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This week's tablehopper: fall color.                     True blue: watching the Blue Angels from the SkyDeck at the Mandarin Oriental. Photo: © tablehopper.com. I don’t think my weekend had any more room for excitement, from watching the Blue Angels on the SkyDeck (on the 40th floor) at the Mandarin…

This week's tablehopper: prepare for takeoff.                     Garden party gorgeousness from Copita: butternut squash soup. Photo: © tablehopper.com. TGI to the mother-flipping F. Like the Blue Angels jets that will be flying overhead the next few days, I am ready for weekend takeoff. Actually, I am ready to go…

This week's tablehopper: weekend warrior.                     The insane BLAT (bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato) sandwich at The Thomas. (And hello, I only ate half.) Photo: © tablehopper.com. Anyone who knows me well knows how much I adore the heat, especially warm nights with heavy full moons up in the sky.…

This week's tablehopper: better, faster, shorter.                     Tuna crudo at Commonwealth with lardo and melon. Photo: © tablehopper.com. Hola amigos. Big thanks to everyone who wrote in with headache remedies for me—after four days, that damn thing finally took a hike. It made me step back and take…

This week's tablehopper: Calgon, take me away.                     Katsu and tofu buns at Izakaya Yuzuki. Photo: © tablehopper.com. Hello there, amigos. I have to admit, I am in quite a snit—after calling off my weekend’s plans to stay home and fight this lame cold that didn’t…

This week's tablehopper: hongry.                     Mooncake from Eastern Bakery. Photo: © tablehopper.com. Ah yes, it’s a sunny Friday, and the delightful music of my neighbor’s backyard construction fills my ears with the soothing sounds of hammering and buzz saws and drilling concrete. Oh wait, that’s not…

This week's tablehopper: it's time to tee off.                     Sea scallop with sweet corn, English peas, carrots, and mint at Heirloom Café at the Hirsch Vineyards dinner. Photo: © tablehopper.com. Buon giorno! Am I going to see you tomorrow evening at the Italian Happy Hour event at…

This week's tablehopper: raising my glass.                     Chef Gerald Hirigoyen bringing us Piperade’s infamous beignets. Photo: © tablehopper.com. Howdy. I am so TGIF right now. It’s been a long week of deadlines, but fortunately I’ve had some quality playtime in there too. This week I was…

This week's tablehopper: la donna è mobile.                     The stunning chandelier at the Opera House. Photo: © tablehopper.com. Hello there, fab folks. Can’t believe one week ago I was trundling back to San Francisco in a cloud of dust à la “playa Pig-Pen,” and now I’m back…

This week's tablehopper: burnt toast.                     The bow of La Llorona and the moon at Burning Man. Photo: © tablehopper.com. Hello fabulous people. I have returned from the wild dusty yonder—well, barely. It’s Monday evening as I write this and I’m actually in the Grand Sierra…