Food
This section is about delicious ingredients. The following section is about restaurants.
San Francisco Bay Area
Heirloom Tomatoes, Oceana Market, Pacifica, CA
| Oceana Market, Pacifica, CA |
| This could be any of a number of small markets in the Bay Area, but this is my local one. Summertime is all about the heirloom tomatoes. I have one nearly every night. Oceana market carries some of my favorite cheeses: Etorki Petit Basque Sheep, St. Clare Evalon Goat, Santori Montamore Cheddar, and fresh Buffalo Mozzarella. |
The Fatted Calf, SF, CA
| Fatted Calf, SF, CA |
| Fabulous delicatessen with both foreign and house-cured American meats. Save time for lots of sampling! More than adequate selection of cheeses. If I were only allowed one store to prep for guests coming over for light fare (eg. Charcuterie), this is the place. |
Walnut Bread and Olive Bread, Rosalind Bakery, Pacifica, CA
Light and fluffy croissants, Rosalind Bakery, Pacifica, CA
| Rosalind Bakery, Pacifica, CA |
| The Bay Area is blessed with many fabulous bakers practicing the revived art of naturally leavened bread. As far as I can tell, Richard Bourdon seems to be the fountainhead, mentoring Chad Robertson of Tartine Bakery. Chad inspired many Bay Area bakers and wrote "Tartine Bread" (from which I learned to bake naturally-leavened bread). I'm singling out Rosalind Bakery because it's my go to, local source when I'm traveling too much to keep my starter thriving. |
| The Cheese Shop, Carmel, CA |
| Cheeeeeeese! The Concord Cheese Shop's philosophy is, "Never buy a cheese if you can't taste it first." This is the Bay Area equivalent. |
Princeton Harbor, Princeton (seafood from the captains off their boats)
Outerlands, SF (naturally leavened bread)
Rainbow Grocery, SF
Berkeley Bowl, Berkeley
Gus’s, SF
Monterey Fish Market, Berkeley
Stuckey’s Sustainable, Pacifica (now only order and pickup)
Tokyo Fish, Berkeley
New York
| Murray's Cheese Shop, NY, NY |
| A wide variety of great cheese right in Penn Station! Also located in Greenwich Village. They also have cured meats, so...meal. |
England
| Lina Stores, Soho, London, England |
| A full Italian grocery/deli, and one of the few places in the world you can get real, fresh Italian pasta outside of Italy. They will cook it up for you in a few minutes with butter. Consider a quick ravioli snack while out touring Soho or before a show. Note this is related to, but separate from, the spectacular and relatively-affordable restaurant. |
| Said, Soho, London, England |
| Even if you aren't into chocolate, you know someone who is. This is a great place to assemble a gift. |
| Yautcha, Soho, London, England |
| A great place to stop for a Michelin-starred macaroon snack or gift box. The other desserts are beautiful, too, but I don't know who can eat such things. |
Restaurants
These are some of the restaurants and bars that exceed my expectations and I wouldn’t hesitate to revisit. This means ultra-upscale restaurants are disadvantaged; I expect $200 meals to be exquisite. I enjoy finding places that deliver delight with a modest staff and at a reasonable price. If anyone is interested in following these recommendations, keep in mind that: 1) I never order mammals except cured ones (Iberico Ham, prosciutto, etc.); 2) I’m most fond of seafood (almost any critter except bland, white fish that many people seem to prefer); 3) I favor restaurants with good, unique cocktails; 4) I find overly-formal settings a turn-off for most occasions; 5) I place an admittedly outsized importance on architecture, decor and ambiance; 6) I have a pet peeve against wait staff that interrupt conversations indiscriminately.
