As COVID rages on, local trips and overnights beckon for easy, close-to-home getaways that don’t require flights. It was 2011 when I last wrote about Santa Cruz highlights, though I’ve stayed there and passed through numerous times in between, including visiting the chill town of Aptos, eight miles down the road. Here is my guide to a few highlights in the laid back, surfer city of Santa Cruz (SC), a brief 70 miles south of San Francisco.
Covering the 11 top agave spirit (tequila, mezcal, raicilla) cocktails around the US at Liquor.com, you’ll find my top national drinks on menus at these bars/restaurants: Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, San Francisco Palenque Mezcaleria, Denver Saba, New Orleans The Limbo, Louisville Cultura, Carmel, CA Rich Table, San Francisco Clavel, Baltimore Rapscallion, Dallas Mace, New York City Abigail Hall, Portland, OR Wayan, New York City… Read more →
Published by Where Traveler in March 2019, my article on 3 weekends (hotels, spa, food, drink, even motorcycles) from Marina to Carmel and the Carmel Valley. Article here: www.wheretraveler.com/san-francisco/eat/carmel-weekend-three-ways Read more →
Published at Thrillist on May 19, 2017, here are my latest recommendations of what to do in Monterey, from spa to bakery, restaurants to drinks, park to beach: www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/san-francisco/things-to-do-in-monterey-california Read more →
Aubergine at L’Auberge Carmel, a boutique hotel right in the walkable, intimate town of Carmel, is no stranger to awards. They are one of only 500 Relais & Châteaux privately owned hotel and restaurants in the world, awarded for being a standard setter in the combination of cuisine and charming hotel character. In 2013, Executive Chef Justin Cogley was named… Read more →
My first Pebble Beach Food & Wine this April 12-15, 2012. Despite chilly breezes post-rainfall and those outrageously high ticket prices ($500 is a cheap dinner ticket), it was a bustling, fun-filled weekend of food and far more wine, much of it high quality, celebrity chefs, after (and after-after) parties, copious amounts of caviar, champagne and white Burgundy sipped overlooking… Read more →
There’s nothing quite like Monterey’s Restaurant 1833 in San Francisco. Yes, our city boasts fantastic food, cocktails, wine and beer lists, competitive with the best in the world. But 1833’s magical setting sets it apart, truly the whole package – and worth a drive from SF. Housed in an adobe structure from 1833 (hence the name), I was captivated by… Read more →
The Renaissance Man surprised me recently with a quiet weekend away in Santa Cruz and unexpected meal off the slow, winding roads of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Though Santa Cruz is far from my favorite town, its laid back feel and beaches work for a quick getaway from SF, and its gourmet pleasures peak with ice cream and coffee. Ice… Read more →
A recent weekend trip to the Monterey/Pacific Grove/Carmel area was ‘just what the doctor ordered’ for my deadline/detail-overloaded mind lately. The Renaissance Man and I took to the rocks along the sea like kids, climbing as far out as we could get, oohing and aahing at big waves and shimmering blue. California is one gorgeous place and there’s a reason… Read more →