“Variety’s the very spice of life,
That gives all its flavor.”
- William Cowper

As you can see from this month’s Top Tastes (favorite new dishes, drinks and bites), it’s been a rich month of new San Francisco restaurant openings, travel and plenty to get excited about. My excitement grows as I anticipate upcoming trips to New Orleans and Miami… a slew of culinary adventures await! Please feel free to send me any favorite places you’d recommend in those cities?

I had a great night last Monday at the private West Coast competition for the Marie Brizard Cocktail Challenge at Conduit. Congrats to the winner,Jackie Patterson of Zinnia and formerly, Orson, and to runner-up, Joel Baker, of my longtime haunt, Bourbon and Branch. Jackie will be representing the US, along with one East Coast winner (competition is 11/7 at Madison Square Garden), in the international bartender competition in France. I wonder, who will be voted world’s best bartender?? I have to say, it makes one proud to see the incredible renaissance of the cocktail in our country over recent years, with our own city and New York having led the way.

Of the 10 East Coast challengers (all male), 8 are from NYC (from some of my fave NY bars like Brandy Library and Death & Co.), 1 from my old home state of New Jersey, 1 from Philly. Of the West Coast’s 9 challengers, all 9 are from San Francisco proper and 3 are women. Right on!! I happily sipped inventive drinks made by each for the competition… any of these mixologists would be a worthy winner.

Speaking of drink, in this month’s Imbiber, try the best espresso in LAand discover two scenic locales for a drink in Malibu or Agoura Hills. On the Town gets playful as we Connect with our Country Roots (real or imagined). Wandering Traveler divulges food and drink in the islands outside Charleston in Charleston, Part Two.

I’d love your feedback on any spots you visited from my site. You can leave comments through the site or email me directly.

Let me guide you to the perfect spot!

Virginia

BREAKFAST

At The Hungry Cat’s brunch in Santa Barbara,Yellowtail Confit ($14) on rustic bread/toast, topped by a poached egg, with a potato/green bean/peppers salad in buttermilk dill dressing.

SAVORY – VEGETARIAN

Fresh, flavorful Curried Couscous Edamame Salad ($8) at Lilah Belle’s, the Castro’s cute new take-out serving healthy meals and salads on the go – great concept!

Vegetarian master, Millennium wowed me, as usual, with every dish, including a Black Bean Plantain Torte($10.95) over a smoky bean puree with pumpkin-habanero papazul, a drizzle of cashew sour cream and a refreshing watermelon red onion salsa.

SAVORY – SEAFOOD

Bright Cebiche Chifa ($9 half/$15 full portion), a ceviche of Baja California yellowtail tuna with peanuts, scallions, ginger, pickled carrots, daikon, habanero pepper, wonton strips, cilantro in sesame leche de tigre broth. The space of Embarcadero’s hot newcomer, La Mar Cebicheria, is likewise bright, airy, huge – PS: great pisco cocktails, too!

Ginger Bluefin Sashimi (5 piece, $19) at Arigato Sushi at 1225 State Street, Santa Barbara: fresh, silky fish delicately topped with delicate shavings of grated ginger, yuzu garlic oil, Hawaiian pink salt and chives.

SAVORY – MEAT

Though I miss Myth’s gorgeous dining room already, thankfully Sean O’Brien returns, this month opening brand new Zinnia. I joyously revisited his classic Seared Potato Gnocchi in a Wild Boar Bolognese with a touch of mascarpone and Parmesan ($14).

Ah, a carnitas taco on homemade tortillas at dumpy Taqueria Tlaquepaque in San Jose (2222 Lincoln Ave, 408-978-3665) will set you back only a couple bucks (order a few!) but the taste pleasure is multiple times greater than the price.

La Quercia Rossa Prosciutto w/ fresh Peaches, French feta, peppercress, XV olive oil and lemon ($13.75) at Palo Alto’s cozy but elegant Bistro Elan (448 S. California Avenue, 650-327-0284).

SWEET

“Not Your Grandma’s Pie” ($9) at Zare’s at Fly Trap: a fabulously tart, deconstructed dessert of lemon filling, a mound of coconut meringue, toasted pineapple wedges, buttery graham cracker crumbs, coconut/Persian lime sorbet and a drizzle of mint/basil vinaigrette. Sound like too much going on? It’s not.