San Francisco Bay Area
Grilled Diver Scallops with Confit Cauliflower Tortellini, Village Pub, Woodside, CA
| Village Pub, Woodside, CA |
| Wonderfully warm and cozy, upscale atmosphere. Recommend a neighborhood walk down any random street beforehand. Superb service, food and cocktails. Highly recommended. |
Ravioli, La Ginestra, Mill Valley, CA
| La Ginestra, Mill Valley, CA |
| True Neapolitan cuisine made by a family with a side of the family still residing and cooking in Sorrento. Casual, family restaurant, but equally romantic. Worth the drive. The special ravioli is a must. |
Cebiche Sampler, La Costenara, Montara, CA
| La Costanera, Montara, CA |
| Just south of Devils Slide. Refreshing Peruvian fare, including multiple cebiches. Relaxing leather couches downstairs with sweeping views of the Pacific Sunset and stairs down to the beach. The patio has fire pits and allows dogs. The Pura Vita cocktail is a delightful combination of heat (jalepenos) and smoke (mezcal), pomegranate, lime and basil. |
Grilled carrots, Zuni Cafe, SF, CA
| Zuni Cafe, SF, CA |
| One of my absolute favorite restaurants in SF. Spectacular cocktails and food in a modern, casual setting. Cannot recommend enough. Popular pre-theater dining, but there is usually space at the first-come tables near the entry. |
Seafood Stew (for bread dipping!) and Passenger Cocktail, Outerlands, SF
| Outerlands, SF, CA |
| Seasonal, modern fare and house cockatails. The naturally-leavened bread can be eaten at the table with their house-cultured butter, or full boules carry-out (or both :). Suggest reserving a boule when entering the restaurant because they run out every night. |
Cala, SF, CA
| Cala, SF, CA |
| Best upscale, modern Mexican possibly anywhere, and one of the best restaurants in SF. Well-crafted selection of tequila and mezcal house cocktails. |
Grilled Octopus, Basil, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA
| Basil, Carmel, CA |
| A perfect day can be had cruising Carmel's 17-mile drive, admiring Brian Blood's stunning, plein air impressionist paintings at the Barnyard, sampling your way through the The Cheese Shop, and tasting local, seasonal ingredients at Basil. Multiple galleries feature the best of early California plein air impressionists. |
Crab Porridge, Carrot & Lemongrass, The Morris, SF, CA
| The Morris, SF, CA |
| Quiet, smallish, modern place. The atmosphere is a bit dark and austere, but the food and cocktails are excellent. Just across the corner from the Verdi Club, for you swing dancers! |
| Millenium, Berkeley, CA |
| One of my daughter's favorite restaurants, and possibly the best Vegan restaurants in the Bay Area (another is Green's in SF). Excellent house cocktails. |
Local king salmon with pistachio aioli, Revival Bar, Berkeley, CA
| Revival, Berkeley, CA |
| Good, upscale food and house cocktails; but most importantly, just a half block away from Freight & Salvage if you're attending a show after dinner. |
Beet Salad, Sunset River Brewing Company, SF, CA
| Sunset Reservoir Brewing Company, SF, CA |
| A good bar to watch a sporting event in the SF Avenues. When their seasonal beet salad and brussel sprout appetizer are both on the menu, and they serve their Last Night at the Alamo, what's not to like? |
Jamon Iberico, B44, SF, CA
| B44, SF, CA |
| The Financial District can be a bit challenged for lunch, so a Catalan Bistro that serves Iberico Ham and Spanish Cheeses was a true find. Dipping into Iberian red wines at lunch might dampen that afternoon drive for accomplishment, but there are days when it's perfectly appropriate. |
| Pasta Moon, Half Moon Bay, CA |
| After the closing of Cafe Gibralter, this might be the best restaurant in the Half Moon Bay area. It has just moved into a larger location. Good food, good house cocktails. |
| Le P'tit Laurent, SF, CA |
| Lovely, moderately-priced, neighborhood French Bistro. The center of Glen Park is an urban planning dream. The streets fit the terrain and curve out of view from the heart of this intimate SF village. It's how hilly San Francisco should have been developed, but wasn't. Instead a wet blanket of a grid was draped over everything. On a lovely evening, the seats by the open window on the opposite corner from the entry are divine. |
| Pacifica Brewery, Pacifica, CA |
| A little biased because it's local, but surprisingly good food, house cocktails, and house-brewed ales. Could use some better interior decor. The mushroom ricotta risotto is very good. The Sand and the Fog cocktail is very refreshing. The Elwood Sandy is quite good and different (effervescent) due to the inclusion of witbier. |
Farallon, SF (best service in SF. wonderful seafood. fanciful, marine-themed decor)
Chez Maman, SF (small French bistro. wonderful atmosphere.)
