Covering 7 standout frozen/slushie cocktails around the US at Liquor.com, you’ll find my top national drinks on menus at these bars/restaurants: — Beehive, San Francisco— Manolito, New Orleans— Downtown Sporting Club, Nashville— Adrift Tiki Bar, Denver— Best Intentions, Chicago— Pacific Hideaway, Huntington Beach (OC), CA— Bourbon O Bar, New Orleans Strangelove (Beehive, San Francisco, CA)The Mission district’s delightful Beehive is… Read more →
Covering 9 top vodka cocktails on menus around the US at Liquor.com, you’ll find my top national drinks on menus at these bars/restaurants: Some deem vodka the “blank canvas” spirit, neutral and understated. Bartenders around the country are painting that canvas vibrantly, infusing vodka with sesame, cucumber and even gummy bears. These 9 bars and restaurants are having more than a… Read more →
My January print article in Oakland Magazine and Alameda Magazines, covering the OC but from a walkable standpoint. Yes, in a massive county of millions, Orange County’s Huntington Beach is all grown up with new and revamped hotels, restaurants, cocktails and spas, all in one walkable coastal mile, complete with SoCal sunsets and chill surfer vibe. Article here. My other Oakland… Read more →
As I continue to call out OC food gems (more here) from a County I partly grew up in — but one known more for its chain restaurant blandness and mall-mentality than its culinary gems — here are a few more places worth seeking out in the endless, freeway-laced suburbs of LA. PLAYGROUND, Santa Ana Yes, I finally made it… Read more →
The OC dining wasteland that was one of the homes of my youth — a place I lived a total of 12 years of my life — is still not remotely in league with even the dining scenes of the US’ great mid-size cities. But better eats continue to pop up and increase around the massive county, which is an… Read more →
Restaurants TACO MARIA, Costa Mesa Taco Maria is the kind of humble-yet-modern, “food first” kind of restaurant that made me fall in love with San Francisco when I moved there nearly 14 years ago — and I couldn’t find much of real quality in my old Orange County stomping grounds over the years. But times are finally changing in at… Read more →
Over the holidays and family visits, I branched out to a few new spots, curious if massive, suburban Orange County finally is entering the gourmet realm long ago the standard in areas far less populated. Multiple visits a year (since the days I lived here) and an exceptional meal is still quite rare. Though I finally found one intriguing cocktail… Read more →
A RESTAURANT, Newport Beach – PCH-situated A Restaurant in Newport Beach oozes 1970’s, from its shingled roof, red and white exterior, and neon lighting, to its wood-paneled, red-boothed interior. But what shocks is its gourmet inclinations, and heartwarming, retro spirit sans kitsch. Salads like Fig+Burratta ($13) showcase those two beauties over arugula with Marcona almond duck prosciutto and balsamic drizzle.… Read more →