Posts by: Ben
Continuing the theme of simple and easy dishes for dinner, this weekend I pulled together this impromptu pasta dish that came together after a visit to my neighborhood butcher, Clove and Hoof, in Oakland.
As restaurants around the country are hurting because of stay-at-home policies, I wanted to be sure to support local businesses like […]
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I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the first regions in the nation to implement a strict “shelter in place” policy during this coronavirus crisis gripping the United States, and the entire world.
So during these times, it just seems strange to be posting restaurant reviews. In my first week of staying […]
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Virgin Atlantic airlines branched out into the hotel business in 2013, but only recently did a property finally arrived in San Francisco.
The Virgin Hotel in the Bay Area opened in SOMA last year across from the Moscone Center. I actually stayed at the Virgin Chicago, and enjoyed the boutique hotel chain with its classic […]
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I called this post an “almost” return visit to the popular Oakland pho noodle spot Pho King because I’d eaten there before but this review looks at its new, larger location near Lake Merritt.
In summer 2018, Pho King moved from its tiny hole-in-the-wall spot on International Boulevard in East Oakland to a shopping […]
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UPDATE: After just 8 months, AL’s Deli suddenly closed the week of 3/9/20 citing a drop in corporate catering business.
AL’s Place on the edge of San Francisco’s Mission District has built a reputation as an innovative restaurant with a vegetable-focused menu. Chef Aaron London opened a spin-off last year called AL’s Deli, and […]
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Whenever I find myself in Berkeley on a Sunday, I can always be sure to find a crowd waiting outside the Berkeley Social Club on University Avenue.
Opened almost 4 years ago, it’s a frolicking spot with known for its Korean-fusion dishes, and featuring the popular “millionaire’s bacon” from its owner Steven Choi, who opened […]
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I’m not really a pancake guy. Those doughy cakes don’t seem like the kind of food to help me in my battle against the midsection bulge.
But like all my food preferences, there’s always an exception. And in the case of pancakes, I do stray when the menu includes lemon ricotta pancakes.
I’m a lemon […]
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Earlier this week, the Winter Fancy Food Show was in town, making its annual trek to San Francisco’s Moscone Center.
Presented by the Specialty Food Association, this major trade show brings together food exhibitors who try to connect with distributors to eventually get to their products in the hands of consumers. As a food blogger, […]
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PORTLAND, Ore.
In my last post from my Portland holiday trip, I give a roundup of all my other dining adventures. I think the diversity below will reinforce this city’s reputation as one of the country’s most exciting food destination.
The following are some of the new places I tried, and doesn’t include some […]
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PORTLAND, Ore.
It’s pretty obvious that Portland has a strong coffee culture; I mean, it’s just south of the even more coffee-focused Seattle. But during my recent holiday stay, I felt the cafe scene in this city was even more heightened with several newcomers that quenched my thirst for a soy latte.
Another trend […]
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PORTLAND, Ore.
I spent the recent holidays once again visiting my younger sister and family in Portland, and it always gives me the opportunity to check out the latest food trends in one of the most dynamic culinary cities in the country right now.
Many of the new restaurants on my list of places […]
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My name is Ben, and I have a drinking problem.
Well, specifically, I think I drink too many cocktails. Not only do they taste good but I love to photograph them. Something about how alcohol captures light that makes me crave a cocktail before dinner.
Looking back at 2019, some of my favorite photos were […]
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Shake Shack, the burger spot that gained popularity with a shack in New York’s Madison Square Park, has become an international chain but only recently has it been feeding the burger craze in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In the last year, it has opened locations in Larkspur and Palo Alto, and earlier this month […]
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While I love pumpkin pies, I was intrigued by a recipe I saw in the Portland Cooks cookbook for a pumpkin upside-down cake with caramelized pears.
I made this cake for Thanksgiving in lieu of a pumpkin pie, and while I had some challenges in the baking process, it turned out […]
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