Cavalo Point, Sausalito (breathtaking view of the Golden Gate Bridge, arrive early and stroll along the grounds)
Greens, SF (if you’ve got vegetarian guests, this is a must. views of SF Bay.)
Esperpento, SF (sangria and made-to-order paella (30 minutes); what’s not to like? recommend summertime in the Mission district)
Firefly, SF
Salt House, SF (really nice for lunch in the Financial District, just south of Market)
Sir & Star at the Olema, Olema (I’m cheating because I’ve never eaten here, but it was purchased by the chefs/owners of Manka’s, one of my very favorite places that, sadly, burned to the ground. I must test it out soon!)
Wildhawk Bar, SF (very stylish decor, relaxed atmosphere, good house cocktails)
For vegetarians try, Green’s in SF, or Millenium in Berkeley.
For sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean: Sam’s Chowderhouse, Beach Chalet, or La Costanera
Washington, DC
Sardines, Del Mar de Fabio Trabocchi, Washington, DC
| Del Mar de Fabio Trabocchi, Washington, DC |
| One of my favorite restaurants in the US. Combines two of my favorite things: Seafood and Spanish cuisine. Great house cocktails. Exquisite. |
Boston Area
Scallops, Fore Street Restaurant, Portland, Maine
| Fore Street Restaurant, Portland, Maine |
| Currently my favorite US restaurant. Warm, comfortable, great food and cocktails. Only time in my life I've ordered the same entre a second time at the same sitting. On its own would be worth the destination drive to Portland, but Portland has a lot of worthwhile cullinary offerings. |
3 cheeses and thai chili peanuts, Backbar, Somerville, MA
| Backbar, Somerville, MA |
| Possibly the best cocktails in the Boston Area. You'll need to run the gauntlet of a sketch alley and a long, narrow corridor for bathrooms before emerging into a superb, speakeasy-style bar with very knowledgeable bartenders and small plates from neighboring Field and Vine. |
Lobster Roll, Bayley’s Lobster Pound, Pine Point, Maine
| Bayley's Lobster Pound, Pine Point, Maine |
| A classic lobster shack, specializing in traditional lobster rolls. |
Fried Oyster Squid Ink Bao and Brussels Sprouts, Pagu, Cambridge, MA
| Pagu, Central Square, Cambridge, MA |
| Superb smaller-sized plates. Too many tasty things make it hard to decide. The fried oyster, squid ink bao is a treat. The pica pika cocktail is one of my all-time favorites. |
Scallops, Mushrooms & , Town Meeting, Lexington, MA
| Town Meeting, Lexington, MA |
| Separate, quiet and intimate bar. Good modern fare and house cocktails. Lovely porch for dining in nice weather. |
Beet Salad, Viale, Cambridge, MA
| Viale, Central Square, Cambridge, MA |
| The owners and staff are like family. I love this place. The memento cocktail is outstanding, but seasonal, like many of the dishes. The beet salad is also superb. |
Grilled Octopus and Raisins on Carrot Puree, Committee, Boston, MA
| Committee, Boston, MA |
| Superb, house cocktails and greek-inspired, small plates; located in the Boston Waterfront area. |
| Eastern Standard, Boston, MA |
| The food here is good, not exceptional, but that's not the point. It has a fabulous cocktail menu, and you're only a few steps away from the Hawthorne, for even better cocktails before or after. |
Deconstructed Salmon Benedict, Cafe Luna, Cambridge, MA
| Cafe Luna, Cambridge, MA |
