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 →
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 hotels, food and drink across the Peninsula. The Bay Area’s “south Bay” is yet another rich and diverse county in our wonderland of NorCal food.
My 10 Time Out dining recommends in Palo Alto still stand — as does a totally different getaway off the 101 freeway in Palo Alto, Four Seasons Silicon Valley. But here are three key newcomers in dining and a boutique hotel worth a local getaway. 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 →
This week I veer from reviewing a San Francisco restaurant South to the Ritz-Carlton’s signature restaurant Navio. With this summer’s promotion of Chilean-born chef Roberto Riveros from executive sous chef to executive chef over all the resort’s culinary operations (restaurants, banquets, in-room dining), alongside Navio chef de cuisine Francisco Simón, Riveros has run or cooked in kitchens from Santiago to Hong Kong, including six years at three Michelin-star Lasarte in Barcelona. Simón cooked Michelin-starred restaurants throughout Spain, including being head chef of Enoteca Paco Pérez in Barcelona, and Navio is his first cooking venture in the states. Together they are changing up the kitchen at Navio. 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 dining column at print and online magazine, Bob Cut — column details and my philosophy here and last month’s column here— covers standout newcomers and longtimers we want to keep supporting. During pandemic times, I’m covering outdoor dining, takeout and delivery restaurants, all of which I’ve vetted, visited or ordered from, choosing the standouts: Read more →
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.