey… and plenty of Scotch.

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11 Top Cocktails Around the US — November 2018

by  on  in Imbiber

Covering the 11 hottest cocktails of the month around the US at Liquor.com, you’ll find my top national drinks on menus at these bars/restaurants: DiAnoia’s Eatery, Pittsburgh Mourad, San Francisco Daisies, Chicago Vault, Fayetteville, AR Campo at Los Poblanos Inn, Albuquerque, NM Ash Bar at Nomad.PDX, Portland, OR The Roosevelt Room, Austin Sababa, Washington D.C. Third Rail, San Francisco Vol. 39… Read more →

The Top New Openings of the Month: October 2018

by  on  in The Latest

In my latest Time Out column, my top openings of the month join other standout newcomers for a top 10 on where to eat now (article here): Angler — 5 stars 132 The Embarcadero, 415-872-9442. anglerrestaurants.com. Tuesday-Saturday 5-10pm. Expectations run high when chef Joshua Skenes of three-Michelin-starred Saison opens a more casual (but still upscale) sister restaurant. Angler does not disappoint.… Read more →

Top 5 Whiskies at Whiskyfest SF 2018

by  on  in Imbiber

My 10th year attending Whiskyfest San Francisco (also held in Chicago, D.C. and NYC annually). As with every year, I’ve tasted most of what is in the room over the years, so most whiskies are a revisit for me (here are the previous year’s standouts). With hundreds of whiskies to taste from Scotland, Japan, Ireland, Taiwan, Canada, Australia, India, the… Read more →

8 historic San Francisco restaurants where the food is still good

by  on  in Top Tastes

In my latest feature at Blackboard Eats, I cover 8 exceptional historic San Francisco restaurants where the food is good and the tourist crowds aren’t crazy, if they are there at all (article here): — Cafe Jacqueline, North Beach — Bix, Financial District— Tadich Grill, Financial District— Anchor Oyster Bar, Castro— Pacific Cafe, Outer Richmond— Ristorante Marcello, Outer Sunset/Parkside— House… Read more →