This issue:
— The New Fine Dining: Three fine dining restaurants, one brand new, two modern day classics, that breathe fresh life into fine dining.
— 5 Top Philly Cocktail Bars: Some of the best cocktails in Philadelphia are found at these five.
— Weekending in Healdsburg: From upscale dining in casual settings to a new, destination-worthy cocktail bar, here’s the latest worth eating & drinking in Healdsburg.
— Philly’s Coffee Scene: 7 Top coffee shops around the city.
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. California pioneered the ethos of “come as you are”, though the trend has taken over the country in recent years. Especially in SF, LA and Napa, fine dining has leaned towards the casual for decades, even at its most refined. Whether movie stars or Silicon Valley moguls,… Read more →
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. Weekending in Sonoma is always a pleasure. In the Bay Area, we are downright blessed to have a region (among California’s endless stunning regions) of such variety and beauty a stone’s throw away. I’ve been weekending there for 15 years and know the towns and villages intimately.… Read more →
Philadelphia is definitely a food lover’s town and my recent explorations just began to scratch the surface. The cocktail scene is smaller, especially compared to other cities of this size, a bit behind or not in keeping with other cities of this size or such a palate for great food. But what is here is strong, vibrant and growing. Unless… Read more →
Like many a US city these days, Third Wave coffee has taken over Philadelphia. No longer relegated to the pioneering West Coast that launched this wave as far back as the 1960’s when Peet’s first opened in Berkeley, CA, Philly has had its own key pioneer since 1994: La Colombe. When even NYC was still a wasteland for great coffee — not… Read more →
This Issue:
— Top 3 May Openings: Inspired Hawaiian, Spanish and Mexican restaurants are topping my new openings list for May.
— 4 New Brunches… with Drink: Great new brunch options also with excellent drink.
— Decades of Brandy: Tasting through decades of California brandy and Calvados.
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. The 10 key openings of May are Itani Ramen in Oakland, Mac Daddy, Fenix, Homage, Sushi Hashiri, Popsons, Orson’s Belly, Bellota, Sababa and Laszlo’s reopening. While there are strengths at each — all but one of which I’ve visited — here are my top three newcomers… and… Read more →
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. Daytime drinking — in the right setting with excellent food — transports me immediately to Europe, lingering over a Spritz and supplì streetside in Roma or a glass of wine with a long lunch in pretty much any European city. One of the many things I love… Read more →
After my recent travels in Cognac, France, my longheld love for brandy deepened even further. I am crazy about all manner of brandy (grape-based spirits), from Armagnac to pisco. I am passionate about Calvados (French apple brandy) and other apple brandies — note here my most unforgettable Calvados experience and tasting in the world, in Kyoto, Japan, of all places.… Read more →
My May 26th Oakland Magazine feature article ran in both June print issues of Oakland and Alameda Magazines, covering two romantic escapes in Beverly Hills and on the beach in Santa Monica as well as where to eat and drink nearby. My other Oakland and Alameda Magazine articles include going well beyond wine in the Willamette Valley with beer, spirits, ciders,… Read more →