For Morgan Schick and Eric Quilty, creating food-and-cocktail pairings was always part of the game plan. Schick (of the Mission's Trick Dog) and Quilty (of East Bay Spice Company) banded together in 2010 to form Jupiter Olympus, a cocktail consulting group. At Choke, an artichoke-themed dinner hosted by Cynar, they paired 5 cocktails with food from Chris Kronner of Kronnerburger and Kevin Cimino of St. Vincent. More
A day of sun, great music and better food at the inauguration of a new Napa festival. More
Laura Cronin, the dessert chef at San Francisco's lauded Italian mainstay Perbacco, relishes in finding the balance between savory and sweet and fruity and herbaceous. Her new spring dessert menu emphasizes these carefully tuned contrasts, while showcasing the best of the Ferry Building farmers' market's seasonal produce. More
We are really freaking excited for the first annual Bottle Rock Festival, coming to Napa Valley this week. Featuring an absolutely stellar lineup of musical acts (have I mentioned that The Black Keys are one of my favorite things?) and an equally kick-ass roster of food and drink, Bottle Rock is bringing together the best of the music and Bay Area food worlds. For this special edition of Ask a Chef, we asked some chefs who will be at the festival what tunes get them going in the kitchen. More
Downtown Oakland gets quiet on the weekends. The work week crowd, dispersed to Lake Merritt, Temescal, and Berkeley, leaves the streets more or less empty, and many of the restaurants closed. But tucked under the towering Oakland Tribune building lies a new cocktail destination, harkening back to the hard drinking, three-martini lunch days of newspaper glory. More
I think my body is only just starting to forgive me for the havoc I wreaked on it at Sunday's Cochon 555. Now, I take full responsibility for my bad behavior—the end-of-night mezcal shots were probably not totally necessary. But really, when it comes to an event honoring the literal whole hog, you gotta go big. More
This plate of food is big enough to share, and I highly recommend you do (remember: you're hungover, that doesn't mean you have to be totally stupid). $10.50 gets you two meaty, flaky hunks of fried snapper, a pile of french fries, a scoop of coleslaw, and two orange-yolked, perfectly runny fried eggs on top. Tauranga is a seaside town, and a major port for boat traffic in New Zealand. So, this snapper is fresh, easily flaking apart with the touch of a fork. More
New Zealand's membership in the British Commonwealth has a major impact on the food of course. Pies, sausage rolls, and fish and chips all make appearances. What's stand-out here is the likelihood that the your fried fish will be caught just that morning, that your pie will be filled with freshly hunted wild game meat, that the eggs in your Kiwi breakfast will be a luscious golden-orange, and the tomatoes bursting with sweet ripeness. More
From an Old Fashioned featuring locally made rye-based gin to a sweet and spicy tiki-inspired concoction made with San Francisco-aged bourbon, we were struck by how each spirit was given space to truly shine. With booze this good, sometimes simple drinks are best. Here are five of our favorites to sip right now. More
"I wanted a list that wouldn't scare away people who aren't cocktail-savvy, but would lure in the nerds, the people I hang out with, too," bartender Seth Laufman said of the opening menu. "I wanted to work with good spirits, with people who know what they're doing. But I want it to be approachable." This approachability is reflected in the cocktail names—from the Beez Nuts, a riff on a Bee's Knees, to the Campfire Fizz, which features smoky mezcal and Lagunitas IPA. More
Here's the thing about vacation: you're pretty much required to eat dessert first, or for breakfast, or at the very least after most meals. I'm happy to report that on a recent trip to New Zealand I did just that, sampling traditional Kiwi cookies and ordering ice cream with abandon. Here are 5 of my favorites. More
Big buns and intense toppings may suggest total decadence at Fergburger, but the classic Fergburger with cheese is a well-balanced, damn tasty burger. More
I appreciate hangover cures that get right to the quick-and-dirty point. Hair of the dog. Bacon. Done. The nature of New Zealand bacon, which includes the loin in addition to the belly, makes this a worthy sandwich filling. More
