I was fortunate to meet The Barefoot Contessa Friday night in Corte Madera, about 15 minutes north of San Francisco, with three generations of her fans: my wife, daughter, mother and brother. (But I’m such a literal person, I looked under the table and saw she was wearing shoes.) The occasion was a meet-and-greet signing…
The majority of upscale restaurants in Marin County, just north of San Francisco, are banding together for the greater good. On Thursday, November 16, when you dine at any of the participants below, 20% of the food sales will be donated to Homeward Bound of Marin — to help end homelessness. “Dine Out to End…
The second annual Gastronomy of the 19th Century is being presented in Croatia now through December 15, 2006. Twenty restaurants in Opatija, located on the eastern coast of the Adriatic, are participating. Opatija, often called “The Nice of the Adriatic,” is one of the most popular tourist resorts in Croatia. Viennese and French cuisine was…
At first I wasn’t sure if I was interviewing the director of the Michelin Guide or the next potential James Bond. Jean-Luc Naret is movie star handsome, suave, sophisticated and as beautifully appointed as many of the restaurants the guides cover. When I told him that he could answer “No Comment,” when asked a question…
We had the most perfect weather imaginable last weekend in the Bay Area, and I’m not embarrassed to say that I spent the whole glorious weekend inside — and I wasn’t even sick! I happily gave up the sunshine to attend two fantastic food and wine “inside the kitchen” events. The first took place Friday…
Yesterday, I went shopping at the Westfield San Francisco Centre with my wife and daughter. The highlight of the day was a 54-year-old cream puff at Beard Papa, infused with chocolate cream. And it was delicious!! We got to this popular new center that opened three weeks ago about 1pm. It was absolutely packed with…
From November 9 to 12, you can be in golf and culinary heaven. How? Because you can spend your days playing golf on the celebrated greens of pristine Hilton Head Island and its world famous courses at Palmetto Dunes. And you can spend your nights hanging out at the Celebrity Chef Classic with noted foodies…
When you take an old-fashioned tea restaurant and infuse it with a younger generation, a hip DJ and a sommelier to help you select the proper blend, you get Tavalon Tea Bar. With a great New York City West Union Square ultra-modern lounge, its two young owners want their generation to become tea drinkers instead…
I had heard about this new bottled margarita drink that was making its way through celebrity parties and such, so I decided to check it out. A new magazine, www.plugLA.com, that brings news of the hippest trends in and around Los Angeles recently had Giovanni Fernandez on the cover. Fernandez created his perfect Margarita cocktail…
Everyone loves visiting Boston’s South End. Now, there’s one more reason: Plum Produce is a new food store that offers the best of a traditional, old fashioned New England farm stand amid a sleek urban marketplace. Here, you can buy fresh vegetables, herbs, dried fruits, and house-made preserves. In fact, its owner, Barbara Lynch, calls…
After you’ve had your fill of Peking Duck while in Beijing, you might want to try something else. A fabulous option is a Brazilian restaurant called Alameda, which is in Na-Li Mall, off Sanlitun Lu Street (also referred to as Bar Street due to its many drinking establishments). Once you’ve found Na-Li Mall, take some…
An anonymous San Francisco blogger of “Give Me Some Food” writes: “Terzo” means ‘a third place’ in Italian. The design looked awfully like something out of Sweden. Minimalist, wood, sleek, geometric…” This Cow Hollow is a vibrant, authentically European designed neighborhood restaurant featuring friendly service, interesting wines, and a Pan-Mediterranean menu based on seasonal ingredients….