Just like that, we slipped into a new year. We were down in Cupertino for the first couple of days, where Alex got to try out his new barbecue smoker. A visit to Larkspur, where the trees roam the streets. And a walk around Mission Bay. Weekly Whitney chat. Weekly Talya chat. More scenes from…
We concluded our road trip to Southern California with a workweek spent in Venice. It’s usually overrun with tourists and beachgoers, but Venice without the crowds was actually quite charming, not least because we stayed in an amazing converted garage airbnb, which made for a perfect lush jungle working retreat. Breakfast from Gjiusta, the bakery…
I absolutely adore photographing surprise proposals. And what better place for a proposal than in front of the iconic blue door at The French Laundry in Yountville, California? I was excited to work with Thomas on this surprise for his girlfriend Jenny. I’ll let them tell the story from here! From Thomas: Jenny and I are both…
Back in November, we gathered a small group of friends and set out to try the newest three-star Michelin restaurant here in San Francisco: Benu. Chef Corey Lee is a French Laundry alum, and the concept at Benu is all about taking that culinary background and adding a strong Asian influence. It’s inset from Hawthorn…
For a long time, Lazy Bear was an underground pop-up, delighting diners who were in the know with their communal dinner parties. In the last few weeks, it went from underground to brick and mortar. Reservations were of course a scramble, compounded by the fact that they went with Alinea’s ticketing system (nonrefundable, like concert tickets)….
Back in June of last year, a group of twelve of us had an incredible experience dining at The French Laundry in Napa Valley. Immediately afterwards, we started plotting our next group dining experience and set our sights on Alinea in Chicago. I really liked the idea of dining with a group, but after my inquiry returned a quote of $36,500…
July started with a bang as we headed to Atelier Crenn, recently remodeled with brand new interiors and an expanded tasting menu. Chef Dominique Crenn is oft cited as the only female chef in the country who has two Michelin stars, and she very memorably writes her menus as poems, with each line representing one…
We were initially a bit confused as we wandered along the row of identical looking warehouses. Jesse spotted a chef coming out of a building nearby asked if he knew where Noma was, to which the chef quickly responded, “No.” (Awkward pause, as we stood there looking lost.) “Just kidding, I work there!” He walked…
After three beautiful days in Barcelona, we took a plane to the north and landed in San Sebastian, a city often lauded as a culinary center in Spain. Our destination was Arzak, a famous family-run restaurant owned by Juan-Mari Arzak and his daughter Elena. Arzak has three Michelin stars and has gained worldwide acclaim for its…
My boyfriend is quite the sweetheart. For my birthday, Jesse took me out to Quince, a newly-minted two-star Michelin restaurant in San Francisco (upgraded from one star last year). The service was impeccable, the food of course delightful, but most notably, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, and not overly pretentious. Jesse even had them…
I spent Christmas Day lounging around at home until it was time to head to the airport. Overnight, I flew cross-country to New York City, and there I arrived, dark and early, at 6am. This was my first time spending the holidays in New York, and with all the crazy snowstorms this year, it was…
I’ve been having such wonderful foodie adventures all over the place, it was so lovely to turn around and visit a highly-rated restaurant right here in Oakland. Commis is Oakland’s first and only Michelin-starred restaurant. Its tasting menu is priced at $85/pp, and with a seat at the chef’s table in the center of the…