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 →
With more 3 Michelin-starred restaurants than New York City (a city with 10 times the population and nearly 7 times the size), San Francisco has been a giant and a pioneer in food and drink for decades, excelling in every sub-category beyond cities many times their size and jumpstarting farm-to-table, wine, craft beer and spirits movements literally decades ago. The… Read more →
In my latest Time Out column, I cover these 5 worthwhile places, newcomers, drinks, events and dishes here: Read more →
Well over 100 dishes tried in June alone, from San Francisco to Louisville, KY, Portland to Oregon’s Willamette Valley — here are the seven standout dishes of the month. 1. August 1 Five’s Green Crepe (Pesarattu), SF One of my top new restaurants of 2016 — and my favorite of the flush of Modern Indian restaurants to hit SF in… Read more →
The notable restaurant openings of May were City Counter, Tahini, Chris Cosentino’s Acacia House in Napa, A Mano, Miller’s Rest, Dumpling Time, Le Marais Bakery’s second location in the Castro, The Catamount in Los Gatos, The Castro Fountain (the second location from Ice Cream Bar owner), Reem’s in Oakland. I have yet to make it to Reem’s (soon), Acacia House or The… Read more →
March (finally) brought the ambitious, long-anticipated China Live to Chinatown (which I wrote about numerous times from Food Republic to Zagat). The month also delivered another major beer restaurant: Hitachino Beer & Wagyu (in its soft opening mode so will be in consideration for top openings of April as it officially “opens”), and cocktail-centric restaurant, The Douglas Room. Other notable March… Read more →
Every month I cover the top new openings out of all restaurants and bars that have opened that month in the Bay Area (as I visit almost all of them — recent months here). Often these are mid-range or affordable, but sometimes a new opening is a “cheap eats” kind of gem but not necessarily one of the top 2-5… Read more →
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. The most notable restaurant and bar openings of September were Old Devil Moon, Nomica, Maybeck’s (essentially a renamed Spaghetti Bros.), Mezcalito, Eva’s Waterfront in Oakland and the delightful joys of Taiwanese snow at Powder. Here are my top three newcomers of the month… and why they stand… Read more →
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. The key restaurant and bar openings of August are Buffalo Theory, Barzotto, Bon, Nene, Nightbird, Tartine Manufactory, Limewood Bar & Restaurant in Berkeley. I’ll be visiting Nightbird soon and Tartine, being the bakery that changed the US baking game, is certainly a special opening with their new… Read more →
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 →