Too much mayo and too lean beef threaten to diminish this burger, but good toppings and a great bun come through. More
With only four days to spend in Queenstown during a recent trip to New Zealand, I had every intention of soaking up as much culinary diversity as possible. But one meal at The Cow soon turned into two, and two into three. More
You've heard of Tim Tams, right? Those chocolate covered cookies from Australia and New Zealand that ex-pat Aussies and Kiwis get all crazy about? You know what else they go crazy for? The Tim Tam Slam, and the fact is, Tim Tam Slamming is good. Really good. Good enough that I brought home a few packs myself, in order to show my friends back in San Francisco The Way. And now, Serious Sweet-ers, I'm here to show you. Consider the slideshow above is a step-by-step guide to the Slam. Proceed with caution: when you've Slammed once, there's no turning back. More
From hand pulled noodles doused in a savory sesame paste sauce, to a bowl of Chinese bacon and smoked peppers, to tender Afghan mantoo dumplings, Chinatown's offerings go far beyond the wide ranging variety of Chinese cuisines. Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Middle Eastern restaurants all hold court here. More
Let's get one thing straight: I am not a fan of Valentine's Day. Single, taken, it doesn't matter. So today strikes me as the perfect time to sample cocktails that make use of truly tasty bitter flavor combinations. Here are 6 great bitter drinks you can sip now in San Francisco. More
Walking into The Forge, the newly opened pizza-joint-cum-fire-pit-destination in Oakland's Jack London Square, my first thought is, "I could really hang out in this place." The bright, reclaimed warehouse space is filled with early evening light; friends are gathered around tables with beers in hand. The setting sun even glints off the cluster of sailboats tethered just a stone's throw from the restaurant's outdoor patio. More
At Hi Lo BBQ, don't count on drinking crappy beer to wash down your brisket. The Mission's newly opened barbecue spot, which features a menu of both Southern-style and globally influenced barbecue and a farmer's market-rich roster of starters and sides, has a drinks program to match its culinary pedigree. More
It's hard to say the words "San Francisco" and "barbecue" in one sentence without hearing something derogatory in return. "San Francisco does not have barbecue," they'll say, rolling their eyes. "Not real barbecue, anyway." Here to prove otherwise: Hi Lo BBQ. More
At the newish 4505 shop, luscious cuts of beef and pork sit alongside cured slabs of bacon, ham hock, and fat back. Shoppers sample tongue pastrami while examining towering terrines. Freezer cases feature duck chili along with rendered duck fat; there are tubs of dog food destined for some seriously lucky pups. More
You can almost feel the pre-cocktail hour anticipation over on 20th Street these days. Despite high-profile openings and lines stretching down the block, there has remained a dearth of serious, and seriously delicious, cocktails on this long overlooked pocket of the Mission. Until now. Enter Trick Dog. More
M.Y. China is aiming to attract a wide swath of San Francisco eaters, and educate them about modern Chinese cuisine while they're at it. The restaurant's wide-open kitchen, putting everything from flaming wok-tossing to expert hand crafted noodle-pulling on display, is certainly a part of that goal, too. More
M.Y. China, the first San Francisco restaurant from celebrity chef Martin Yan, has gotten noticed for its noodle-pulling antics, its dim sum selection, and its cocktails, too. More
@imwalking - definitely had some great lamb, the best by far was at Mudbrick! As for fish and chips, my favorite was at Tauranga Fresh Fish. Keep an eye out for the Fisherman's Breakfast from there as a Hangover Helper!
@Boston Otter, I almost tried Hell Pizza about 5 times and something always came up (likely, a kebab) -- will have to make sure to next time.
@Irene- good call! The last rendang I'd tried was Malaysian and much sweeter -- this version was a nice contrast, especially when paired with great Malaysian laksa.
@rmcolburn I'm so bummed I didn't make it to Wellington! I've heard great things about the coffee there, among other things.
