Nothing says summer like a fat, juicy, ripe tomato, and the abundance of varieties now available in our local farmers’ markets. And almost everyone seems to have a tomato story ... Read More
In case you haven’t noticed, I love writing about food. I love eating it, too. This column is about debunking the bunk about food and dining. For some time now I’ve been keepi... Read More
Yes, I know, food writers in December issues are supposed to write about turkey and roast beef for those year-end holiday dinners. But I’m going to write about curry. I’m a cur... Read More
Who would have imagined it? The Ernesto’s — six years! These annual Best of North Beach awards have taken on a life of their own. When I started the Ernesto’s, I was just loo... Read More
Well, soon it will be Valentine’s Day, or St. Valentine’s Day as it appears on liturgical calendars. And I will be out buying a two-pound box of See’s chocolates for Joan, my... Read More
“Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.” — Sophia Loren Isn’t that a great quote? I suppose one could say the same about me. My fondest teenage memories include times ... Read More
I’ve always thought chop suey gets a bum rap. It’s Chinese comfort food — the equivalent of my mother’s Depression-era hobo stew — a little of this, and a lit... Read More
Here we go again. welcome to the Fifth Annual Ernesto’s. And welcome back Buster’s! Last year the Ernesto’s dropped Buster’s from the awards — not because... Read More
General tso’s chicken is a phony — but it still tastes good to me. And, I assume, to you, too. Yes, there was a Ching Dynasty Chinese general named Tso. He was Tso Tsung-t&... Read More
My father was a retired San Francisco chef. When he was 90, we moved him into our large apartment on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco from his home in Oakland, where he had lived wi... Read More
If you buy books from amazon as I do, you will know that because of some arcane algorithmic magic, Amazon knows what kind of books you like. Amazon has me pegged as a reader of off... Read More
Loyal readers will note the Marina Times frequently discusses newly opened restaurants in the column New and Notable. I always read these dispatches with considerable interest. Som... Read More
One of the oldest restaurants in San Francisco’s Chinatown, Sam Wo, took great pride in featuring “the rudest waiter in the world.” His name was Edsel Ford Fung ... Read More
As some of my readers will know, occasionally I have published essays about people I call “Unlikely Heroes or Heroines in the Gastronomic Trenches.” Some who come to mi... Read More