Sacramento… Sac Town, our California Gold Country capital, known for its politics, surrounded by the boundless produce of inland California which us city dwellers richly benefit from. It’s a town I stop to dine in on the way to or from Tahoe but have only stayed the weekend in a couple times, despite its close proximity to San Francisco. A… Read more →
As with any part of the Bay Area, the South Bay offers plenty of culinary riches. It may be Silicon Valley, the ‘burbs, numerous towns rather than a metropolitan city, but exploring Indian food from Mountain View to Santa Clara or international hole-in-the-walls in San Mateo can gleefully feel like eating through another country. Here’s three restaurants where food and… Read more →
MIKKELLER BAR, Tenderloin (34 Mason St. between Turk and Market, 415-984-0279) In the heart of the Tenderloin and a couple short blocks from Union Square, Mikkeller Bar has soft-opened, a boon for beer aficionados and fans of the beloved Copenhagen brewery. But this bar and restaurant is not a replica of Mikkeller Bar in Copenhagen. Opened by Chuck Stilphen, founder… Read more →
Join me at three Marin stops in coffee, beer and food, including one newcomer as of this week, another that opened in 2010 – now coming into its own, and one classic that remains great for a decade. EQUATOR COFFEE at PROOF LAB SURF SHOP, 244 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley, 415-209-3733 Equator has long been a favorite Bay Area coffee, with 18… Read more →
Craft beers are in their heyday, alongside craft everything (coffee, spirits, food, etc…) From Anchor Brewing’s Fritz Maytag pioneering quality beer in the ’60’s, to the latest generation like Almanac Beer Co.‘s Jesse Friedman and Damian Fagan brewing farm-to-barrel seasonal ales and their new line of grocery store-ready (but still lively, fresh), bottled California table beers, San Francisco – and… Read more →
UPCIDER, 1160 Polk St., 2nd Fl. at Sutter, 415-931-1797 Ever since savoring a fantastic New England cider pairing with each course of a fall dinner at NYC’s Gramercy Tavern years ago, I’ve wondered when we might witness the arrival of urban cider bars. SF’s new Upcider and Bushwhacker in Portland are it thus far. Two aspects of Upcider jump out… Read more →
I’m constantly asked what my favorite restaurant is. It’s an impossible question. Inquire about my favorite taqueria, German, tea house, French bistro, and I’m ready to talk. There’s a favorite for every style and mood in a metropolitan, dense city such as ours. My current home is on the cusp of Haight-Ashbury and Cole Valley, which, like every neighborhood in… Read more →
Hayes Valley has gone through multiple rebirths, from its pre-’89 quake days under the shadow of freeway ramps, to its age as shoe and boutique shopping destination. The addition of Patricia’s Green in recent years brought a communal gathering place to the neighborhood, tying together north and south of Hayes Street in a cohesive strip of green. For years, Hayes… Read more →
Tavern at Lark Creek’s new Biergarten, Larkspur Think towering redwoods, smoky aromas of sausages, onions and peppers wafting from a grill, German beers on tap from a cooler, and a darling oompah band of elderly gentleman playing with spunk and skill. Enter the just-launched this week Biergarten at The Tavern at Lark Creek. For a short jaunt from the… Read more →
Jasper’s Corner Tap and Kitchen, Downtown/Union Square (401 Taylor at O’Farrell, 415-775-7979) You heard it in my Guardian column a couple weeks ago: Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen is going to be a drink destination, no doubt about it. Pair its all-star bartender line-up and impeccable cocktail menu with 18 beers on draft (like Telegraph Reserve Wheat from Santa Barbara), a… Read more →