| Excellent, homey, place for generous breakfasts: home fries, fresh-squeezed orange juice, etc. |
Princeton, New Jersey
Plancha Seared Scallops with Hen of the Woods Mushrooms and Celery Puree, Agricola Eatery, Princeton, NJ
| Agricola Eatery, Princeton, NJ |
| Wonderful, warm and cozy restaurant and generous bar area for first come-first served seating. Superb modern fare and house cocktails. Highly recommended. |
Salmon, Waypoint, Central Square, Cambridge, MA
| Waypoint, Central Square, Cambridge, MA |
| Excellent, upscale seafood (mostly) cuisine and house cocktails. |
Fore e bright, South wall)
Salt Lake City
Red Iguana, Salt Lake City (it’s all about the mole)
Portugal
| Bem-Me-Quer, Braga, Portugal |
| My favorite restaurant and favorite dish (their grilled octopus) in the world. The owners are lovely. Heaven on a plate. |
| Restaurant O Antonio, Porto, Portugal |
| Porto is possibly my favorite city. There are too many great restaurants to list. I was warned by locals that this back alley on the ocean was a bit touristy. My they're spoiled. You select your seafood from an ice pile, and they barbeque it in the alley next to your table. Nothing better than fresh, grilled seafood and Portuguese red wine. When in season they serve all-you-can-eat large, grilled sardines. Porto de Leixoes isn't walking distance from downtown (the tram took a while), but worth the experience. Many similar restaurants lined up on this alley to choose from. |
Porto (Restaurant on ocean…) find…
Porto is magical. I left my heart there. Too many great places.
Iberico Negro tapas…
England
| Tayer + Elementary, London, UK |
| Off the charts cocktails and small bites, barside. Very personal, respectful and knowledgable service. Cannot recommend enough. |
| The Ivy, London, UK |
| Love this place and visit whenever I'm staying in Soho. Atmosphere is unique. Great food, cocktails and service. Located across the corner from the St. Martin's Theater, where I've seen Mousetrap twice, 30-years apart! Great place before or after a Soho show. Note that this is not the same as the Ivy Club, upstairs. They have different cocktails, also good, like the Clair de Lune. |
| Berners Tavern, Edition Hotel, Soho, London, UK |
| This place has excellent food and house cocktails in its own right, but most importantly, proximity (a few steps through the hotel lobby) to The Punch Room, a bucket list cocktail bar. The Punch Room has addicting blue cheese popcorn snacks, but nothing like a real dinner; that's where Berners Tavern comes in. |
Salmon Benedict, Milsom’s Kesgrave Hall, Ipswich, England
| Milsom's Kesgrave Hall, Ipswich, England |
| I cannot recommend this place enough. A lovely, reasonably-priced hotel converted from a Manor House on a large, beautiful estate. The breakfasts are amazing. Lovely patio dining, comfy lounges and spatious and romantic rooms. Stay for a while. |
Scallops, Mariners, Ipswich, England
| Mariners, Ipswich, England |
| Surprisingly good seafood restaurant on a boat docked in the River Orwell. Dining below deck or on top, for those rare, pleasant English days. |
| Black Friar, London, UK |
| This Arts & Crafts-sculpted British pub is a treat for the eyes. Visit all the rooms. Traditional ales & pub food. |
| Said, Soho, London, UK |
| Lovely place for all things chocolate: crepes, waffles, truffles, and especially thick, hot chocolate on a Winter's day. |
