A weekend in Guerneville always feels like a real “escape”, under towering redwoods, along the Russian River with the Pacific Ocean just over the mountain crest (more on past visits here). A leisurely stroll — or hardcore hike — through the stunning Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve while in the area is a must. Driving the rough, single lane road… Read more →
This article was first published here at Food Republic on April 8, 2016. “There are two messages I wanted to send all our guests,” says chef Vikrant Bhasin as he delivers a platter of Kashmiri kofta (meatballs made from local lamb) brushed with mustard oil. “One, this is home-cooked food. Second, this is the food available on the streets of India… Read more →
— Top 7 Cocktails of the Month: From a magical new Tiki bar to Indian-inspired cocktails — what is worth drinking now.
— 5 New Spirits: Tasting Polugar (“Russian bread wine”), pisco, cachaca, Irish whiskey and rum.
— My Top 3 Whiskies at Whiskies of the World 2016: From Scotch to whiskey blended and finished in Berkeley.
Here are the 7 standout cocktails and new bars of the month I’ve been tasting around the Bay Area. 1. Pagan Idol‘s Bird of Paradise or Witch Doctor The most fun new bar of the month (and year so far?) is easily Pagan Idol from the prolific Future Bars team (Bourbon & Branch, Rickhouse, Local Edition, Tradition and so on),… Read more →
Winter in California is a gorgeous affair, much like the rest of the year, with sunny, crisp days and nights interspersed with warm, summery waves. There are always nearby mountains when one craves snow for the weekend but winter leads into spring seamlessly and we drink refreshing cocktails as easily as spirituous drinks, thus all spirits flow year-round, from whiskey… Read more →
We just had another Whiskies of the World (WoW) on the San Francisco Belle, docked in the Bay and held on March 26 (last year and years prior here). Although it is one of the big whisk(e)y events in the country (also held in San Jose, Atlanta, Houston, Austin), it remains more approachable than larger whisk(e)y events, more like a… Read more →
This issue:
— 10 New February Openings: Which ones are most worth visiting… and why.
— Top 5 Bay Area Dishes, February Edition: Outside of new openings, here are the dishes wowing, from SF to Oakland.
— RN74 Revived: Why RN74’s new chef is breathing life into the longtime wine destination.
This is a preview of a regular column that will be part of the national Table8 blog we are about to launch this Spring — I will cover the Bay Area and am national editor over all cities/writers. The 10 top openings of February are: Starboard, Ijji, Mensho Tokyo, The Treasury, Antoinette in Berkeley, High Treason (more to come when… Read more →
Per usual, I’ve been dining up a storm at newcomers like Matador (tacos and tequila near Union Square), Cuban food in Oakland at Casa Cubana, French-inspired cuisine at Antoinette in the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley (from Dominique Crenn) or bagels at the new Wise Sons Bagel & Bakery. I’ve returned to established favorites, like vegan goodness at Nourish Cafe or… Read more →
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. Hidden Gems: Here we highlight some of the best under-the-radar restaurants we find often get missed by the press or restaurants with notable changes (like new chef, menu or concept) that warrant a revisit. Since opening in 2009, RN74 has been a stellar wine destination with a… Read more →