@myrnie_twin, that's hardcore! I'll have to give it a go next time.
@RuffledGrouse @DebonaireDeath @AmbitiousDelicious, I've seen them at Cost Plus World Market here in SF, not sure about their east coast offerings or locations:
YAY drywell!! I got her "San Francisco Is For Carnivores" poster as a gift a couple years ago. It was a big hit :)
Re: Pod, agreed, it's overall a pretty absurd place! But a huge plate of food for lunch was a damn good deal, and their short-lived Wednesday night happy hours (unless they came back... oh no) from 10-12 had us all drinking more fluorescent colored cocktails than anyone ever should.
@frabbibobanni I JUST heard about Rx! So so sad. Rimedio does have a nice looking brunch menu -- I may have to try it out next time I'm near campus.
Awesome burger, awesome review!
@Carrie/Carey -- YES. Soup, bourbon, Acme sourdough (ooh or green onion slab, or both!), Cowgirl Creamery Cheese, and Full House. And these cookies.
I like to think of it as "constantly good soup weather." Or, as I grow older, "constantly good bourbon weather." :)
@gargupie - a lot of indie bands over at indieshuffle.com, and when I have a spare moment, longer features on whatever strikes my fancy over at my blog, laurenslinernotes.wordpress.com. I used to play piano and sing (decently). Now, I sing in the car, with friends, and certainly less well... but with enthusiasm :) @bicoastcurious - no complaints here!!
While I certainly respect Ed's assessment, the San Francisco burger scene is nuts. Seriously, guys, Rosamunde's Tuesday burger! With a beer at Toronado, there is nothing better. Not to mention the 4505 Meats burger. And agreed with the previous comments regarding the sandwich front. The pastrami gut bomb may be a New York classic, but give me warm, fresh Dutch Crunch (or sourdough!) and great produce any day (oh hey, avocados). I'll give New York the pizza, though. SF's got the fancy pies down, but nothing can beat a New York corner slice.
Oh man, how I long for the turkey delight a petite deli! Seriously, nicest woman in the world. Great round up :)
@tamenezes, I didn't try the tapioca cuscuz, but did try a couple wonderful tapioca based desserts (check 'em out here http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2011/11/snapshots-from-sao-paulo-10-great-sweets.html). All the more excuse to make a return trip!
@grumblekitty - they are dadinho de tapioca (tapioca dice) from Mocoto (http://www.mocoto.com.br/), a great Sao Paulo restaurant specializing in Northeastern cuisine. They have a recipe available on their site (http://www.mocoto.com.br/receitas.html); it is in Portuguese, though. Hope that helps!
@Smileyface - sweet and buttery. It's much creamier than flan, and doesn't have that eggy firmness (at least the ones we tried!). @jazzinx, Bike Basket Pies is, sadly, no more! Check out this post here - http://bikebasketpies.com/moving-on/
@Burger365 - Pearl Jam was one of the headliners two years ago, when I happened to enjoy that particular box of chicken and waffles. I wanted to give them a shout out, since I simply didn't have the stomach room to include them this year!
Great recommendations, all! @django04, I'm a huge Cheeseboard fan, just about everything they put out is excellent! I always associate them with savory cheesy things (hence their not being on my list for this round up), and will have to try this cheese roll.
@David Kover, Rhea's is fantastic. Look out for a sandwich write-up from there in not too long!
@alienrobot, they actually use havarti on their class "mousetrap" sandwich! http://theamericansf.com/ So delicious, especially paired with their tomato soup.
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@Mr. Nick Dan Auerbach is my spirit animal. Obsessed.
@Laura Arnold, good catch! updated.
@ChristopherRobin88, I'll have to try some Explosions in the Sky next time I'm cooking! Personally, I was surprised by the lack of Motown... who doesn't love chopping to The Temptations and Sam Cooke?? Either that or I've seen The Big Chill too many times.