Smoked Eel Croquettes, J. Sheekey, London, England
| J. Sheekey, Soho, London, UK |
| Earns my recurring visits based almost entirely on the very decadent smoked eel croquettes. Decent selection of seafood and house cocktails. |
New York, New York (Haven’t spent enough time in NY lately)
| BEA, NY, NY |
| Excellent modern food and house cocktails. Atmosphere a bit put-offish when I was there, but maybe just an outlying experience. |
Alberta, Canada (Calgary has some seriously good bars and restaurants)
Arctic Char Larb, Pigeonhole, Calgary, Alberta
| Pigeonhole, Calgary, Alberta |
| Loved this place. Good house cocktails, casual atmosphere, wide variety of local and seasonal cuisine. |
Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House, Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
| Plain of 6 Glaciers Tea House, Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada |
| Basic vegetable soup never tasted so good. Everthing is either helicoptered or walked in by the staff, which is something to appreciate. The first half of the 6.9km hike is level along the edge of Lake Louise, before heading up into the mountains and glaciers. The views look poorly photoshopped they're so beautiful. There are countless miles of less-crowded, beautiful, mountain lake hikes in the nearby national parks. |
Local Duck and B.C. Mushroom consomme, 3 Ravens, Banff, Alberta, Canada
| Three Ravens, Banff, Alberta, Canada |
| Fine dining in a somewhat formal setting with views overlooking the mountains. The ambiance struck me as a bit cold, at least at night. It shares space with a cafeteria, which isn't entirely isolated from the restaurant. Great local and seasonal food, though. |
Fort Myers, Florida
Fried Green Tomatoes, The Veranda, Fort Myers, Florida
| The Veranda, Fort Myers, Florida |
| Fried Green Tomatoes at their best. If you've never had them, think fried artichoke hearts...or deep fried butter (if that was possible). Lovely and modern upscale food all around. Formal setting, but lovely porch tables for nice evenings. |
Yucatan Shrimp, Doc Ford’s, Fort Myers Beach, Florida
| Doc Ford's, Fort Myers Beach, Florida |
| Good, fresh gulf seafood and lots of rum cocktails. Atmosphere is large and crowded, but lovely views, especially from the porch, of Estero Bay with chances of seeing manatees and dolphins coming up to your table. The Yucatan Shrimp is worth the trip. |
Fort Collins, Colorado
Blue Paddle Snails, Wellsh Rabbit, Fort Collins, CO
| Welsh Rabbit, Fort Collins, CO |
| Lovely place for cheeeeeeese, and other small plates. Nice place to stop in for a quick bite. |
Viale, Cambridge (also grill octopus deliciously tender. Canary in the Coal Mine (see below). don’t sit next to the bright, south wall)
The Ivy, London (across from the theater where Mousetrap has been playing forever. great food, cocktails and decor.)
Gurnard’s Head Hotel, Treen, Cornwall (superb cuisine, possibly my favorite place in the UK, worth the very rural drive)
Navy Inn, Penzance (far exceeded expectations. great seafood. was there a long time ago, though)
Milsoms Kelgrave Hall, Ipswich (exquisite breakfast, lovely grounds. need to try dinner. will be back to room there again in 2 weeks!)
The Black Friar, London (basic pub food, but the craftsmanship of the interiors is worth a special trip.)
