Did we need another fine dining, tasting menu-only restaurant? “Need” is maybe the wrong choice of words. With the arrival of Kiln, just open May 16th, 2023, in Hayes Valley in the former Cala space, we have yet another upscale restaurant that already exemplifies why San Francisco easily offers the U.S.’ best fine dining, but is also a global player. Read more →
Xica’s tacos. Photo by Virginia Miller. One restaurant, a buzzy pizza-meets-global-plates and natural wine restaurant on Nob Hill, to a sunny Mexican newcomer on peaceful Levi’s Plaza, these two new restaurants may have slipped your notice. Don’t let them. They may not be getting a lot of press, but they’re two delightful new San Francisco neighborhood restaurants. BACK TO BACK, Nob Hill… Read more →
Mattina’s ravioli. Photo by Virginia Miller. COME SEE OUR NEW HOME — The Bold Italic has a new home online, and this story has moved! Read it here: https://www.thebolditalic.com/a-new-all-day-cafe-that-doubles-as-idyllic-neighborhood-restaurant-mattina SPQR opened back in 2007, but it wasn’t until Matthew Accarrino came on board as chef in 2009 that it quickly became a top pasta restaurant in the nation — and one of multiple… Read more →
8 SF & Oakland Spots Winning with Cocktails AND Food Heartwood’s Juice Joint with Argonaut brandy, Fino sherry, papaya shrub, garam masala tincture. Photo by Virginia Miller. These new spots or new menus cover the gamut, from Filipino-Mexican to Peruvian. Alongside my full restaurant reviews this month — for Aphotic, Daytrip Oakland, Coho Mill Valley, Palo Alto’s Naschmarkt and Ethel’s Fancy, Juniper and Starter… Read more →
Aphotic spot prawns and Tsar Nicoulai caviar. Photo by Virginia Miller. I won’t forget my first visit to Palette soon after opening in 2019 when chef Peter Hemsley grilled up rare, local coonstripe shrimp just caught that morning, buttery-fresh and revelatory… like eating our divine local spot prawns for the first time. With a cooking background ranging from Paris and New… Read more →
Opened October 2021 by Finn Stern and Stella Dennig, as Oakland’s Daytrip approaches one and a half years of age, it has become clear it’s one of the city’s best restaurants now. It was named one of Bon Appetit’s top 10 new restaurants in America in 2022 and is one of the tougher reservations in OAK. Read more →
Hidden Whimsical-Molecular Restaurant (Formerly A Beloved Pop-Up) Opens On A Sleepy Residential Block: Anomaly SF Anomaly SF’s caviar and French toast (Photo Credit: Virginia Miller) COME SEE OUR NEW HOME — The Bold Italic has a new home online, and this story has moved! Read it here: https://www.thebolditalic.com/hidden-whimsical-molecular-restaurant-formerly-a-beloved-pop-up-opens-on-a-sleepy-residential The speakeasy trend peaked in the mid-aughts in New York and San Francisco cocktails… Read more →
Published in the Winter 2022-2023 print issue of Maze Row’s VOICES Magazine out of London, Vol. 2:
My interview with Lazy Bear’s (San Francisco) beverage director Jacob Brown finds inspiration in the endless wealth of California produce & vineyards: Read more →
January Eats Checklist: 4 Standouts of the Month Merchant Roots’ The Olive (Branching) course (Photo Credit: Virginia Miller) COME SEE OUR NEW HOME — The Bold Italic has a new home online, and this story has moved! Read it here: https://www.thebolditalic.com/january-eats-checklist-5-standouts-of-the-month These newcomers or new menus cover the gamut, from a nature-rich tribute to California’s majestic trees in edible form, to healthy,… Read more →
These newcomers or new menus cover the gamut, from Sebastopol (Sonoma County) treasures in Thai and pizza to SF gems in Creole/Cajun, Japanese and elevated bar food. Alongside this month’s full restaurant reviews of these exceptional spots, these seven are also worth visiting, with last month’s standouts here (as always, I’ve vetted, visited or ordered from each place reviewed): Read more →