Vicinity’s Half Moon Bay course. Photo by Virginia Miller. For 25 years, I’ve been exploring and writing about the Bay Area’s Peninsula — including but not minimized to Silicon Valley. San Mateo County can exhibit suburban malaise and mediocrity when it comes to restaurant standards, especially compared to the dense, world-class glories of nearby San Francisco. But this is also… Read more →
Tasting House sungold tomato sorbet and cream. Photo by Virginia Miller. For 24 years, I’ve been exploring and writing about the Bay Area’s Peninsula — including but not minimized to the moniker Silicon Valley. San Mateo County can suffer from suburban malaise and mediocrity when it comes to restaurant standards, especially compared to the dense, world-class glories of nearby San… Read more →
Eos & Nyx mezze/dips. Photo by Virginia Miller. For 24 years, I’ve been exploring and writing about the Bay Area’s Peninsula — including but not minimized to the moniker Silicon Valley. San Mateo County can suffer from suburban malaise and mediocrity when it comes to restaurant standards, especially compared to the dense, world-class glories of nearby San Francisco. But this… Read more →
From Spanish and Cal-French newcomers to a foodie, cocktail and coffee geek’s hotel… where to eat, drink and stay in San Mateo County now… Read more →
From modern Turkish or Indian to Italian x2 (including alpine Germanic-Italian), where to eat in San Mateo County now… Read more →
In this article:
—Steakhouse Extraordinaire: Niku Steakhouse, SoMa/Design District
—Playful, Modern Soul Food: Burdell, Oakland
—Thai Noodle Love: Khao Soi Shop Pop-Up at Nari, Japantown
—Michelin-Recommended Abura Soba Noodles: Kajiken, San Mateo Read more →
When I first dined at Meyhouse in Sunnyvale in 2019 not long after it opened, it was the best Turkish restaurant I’d been to in the West. So when I heard they were opening their second, more elegant Palo Alto location, I was “in,” despite the 45-ish minute drive there and back from San Francisco. As often happens, the opening was delayed, but Meyhouse finally debuted August 9, 2023, in a massive space with open air windows overlooking walkable downtown Palo Alto. Read more →
View from our deck at el Prado, Palo Alto. 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/staycation-palo-alto-a-spanish-themed-hotel-two-newer-restaurants From recent staycations in the Silicon Valley town of Sunnyvale to the coast in Half Moon Bay, for 21 years I’ve researched and written of… Read more →
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 →