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 →
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 →
Though SF has been a pioneering dining city for decades longer than the 15 years I’ve lived here — and I’ve been schooled on what food can be since the moment I moved here — 2016 started off with an almost ridiculously excellent eating month. More than half of these restaurants either opened January or in recent months, while a… Read more →
It’s been another month of excellent food from the 10 plus meals I eat out a week, ever hunting for the best. Prime example: I’m as in love with Chubby Noodle as ever — from its early days in the back of Amante (when I dubbed it one of the top openings of 2011), to its rowdy, packed Marina restaurant… Read more →
August was quite a month for notable new openings from Oakland to SF, including restaurants like The Keystone in the Mosser Hotel (my Zagat feature on the opening here). I also visited months-old spots, like the solid-though-not-overwhelming Buttermilk Southern Kitchen, or savored old school torta comfort (a steal with massive tortas) at Tortas Boos Voni. On the cheap eats front,… Read more →
Here are three newcomers I’m loving, whether for a quick lunch or take-out, each with some notable dishes. KITCHEN ISTANBUL, Inner Richmond Just open in December 2014 in the former Troya space (the Fillmore Troya location is thankfully still going strong), Kitchen Istanbul is my new, go-to Turkish spot, ideal for eat-in or take-out. As with my longtime Iraqi favorite,… Read more →
From my many articles a week as Zagat Editor, I summarize and link to some coverage highlights here – you can follow along on Twitter @ZagatSF, where I post daily, or on my own @ThePerfectSpot via Twitter or Facebook. New SF Openings Californios & Chef Val Cantu’s Creative, Mexican-Influenced Tasting Menus Hot Dish: Chris Cosentino’s “Ham” Burger at the new… Read more →
From my many articles a week as Zagat Editor, I summarize and link to some coverage highlights here – you can follow along on Twitter @ZagatSF, where I post daily, or on my own @ThePerfectSpot via Twitter or Facebook. New SF Openings First Look: ALEMBIC’s new kitchen opens – what to eat on the new menu 7 things to order… Read more →
From my many articles a week as Zagat Editor, I summarize and link to some coverage highlights here – you can follow along on Twitter @ZagatSF, where I post daily, or on my own @ThePerfectSpot via Twitter or Facebook. New Bay Area Openings First Look at sold out, ticketing-only LAZY BEAR, a cult pop-up turned restaurant First Look inside the… Read more →
From my 15 articles/posts a week as Zagat Editor, I summarize and link to just some coverage highlights here – you can sign up for Zagat’s weekly newsletter for highlights here and follow along on Twitter @ZagatSF, where I post daily. As I have been for over a decade, I’m on the ground daily looking for early standouts at each… Read more →