Regal but without ego or fanfare, Chef Keiko and her impeccable staff create a spectacular dining experience that is more than worthy of her Michelin star. While one’s credit card balance will definitely take a hit, I found it to be every foodie’s dream and worth the expenditure. KEIKO À Nob Hill is one of…
Category: Restaurants
Lavash: Fine Persian cuisine in San Francisco’s Sunset district
Anyone who knows San Francisco well is prone to complain about San Francisco’s changing food scene. Many of the good restaurants, particularly international cuisine, have been priced out of the city altogether – mostly due to ridiculously high residential and commercial real estate costs. Even celebrity chef-turned TV star Anthony Bourdain lamented in a special…
TwoBirds/OneStone: When you want an amazing meal to go with your Napa wine tour
Today, I highlight the newest breakout in Napa’s wine country restaurant scene. Two Birds/OneStone, located on the property of St. Helena’s Freemark Abbey winery, is Japanese-Californian yakitori fusion at its best. A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to experience the Grand Reopening celebration for Freemark Abbey’s renovated winery and new tasting room facilities….
San Francisco’s Kokkari: Incomparable Five-Star Greek food and ambiance
When I imagine the perfect setting for an upscale Greek meal – outside of Greece – I now will visualize Kokkari Estiatorio, an experience without equal on the U.S. West Coast. Its execution, ambiance, and service left virtually no room for critique during my recent visit. You know a restaurant experience is sublime when you…
Bouchon Bistro: The French Laundry’s more accessible sister pulls its weight
If you are a resident or visitor to San Francisco or New York, you’ve probably heard of Bouchon Bakery. If you are a foodie anywhere, you at least have a passing familiarity with the name The French Laundry. You might not pay much attention to its sister restaurant, Bouchon Bistro – unless, of course, you’ve…
Costanera 700: A hidden gem for the best of Peruvian-Japanese seafood fusion in Lima
The best of Peru’s Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian fusion) is evident at Costanera 700. A wide selection of seafood dishes combine Peru’s love of exquisite cooking with the flavors of Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. When I spent a full month in Lima, Peru a few years ago, I was impressed with Lima’s restaurant scene. From its…
Apres-surf cuisine in Punta Hermosa, Peru
Where and what do Peruvian surfers (and their friends!) eat after long rides down El Pico Alto? Find out here! I consider it the ultimate privilege to have been let into a secret few but the most worldly of surfers or locals know: the gem that is the area surrounding the Pacific seaside town of…
Celadon: A garden spot for California cuisine in Napa, California
No trip to Napa County is complete without good wine and food. The area has an overwhelming selection of both, so how can one choose? I offer one suggestion for a great dinner of California-influenced global cuisine in a literal garden spot in the city of Napa: Celadon. My experience with Celadon came to be…
An après ski happy hour at Park City’s High West
Join me for an après ski happy hour at the restaurant and saloon of Utah’s beloved distillery. It is one not to miss! Park City is one of America’s best ski towns and also home of the Sundance Film Festival each spring. With predictable influxes of visitors from around the world, investment, restaurant and retail…
Cotogna: Escaping El Nino with cozy, boutique Italian
There are memorable meals, and there are those meals that give us the sensory equivalent of a photographic memory. Every flavor, every texture is etched into vivid memory. The latter was my experience with Cotogna, one of San Francisco’s outstanding boutique Italian cafes. I realize that saying “one of” doesn’t exactly sound like an overwhelming…
The Culinary Diplomat 