Dining in Seattle 2022
I spent a few weeks in Seattle for my daughter’s wedding. With the bride and groom working at professional jobs and I being lodged in an Airbnb, we had little time to prepare proper meals. We threw together quick grilled or stir-fried food, ordered take-out, and also ate… Continue reading
Miminashi Izakaya
The entrance to Miminashi is forbidding, barely see the door in the middle of a huge carved wood face, like entering a Samurai redoubt. Inside, after adjusting to the dim lighting, it’s clearly a bar, an Izakaya or Japanese-style pub. As you enter, an elongated U shaped bar is in… Continue reading
Madcap Restaurant
Ron Siegel has a long history as a chef in the Bay Area, with a pedigree that includes the French Laundry and Ritz Carlton. Two-year-old Madcap in San Anselmo is his first restaurant as chef-owner, and earned a Michelin star at the end of 2018. It’s the only current Michelin… Continue reading
Lunch at Indian Accent, New Delhi
Indian Accent is in the Manor Hotel, a boutique lodging with just 14 rooms nestled in a tony suburb of New Delhi. Its distinct, sleek modern architecture with clean rectangular lines and almost floor to ceiling glass is remarkable in Delhi. It has been rated among the 10 best hotels… Continue reading
State Bird Provisions, San Francisco
As usual, I misjudged the weather in San Francisco, forgetting it was 15 degrees cooler than North Marin. I was freezing and hungry by the time my friends and I were allowed into State Bird Provisions after a 45-minute wait outside. With little else to do except make periodic glances… Continue reading
Lunch at the Slanted Door, San Franciso
After my visit to Vietnam a few months ago, my awareness of its cuisine grew considerably. I had dined at the Slanted Door several times prior to going to Vietnam and wondered if my new lens would alter my view of the restaurant.
Although Charles Phan is the Executive Chef,… Continue reading
Aziza, San Francisco
Since my last visit to Aziza—long ago—Chef Mourad Lahlou has earned many awards and accolades, including a Michelin Star in 2010, the first awarded to a Moroccan restaurant. Aziza had been renovated since my last visit. The dining area to the right was dimly lit with modern furnishings. My companions… Continue reading
Risibisi Restaurant in Petaluma
Risibisi
Petaluma
By Ashok Khanna
Historic downtown Petaluma has a clutch of interesting restaurants.
Notable among them is Risibisi, which fronts on the town’s main street with the Petaluma River flowing behind it. The dining room is cozy with exposed brick and wood paneling and a small bar at… Continue reading
Brunch at Solbar at Solage Spa, Calistoga
Brunch at Solbar
By Ashok Khanna
Also posted on bestofsfbayarea.com
Silverado Trail is one of the two main “routes du vin” in Napa Valley. It’s not as well known as St. Helena Highway (Route 29), but along its 30 miles, some 200 wineries produce world-class wines. Notable among them are… Continue reading
Fenix Restaurant, San Rafael
Lunch at Fenix, San Rafael
By Ashok Khanna
Also posted on bestofsfbayarea.com
Known as a supper music club with a super sound system, San Rafael’s Fenix apparently remains undiscovered for lunch. When I visited with a friend on a weekday, only two tables in the large dining room were… Continue reading
Molina Restaurant, Mill Valley
Molina, Mill Valley
By Ashok Khanna
Also posted on bestofsfbayarea.com
On Molina’s website, chef-owner Todd Shoberg and interior designer Doug Washington say that the restaurant is built for the community, a place to make guests feel that they are dining at home. Just one room with tables to seat… Continue reading
El Paseo Restaurant, Mill Valley
El Paseo, Mill Valley
By Ashok Khanna
Also Posted on bestofsfbayarea.com
As you walk the brick path from Mill Valley’s Sunnyside Avenue to Throckmorton Street, you pass an outside dining area, a patio with a fireplace, dining rooms on both sides and an alcove with a dining table. Tucked away… Continue reading
Lucy Restaurant, Yountville
Lucy Restaurant, Yountville
By Ashok Khanna
Also Posted on bestofsfbayarea.com
In 2009, Bardessono Hotel entered a crowded field of luxury inns and hotels in Yountville, a prime tourist destination. Its distinctive modern design with clean lines and use of glass and salvaged wood emphasizes sustainability. Indeed, it was awarded… Continue reading