What’s Cookin’

What on earth am I trying to do to myself, implode? Yeah, it makes for a busy week when you have to plan a 300-person event. Life=consumed. Tonight’s Happy Ending is going to be a blast—sorry to say, we are sold out. There may be a…

Today is my annual sad day—the day I leave the lake. My family understands, heck, anyone who comes up to Lake Tahoe regularly does. This place is so special—and it’s not just because I’ve spent every summer in the same cabin in Tahoma (West Shore) since…

I am so ready to punch the clock. Lake Tahoe, your 80-degree weather and sun and squirrels and chilly nights (and even colder lake) and mountain air are calllllling meeeeee. Although boy, do I have a lot of work to get done before I hit the road. Leaving town:…

Oh yeah, let’s hear it for another foggy and cold-ass weekend. AM I CRANKY? What on earth gave you that idea? Fortunately, there were many things to keep me from becoming toooo fussy this week, from panisse frites and bacon beignets at Frances, to deviled eggs and fried…

Look at that burger. Isn’t it begging for a serious chomping? Thanks to a tip from an East Bay food-savvy friend, I can now say I have experienced the Ahn’s pastrami burger—an indulgent, messy, and completely unsustainable burger, which is why it only put me back…

Boy, someone was the queen of naps this past weekend. I wasn’t sure if I was in a food coma, or just tired, or fighting something. Perhaps all three, because this kind of a lineup can wear you out: Friday night was all about a friends and family test…

Hello from ‘hopper HQ. Guess who was out a little late last night? Yes, yours truly had a dear friend in town, so we had to tear it up a little. And speaking of tearing it up, this week’s review of Z & Y Restaurant is not messing around,…

Hola, peeps. Up for something new to do this Friday evening? Last Friday night, a friend and I went to check out the new-ish Off the Grid gathering in the Fort Mason parking lot. What a cool event: there was an impressive lineup of street food vendors and numerous…

You’ve almost made it to the finish line—well, those of you who work normal office hours. Congrats. I’ve been off that track for 10 years, but I can still appreciate Friday. I am also appreciating how many cool restaurant openings we have going on right now—keeps…

How was your holiday weekend, folks? Let’s hear it for destination weddings. I got to spend the weekend up in Hopland; it’s past Healdsburg and Cloverdale on the 101—about 12 miles south of Ukiah for those of you who like to know such things. Talk about summer…