Thoughtful Gourmet Blog

I’ve been a restaurant writer and food journalist for eight years now. During that time, I’ve been invited to experience countless restaurants – the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. I’ve sat around the table with great conversationalists and lousy food and savored great food while suffering lousy conversationalists. I’ve endured blaring music and […]

The experience of wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma has shifted dramatically in recent years (read more about wine country changes here). A likely result: Wine Country has never been more accessible to children and families. This is a boon to my family of four as for years, wine country has been, at worst, off-limits, […]

Smoothies are a weekend staple in my home. Suitable as a fresh foil to January’s endless roasts and soups, they also make a perfect interlude on a warm summer afternoon. Quick to prepare, refreshing and satisfying, smoothies are like soup – you can toss in the kitchen sink and culinary odds and ends find new […]

Last summer, it seemed everyone I knew had caught the spiralizer bug. Courtesy of the paleo movement, which asks its adherents to, among other things, give up carbs, spiralizers, a kitchen gadget that slices vegetables and fruits into curls and (duh) spirals, are having their moment in the sun. I jumped on the bandwagon to take […]

Mint Plaza Redux –  What’s New and Happening Now San Francisco’s Mint Plaza, that L-shaped wedge of open space behind the old Mint Building at the corner of 5th and Mission, is bustling once again with restaurants, food trucks and events. Just steps away from the Westfield Center and Union Square, Mint Plaza is a […]

San Francisco’s taste for the flavors of the Southeast Asia shows no signs of slowing. New restaurants bring the food of Guam and Sri Lanka to the city while an established restaurant defines the food of Indonesia in elegant style. 1601 Bar & Kitchen Neighborhood: San Francisco, SOMA Located on a quiet stretch of Howard Street, […]

Casual but upscale dining is a national trend that only seems to keep growing in San Francisco. These restaurants turn on the culinary firepower yet keep the setting refined, luxurious and low key. Great food, a fun vibe , and maybe even a Michelin star. It is all here. Chef’s Counter at Saison Neighborhood: SOMA Chef […]

eau–de–vie: a clear brandy distilled from the fermented juice of fruit. French, literally, water of life, translation of Medieval Latin aqua vitae First Known Use: 1683 (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eau-de-vie) Bordeaux. Whether or not you are a wine drinker, the name Bordeaux is familiar and connotes a prestigious sort of French wine. Just north of Bordeaux, in Poitou-Charentes, […]