Hana's Ken Roll: Spicy tuna, atop shrimp tempura and avocado
Although I’ve had some pretty decent sushi right here in the Napa Valley, when I’m facing really pent-up sushi cravings, I’m always compelled to drive over to Hana in Sonoma County. Over the years, I’ve found that when sushi is the objective, it always pays to go all in, especially when the merits of the cuisine rely so heavily upon the sheer quality of the ingredients. In these situations, I’ll gladly go out of my way to put myself in good hands (the fact that I’m willing to [... read more ...]
Fries? Check. Coleslaw? Check. Optional fried egg add-on? Check.
I woke up about an hour outside of Pittsburgh last Sunday, turned on the television in my hotel room, and watched the final round of the British Open as I packed to leave. Like most people, I felt that the Open lost a bit of its luster when Tiger Woods failed to make the cut, but the return of Tom Watson restored all sorts of drama to the tournament, and then some. I remained glued to the TV as I assured housekeeping — on three different occasions — that [... read more ...]
A four-hour layover at JFK is just enough time to enjoy a seven-course lunch at Marea in Midtown Manhattan (for the record, this daring excursion afforded me just 20 minutes of leeway). That said, I will gladly risk missing a connecting flight for the opportunity to have a great meal in the Big Apple. After all, it’s all about priorities. Some said that it couldn’t be done, but I had complete faith in the New York subway system, and the E train was good to me.
Below is a trio of photos that highlights my favorite dishes of the [... read more ...]
Something old, something new: "Heston's Feast"
It’s been about three years since I’ve lived with a television, although I must admit: living without television today is much less of a sacrifice than it was 10 years ago. These days, I can catch lots of shows online, and DVDs now contain entire seasons of television programs, for long, uninterrupted, commercial-free viewing. None of these options were available back in 1999. Even something like YouTube, which has quickly developed into a mainstream entity today, was completely non-existent.
But even though I can now do reasonably well without cable, I’m woefully [... read more ...]
I got on a pizza kick about a month ago during an impromptu visit to Pizzeria Delfina down in the Mission District (the Bi-Rite Creamery, also near 18th and Dolores, was my overt destination). It may sound a little backwards, trekking into San Francisco just for a scoop of ice cream, then deciding to stop in for a quick Margherita pizza, since I was in the neighborhood. But I’m an opportunistic eater, and these are the diversions that I’m likely to take. Although the pizza at Delfina was pretty good, the salted caramel ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery remains [... read more ...]