DRINK

The Louisiane ($9) at Pisco Latin Lounge, Destino’sbrand new next door neighbor serves pisco-based, Latin and classic cocktail recipes (this particular cocktail combines Old Overholt Rye, Kubler Absinthe – my new fave, Benedictine and Peychaud Bitters). I found all three small plates I tried mediocre and not worth the price (eat an early dinner at Sushi Zone around the corner, then come here for drinks!)

My taste buds thanked me for trying medium-bodied Gardet Brut Champagne; $10 a glass special at a recent happy hour) at Bubble Lounge – an exquisite, dry, smoky champagne… magnifique!

Reconnect with your Country Roots

Just in time for Fall, when I continue to dive into my beloved classic country albums (my ultimate hero, Cash, but also Hank Williams, Dolly, George Jones, Loretta, Waylon, etc…), I get nostalgic for hearty BBQ and roots music. There are a number of us in a city as diverse as San Francisco who were born or grew up in places like Oklahoma (my birthplace, before we moved to Kansas City when I was one, then on to California at age six), the South, Mid-West or anywhere classic country music and good BBQ are considered imperative.

Where can a down-home boy or gal get a fix in our metropolitan West Coast city? Though there are tons of cowboys in the Wild West of California (there’s a huge amount of cowboy events year round in towns like Visalia and Victorville, or the annual Monterey Cowboy Music & Poetry Festival – yep, cowboy poetry), but less for you little cowhands in the big city. Events like the Grand National Rodeo at Cow Palace should help satiate, as might a few of these local stops:

MUSIC

Atlas Café Bluegrass Thursdays: Long time Mission tradition, Bluegrass Thursdays at Atlas (8-10pm) are down home, good time jams. You’ll hear not just bluegrass but country swing and hillbilly in this small café with fresh, affordable food, coffee, teas, and draft beers.

Twang Sundays at Thee Parkside: Every Sunday, 5-8pm, Potrero’s divey neighborhood fave, Thee Parkside, serves icy cold beers to go w/ free live twangy country, Americana, rockabilly and western music.

Freight & Salvage Coffee House: Berkeley does it their way at this classic coffee house and non-profit community arts organization known for its concerts. Though the focus ranges in Traditional music from all ethnicities (read: World Music), much of the concerts here are comprised of Americana, bluegrass, and fiddle bands.

SF Hootenanny Night at Café International: (in Lower Haight) Held every second Saturday of the month, this folk music jam/concert is raucous… and free. Yeehaw!

After my BBQ tasting road trip through the South, I concur with Michael Lee West, quoting her Mama, in “Consuming Passions: A Food Obsessed Life”: “I can understand leaving a man, or even a town… but not good barbecue.”

FOOD

Uncle Frank’s BBQ: The number one reason to drive all the way down to Mountain View (besides an occasionally great Theatre Works play, is Uncle Frank’s. In the back room of a dingy bar on a non-descript, suburban street (since only through the bar, the back patio is the spot for 21 and under!), lies a dim dive with killer BBQ sauce, sides and, of course, BBQ. I’ve been a fan for years, but this year it popped up in Zagat for the first time, so the word continues to spread. This is the closest we’re gonna get to real Southern BBQ on the West Coast, y’all. Signature, tender beef brisket is thick with fat AND, thus, robust with flavor. Pork ribs and Louisiana links will make your belly… well, let’s just say… happy. Sides are excellent: fire-hot Cajun Corn is one of my top choices, but baked bean and coleslaw lovers won’t be disappointed. Then there’s Sweet Potato Pie and cinammony Peach Cobbler. Uncle Frank, why must you be all the way down the Peninsula?

Ironwood BBQ: Randomly situated on a golf course in Golden Gate Park, next to the Archery Field (with parking!) this unexpected BBQ mecca offers some of SF’s best Pulled Pork, Brisket and homemade BBQ Sauce. Using a rare Wham Turbo BBQ Pit from Memphis, meats are 100% oak-wood fired. There’s Ribs or Chicken but I’m a Pulled Pork girl first and foremost, and theirs does not disappoint. Sit outside overlooking the golfing green, whether foggy or sunny, for a unique experience of down home BBQ in GG Park. I’ve been happily going since they opened, as this is one of SF’s lesser-known food havens.

