I continue to be busy covering cocktails and bars around the US at Liquor.com. I recently interviewed bar manager great, Kevin Diedrich at Pacific Cocktail Haven (P.C.H.) on what he’s learned about opening your own bar. Covering the top 11 cocktails of the month around the US here, you’ll find my bar and drink recommends in San Francisco, Sonoma County,… Read more →
With my brother and sister-in-law living there for years, I’ve been exploring Denver (plus Boulder, Fort Collins, Aspen, Breckenridge and beyond) for some time now, savoring the riches available in Colorado food and drink. With my five top new food destinations this visit here (recommends over past years here), these are the top five new bars that have opened since… Read more →
As ever, San Francisco remains a cocktail paradise, the pioneering city that has reached excellence across the board: at restaurants, hole-in-the-walls and cocktail dens, there are too many great drinks to count. But I am counting and here are 12 cocktails, in bars/restaurants from SF to Oakland, worth drinking now. 1. A Boozy, Citrus-Free Mai Tai at P.C.H. Wherever Kevin… Read more →
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. More on Chicago food recommends here. Chicago ever remains a great drinking town. My recent return to visit family, friends and attend the James Beard Awards, yielded more worthwhile spots. I appreciate the vibe and the gracious service at Tiki favorite, Lost Lake, especially post-fire with their… Read more →
Going off and on since 2010, Tales of the Cocktail remains the most exhausting, exhilarating reunion of spirits and cocktail folk — many from the best restaurants, bars and brands — in the world. For some of us, the nightly parties have become too big, loud and not really a showcase for drink, while the peak of summer oppressiveness in… Read more →
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. The 9 key restaurant and bar openings of June are Louie’s Gen-Gen Room, Tawla, Dum, In Situ, Two Birds/One Stone in St. Helena, P.C.H. (Pacific Cocktail Haven), Tratto, Duke’s Spirited Cocktails in Healdsburg and Agave Uptown in Oakland. Corridor, which opened at the end of the month,… Read more →
I’m transported straight back to Italy. But it’s not the housemade pasta, classic Negronis or the hanging prosciutto. This is all transporting, certainly, but I can find this in numerous Italian havens in San Francisco. With Japan a close second, Italy is my favorite country, a place I’ve traveled to multiple times in numerous regions. I crave and long for… 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 →
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 →