08 Jan 2013
by scolgin
in Food, Humor
Tags: Andy's Market, beer, IPA, Pliny the Elder, Russian River Brewing Company, San Francisco, Sierra Nevada, Sonoma, Wine Guerrilla
While in Sonoma for a holiday visit, my mother said, “I was just telling Leslie about Pliny the Elder. She didn’t know about it.”
Pliny the Elder, the guy
According to Wikipedia, Pliny the Elder was a Roman author, naturalist and philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire and close personal friend to emperor Vespasian. Why my mother was telling my wife about Pliny the Elder was lost on me. Until she said, “It won best beer in the world!” And I realized she was talking about beer. More
28 Dec 2012
by scolgin
in Food, On the Road, Video
Tags: Boccalone, Embarcadero, Ferry Building, foodie, Hog Island Oyster Co., San Francisco, The Slanted Door
When I was a kid, I remember the Ferry Building in San Francisco being a beautiful relic, sad and unused, its iconic clock tower hidden behind the elevated 480 freeway.
Flynn & the Ferry Building, San Francisco
The Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 destroyed the freeway, which resulted in one of the most extraordinary and successful urban redevelopment projects in history. Today, vintage street cars from around the world run along the Embarcardero that fronts the Ferry Building. Craftspeople sell their wares across the street, while a daily farmer’s market brings the city’s residents the freshest produce from the farms of nearby Sonoma and Marin. More
30 Dec 2011
by scolgin
in Observations, On the Road, Video
Tags: Fairmont, Fiddler's Green, Gold Dust Lounge, Guinness, Irish Bank, JFK, Paris, Prohibition, San Francisco, Van Morrison
I like cities that are oriented around food. Paris is a city like that. On any given block, between your Metro stop and your apartment, there will be charcuteries, boulangeries, patisseries, street markets, produce shops and every variety of other businesses providing anything you could possibly need for dinner that night. San Francisco is a bit like Paris that way. If I want a good loaf of bread in Los Angeles, it’s an afternoon outing. In San Francisco, you’ll practically trip over a freshly baked baguette or sourdough boule every time you turn a corner.
Baba, bubbly and beer at The Fairmont
Because I have three children, I drink. Not that I needed an excuse before, but it’s certainly a good one. More
20 Dec 2011
by scolgin
in Eating Out, On the Road, Recipes
Tags: Borobudur, gado gado, Indonesia, java, kecap manis, nasi goreng, peanut sauce, San Francisco, satay, Simpang Asia
When I was a kid, we had an Indonesian exchange student live with us for awhile. His name was Radi. He was a skinny, excitable chap with thick glasses who was eager to introduce his American hosts to Indonesian culture. This included ferreting out an Indonesian market and restaurant deep in an Asian pocket of the San Fernando Valley.
Borobudur in San Francisco
My parents were travelers and adventurous eaters. So even in the comparatively dismal dining scene of my childhood neighborhood, ours were regular faces at the nearest Chinese, Japanese and Thai restaurants. But here was something completely new. More
02 Dec 2011
by scolgin
in Eating Out, On the Road
Tags: California, Chinatown, Dodgers, los angeles, Monterey Park, New York, Nobu Matsuhisa, San Francisco, Thomas Keller, Yank Sing
I know New Yorkers like to think they’ve got the world’s best Chinatown. Of course, New Yorkers think they’ve got the world’s best everything. They even like to think Nobu Matsuhisa and Thomas Keller are New York chefs.
Chinatown, San Francisco
I’ve never been to New York’s Chinatown. I’m a true native Californian. Which means I was born hating the Yankees, and ironically subscribe to a decidedly New Yorker-esque kind of regionalism in which I believe California has the best everything. You southerners ever tried Santa Maria barbecue?? More
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