Brown’s Hotel (for high tea, in particular)
Mariners, Ipswich
Florence
My friends’ favorite restaurant…
Sorrento (note that the average quality of food is high and hard to make a true mistake)
Eel ice cream, Oscietra caviar, pasta scented with rose, and a mince of wild herbs, Don Alfonso 1890, Sant’Agata, Italy
| Don Alfonso 1890, Sant'Agata, Italy |
| An insane 2-Star Michelin Restaurant on the ridgeline above Sorento. This was the first of about a dozen precious courses. It was a 5-hour tasting menu concluding with a tour of the 25,000 bottle Roman wine cellar. You can visit cheese aging in the bottom of a pre-Roman well, what feels like about 10-stories below the restaurant. The meal was about two hours too long, but the staff are wonderful and many of the ingredients arrive daily from their farm a couple miles away overlooking the ocean. The cooking class with the Sous Chef is a must. |
Ristorante Soul & Fish, Sorrento (spectacular, fresh seafood in a wonderful, open air setting on the Marina Grande)
Ristorante La Perla Nerano, Nerano (just an open air cafe above the beach, but a lovely, sheltered place to swim AND POSSIBLY THE LEAST CROWDED BEACH ON THE AMALFI COAST. breathtaking view)
Capri
Le Camerella, Capri (eating dinner here was a slice of heaven)
Luna Hotel, Capri (one of the best views in the world, worth getting an ocean view room)
Asolo (so many good restaurants around this town, but sadly I’ve not documented them)
Tappobar, Asolo (looks like nothing, just the first piazza cafe we stumbled into, and that made the crazy-good quality all the more remarkable)
England
The Ivy, Soho
The Ivy, London (across from the theater where Mousetrap has been playing forever. great food, cocktails and decor.)
Gurnard’s Head Hotel, Treen, Cornwall (superb cuisine, possibly my favorite place in the UK, worth the very rural drive)
Navy Inn, Penzance (far exceeded expectations. great seafood. was there a long time ago, though)
Tasmania
Salmon Benedict, Milsom’s Kesgrave Hall, Ipswich, England
| Milsom's Kesgrave Hall, Ipswich, England |
| Love staying at this relatively-affordable hotel, set in the English countryside. The breakfasts are spectacular. |
Tasmania
Recommend a drive around the island just tasting the competitive, English-countryside-like bakeries, and other delightful places. It’s been a long time, so I don’t remember specific places, but I can rely on good friends there to take care of me…
Budapest
Tasmania
Recommend a drive around the island just tasting the competitive, English-countryside-like bakeries, and other delightful places. It’s been a long time, so I don’t remember specific places, but I can rely on good friends there to take care of me…
Aspirations
Green Street, Central Square, Cambridge, MA: Highly rated cocktails and food.
Bar Van Der Fels, Calgary, Alberta: Didn’t have reservations, couldn’t get in. Looks like great cocktails.
Blink, Calgary, Alberta: A touch formal. Looked fabulous, romantic ambiance.
Son’s Addition, SF, CA: Mission District. Looks great.
Bar Termini, London, England: Only had a cappuccino here, mid-day. Supposedly a cocktail mecca.
Local Edition, SF, CA:
Trick Dog, SF, CA: Renowned outside SF (London and Boston)
Brick & Mortar: Known for cocktails, Small bites, including a fried oyster po boy.
Hawthorne, Boston, MA: In the Commonwealth with Eastern Standard. Supposedly even better cocktails.
Spoke, Somerville, MA:
Cuchi Cuchi, Cambridge, MA
Del Popolo, SF, CA: Neapolitan Pizza, Bush Street
Forgery, SF, CA: Looks like great cocktails. I was distracted the first time I was there. Time to revisit.
Budapest
Gresham Palace Hotel, Budapest (I’m cheating again. I never ate here. Budapest is filled with some amazing art nouveau and deco buildings, and I could not take my eyes off of this one. I tried to nudge our group here for a cocktail (and perchance the octopus appetizer) before dinner elsewhere, but it was sadly not to be. Bucket list.
Alfred Hajos National Swimming Stadium, Margaret Island, Budapest (okay, I’ve really run off the rails here, but if we’re talking about Budapest, it’s worth seeing the greatest concentration of competitive swimmers, water polo players, divers, synchronized swimmers, and pools I’ve ever seen. Water Polo is like Hungary’s NFL; replicas of their olympic gold medals adorned my sister’s coke bottle. Turns out the stadium was designed by a swimmer/architect, Alfred Hajos, who happens to still hold the record for highest fraction of gold medals at a single Olympic Games,…and they must have some sort of food there :)