Covering the 11 top gin cocktails of the month around the country at Liquor.com, you’ll find my top national drinks now at these bars/restaurants (click on each for the featured cocktail): As one of the greatest, far-reaching spirits in history, gin is worth drinking any day of the year. But spring seems particularly suited to its green herbaceousness, its citrus-driven… Read more →
In my latest Time Out column, izakayas are casual Japanese pubs, gathering places for bites and drinks — and we’ve seen a ton of them open in the Bay Area for well over a decade. But the latest rush of izakayas goes a bit more upscale: still good drinking spots but with elevated food and decor (article here). — Shinmai, Oakland… Read more →
Covering the 11 hottest cocktails of the month around the US at Liquor.com, you’ll find my top national drinks now at these bars/restaurants (click on each for the featured cocktail): Bars from Santa Barbara to Brooklyn are taking comfort in Tiki on chilly nights, experimenting with sherry or rum and playing with rarities like malort and pommeau. These 11 bars… Read more →
In my latest Time Out column, here are my top five dishes of the month — article here: Read more →
The notable restaurant openings of April were Hitachino Beer & Wagyu (soft opening in March, officially open in April), Mestiza Taqueria (at the end of March), Black Jet Baking Company and Kagawa-Ya Udon Noodle Co. in SF. Kagawa-Ya is fun, fast-casual Sanuki-style udon (from Japan’s Kagawa Prefecture, an area known for having hundreds of udon houses with a distinctive square shape… Read more →
This article was first published here at Table8 where I am national editor. As I cover the standout new openings every month, there are a number of new restaurants that are welcome neighborhood go-tos serving food needed in that ‘hood, often at reasonable prices. In Napa, Oakland and San Francisco, here are five such new restaurants worth visiting. A Sleek… 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 →
Per usual, I’ve been dining up a storm at newcomers like Matador (tacos and tequila near Union Square), Cuban food in Oakland at Casa Cubana, French-inspired cuisine at Antoinette in the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley (from Dominique Crenn) or bagels at the new Wise Sons Bagel & Bakery. I’ve returned to established favorites, like vegan goodness at Nourish Cafe or… 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 Hapa Ramen opens its first brick-and-mortar – with cocktails – in the Mission Crystal Jade opens its first… Read more →