I’ve been dining at Joe’s sister, Original Joe’s Westlake, under prior owners for the last two decades. Bruno Scatena opened Joe’s of Westlake in 1956, which was eventually run by his daughter, Melinda Scatena, who worked there since she was 14 years old, selling it as she ran into health problems. My husband, Dan “The Renaissance Man,” and I adored it in those years and it was perpetually packed as if it were the hottest new restaurant. Read more →
Glory days with Scotch, whisk(e)y and Highland Park specifically, are still flowing. This past weekend, a sunny, cool October weekend on the Pacific Ocean coast just roughly 50 miles south of San Francisco, I (along with a few other media, photographers and writers) spent an unforgettable couple days with our west coast HP team at Costanoa, an eco-camp and lodge in Pescadero where we “glamped” in nicely outfitted tent cottages. Read more →
Though I don’t get to San Jose as much as I wish I could given my nonstop research around endlessly amazing NorCal plus nationally and globally, when I do, I always find treasures. My recent night on the town offered one hit after another at a standout new restaurant and four excellent bars, some of which also serve great food. Read more →
Staying in Sunnyvale in the heart of Silicon Valley surrounded Google offices may not sound like the ideal weekend “getaway.” But when you tell me there is a Bay Area hotel with a Japanese-American chef cooking inspired Japanese-influenced food, a Suntory Toki highball machine in-house and Japanese whiskey focus, I’m intrigued. Read more →
My weekly restaurant review for The Bold Italic, published September 8, 2021, covers a rarity in a region rife with superb, authentic Asian food in every category: excellent Indonesian food. This superb newcomer takes us to Redwood City:
My latest article for The Bold Italic, published October 9, 2020 (my regular Bold Italic articles here), covers five of the best parklet/patio outdoor dining spots in the city now:
In my latest article for The Bold Italic, I cover over 20 of San Francisco and the Bay Area’s best local grocers/markets, international markets, shops doing drink/bottle delivery and CSAs/CFAs delivering produce from farms and local, sustainable seafood to your door.
Published by Where Traveler (my other Where articles here) in September 2019, my article on 6 top new Bay Area restaurants, from modern Thai to retro supperclub: — Nari (Inspired Thai in Japantown)— Selby’s (Retro-Elegant Night Out in Atherton/Redwood City)— Square Pie Guys (Detroit Pizza & Decadent Goodness in SoMa)— Um.Ma (Hip Korean in Inner Sunset)— Bac Lieu (Neighborhood Vietnamese in Outer Mission)—… Read more →
My June print article in Oakland Magazine and Alameda Magazines covers Peninsula/South Bay/Silicon Valley hotels and where to eat around them, from luxury escapes to walkable downtown urban hotels. Article online here and below. My other Oakland and Alameda Magazine articles:— Walkable OC: Huntington Beach in one walkable mile— Romantic getaways in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica — Going well… Read more →
Published at Where Traveler (my other Where articles here) in May 2019, my article on 6 “secret,” under-the-radar restaurants – from fine dining to order-at-the-counter — in the South Bay/Peninsula. Treasures in Turkish-Antolian, Georgian, South Indian, Oaxacan, Japanese and Modern Korean food: