Andrea and I live in San Francisco and we’ve been together over 20 years and food and wine was one of the things we’ve enjoyed together from the start even as we started dating. I’ll admit that literally the first book I bought when I moved to San Francisco in 1996 was the current Zagat guide for SF at Barnes & Noble. We just do this for personal enjoyment (i.e. we are not professional reviewers nor do we work in the industry). We sometimes plan our travels and experiences with this interest in food and wine in mind.
Some of our favorite dining experiences are below. It’s a tricky thing since it not only requires excellent service, food, and ambiance, but it also requires us as diners to be in a certain mindset. Sometimes we’ve found if our expectations are too high, it sets the stage for disappointment; conversely, low expectations can result in a delightful experience. Sometimes we’ve found our palates have changed (perhaps more sophisticated) over time and something we found so magical before is no longer upon revisit.
All Time Favorite Dining
- Smyth – October 29, 2024
- Joël Robuchon
- Pujol – December 1, 2023
- Single Thread
- Addison – February 3, 2023
- The Modern – March 10, 2022
- Saison
- Quince – September 9, 2021
- Atelier Crenn – May 30, 2019
- La Coccinella – November 20, 2016
- Sergi Arola restaurante – December 28, 2012
Favorite Experiences
- December 7, 2023 – Cooking at Portozuelo with Chef Alex Ruiz
- November 26, 2016 – White Truffle Festival of Alba
Great Dining/Honorable Mention
- Californios
- Bazaar Meat by José Andrés – January 17, 2024
- Sons & Daughters
- Quintonil – November 29, 2023
- The Shota
- Le Grand Restaurant – Jean-François Piège – August 3, 2023
- Septime – August 3, 2023
- k| i| l\ n| – June 22, 2023
- Nari
- Niku Steakhouse
- Friends Only – April 21, 2023
- Copra
- Lazy Bear
- Osito – December 2, 2022
- R&G Lounge