It’s summer, and that means time to break out the grill and throw down a few sausages.  While beer and sausage is as cliched a pairing as there is, it’s one ripe with possibilities.  Sausages go way beyond some ground pork or beef and a casing.  As the chefs on display at CUESA’s Sausage & [...]

Black Star is a classic American Pilsner, with a light dry hopping touch.  It’s crisp, clean, and great for a summer day.  It’s interesting to see a craft take on a style so thoroughly consumed by corporate beer behemoths.   Chad Newton’s Parcel BBQ is exactly what it claims to be – classic american BBQ, [...]

Opening day of Hapa Ramen seemed to go smoothly.  Water boiled easily, and three hundred servings of ramen went out the door without incident (OK, maybe a few plastic things were melted.  but that’s a sign of too much heat, and that’s a happy problem is have under the circumstances.) My bowl was rich and [...]

One of my favorite parts of living in San Francisco is the wholesale endorsement of Dim Sum as the meal for all occasions. In this case, we were lead by a particular mystery chef out to the Outer Sunset to S&T Seafood in the Sunset for chicken feet and other brunch treats.

Since opening, Contigo has quickly gone into heavy rotation.  Chef Brett Emerson delivers Spanish style meals, fully embracing the local farm to table ethos that is virtually required of San Francisco restaurants.  Plus, his well-sized, well-priced plates always allow for a wide variety of dishes  - perfect for the adventurous eater.  And with a Moonlight seasonal [...]

Beer Revolution is a new craft beer bar in Oakland.  Started by husband and wife team Fraggle and Rebecca, they aim to create a fun space for craft beer aficionados and newbies alike.  Like City Beer Store in SF, Beer Revolution which takes advantage of a “tavern license,” which means they can sell you bottles [...]

In between courses at the Anchor & Sierra Nevada Dinner, I was able to sneak off and take a few pictures amongst the copper brew kettles. I’ve never seen a brewery as immaculately maintained as Anchor.  Enjoy this private photo tour:

My first underground farmers market, both as a vendor and attendee was great fun.  We sold pickled grapes and green garlic, and sold out of baked mochi and two kegs of ginger beer (the nonalcoholic variety.)   It was crowded, but everyone seemed to be in high spirits.  The door was well regulated, leading to [...]

It’s just like latkes and dreidel, only porkier.

After weeks of planning, hours of tasting, and an unknowable number of phone calls to brewers confirming their beer would be there, the “Mostly Barrel Aged Beer Dinner” went off without a hitch.  As usual, Scala’s Bistro and The Sir Francis Drake pulled of this huge feat without breaking a sweat. “Enough preamble, get to [...]