Bluegrass Grill: A delightful new Wine Country addition in the middle of Glen Ellen is this mid-range restaurant dishing BBQ and Western eats in a more refined setting. Laid back and friendly, its décor honors cowboys and Indians without being kitschy. In an old mill over a stream (natch) with a picture window view of the rotating water wheel from the bar area, you can smell the meat simmering. On the back deck, families and hefty, all-American guys chow down on beers and ribs… comforting in a hip, Midwestern sort-of way. I “heart” their brisket, BBQ sauce and Smoked Pork Nachos! Settle your stomach with a cold Bundaberg Ginger Beer as you fill up on appetizers like Blue Cheese Chili Oil Fries or Panko Crusted Chili Relleno. But save some room for the meat!

Johnson’s BBQ: Though SF isn’t swimming in authentic BBQ joints, there are a few gems, Johnson’sbeing one. This is Arkansas style BBQ… when they say their sauce is hot, they mean it. Lunch is a deal: for $6.75, I get a half order of the “pork sandwich” plus two sides (coleslaw, baked beans, yams, etc…), which is actually a huge heaping of BBQ pulled pork over a slice of bread (worth it even if you don’t want the bread!) They serve ribs, catfish, oxtails, links and more. I have to say the dingy environment is far from appealing, but that’s part of the authenticity.

Los Angeles

So my gorgeous sister just got married in So Cal and you know even despite the full week of family events and parties, I got in my fair taste of food and drink. Since I planned the bachelorette gathering, finding hip but chill locales was in order… here were the best from this trip:

COFFEE

Caffe Luxxe: My absolute favorite LA taste this year (besides Pizzeria Mozza, which I wrote about in May) – and the very best coffee/espresso I’ve ever had in LA – is a Caffe Nico($4.25) at Santa Monica’s Caffe Luxxe. How I shall say this? As I walked away, I felt the irresistible urge to turn right back around and order another. Worse still, I awoke every morning for a week thereafter, the memory of that perfected Italianate espresso still on my tongue, taunting me sadistically. With a menu of essentially no more than espressos in a pristine, little shop, Luxxe intrigued me from the get-go, but once I tasted crema-rich espresso mixed cleanly with candied orange peel and a splash of half-and-half, I knew I’d be forever spoiled. I have only two questions: why don’t LA friends I talked with know about this place, and, more importantly, when can I get back there??

COCKTAILS with a view (or a scene)

Chapter 8: My sister’s bachelorette gig was enhanced by a random lounge in the Northernmost part of LA County: sleepy, suburban Agoura Hills. While I have to say cocktails were average at best, Chapter 8 went above and beyond in the atmos department to give us an unforgettable setting. It’s “Vegas meets retro lounge meets glitzy bordello”. You can see by the photo that the amount of red means dress up, slink around, watch old movies on the flat screens behind the bar, or groove the night away in the dance room or outdoor patio. Take photos in the weird vinyl “tunnel” between the bar/restaurant and dance room. This place will transport.

Moonshadows’ Malibu: Cocktails here are average and at big city prices (around $12; the culinary cocktail renaissance has, sadly, yet to explode in LA), but Moonshadows’ Malibu beachside setting, again, more than makes up for it with the outdoor deck literally hanging over crashing waves on rocks below. What a place to take in the sunset or a warm night! Heat lamps, vinyl beds, cabana-like tables/booths and an outdoor tiki bar create a vibe that’s fun but chill (not obnoxiously wild, at least not when I was there – weekends are different, I hear). The blue lighting off of white vinyl cast a magic glow as the moon rises over the Pacific.

CHARLESTON, Part Two

We’re back to enchanting Charleston for island eats and drinks with a view.

CHARLESTON BARS

Vendue Inn: A casual rooftop bar atop a charming, historic Inn. On a warm day, feels like a margaritas (regular or watermelon) and beer rooftop party: casual, relaxed, breezy.

Pavilion Bar: On the Market Pavilion Hotel sits this romantic rooftop bar… ideal for taking in the sunset over Charleston with a glass of wine. There’s a cascading pool and lounge chairs as you watch the magical glow of day turn into night.

Charleston Place: A ritzy mall in a hotel, this glamorous, ‘yuppity’ hotel bar may not be on the agenda unless you get stuck in a sudden thunderstorm as the Renaissance Man and I did one night: wild lightening pierced the sky and we were getting soaked. We slipped into this mega-hotel for what was a surprisingly elegant refuge of a live jazz duo, cocktails and dessert.

FURTHER AFIELD… on the Islands

There are three delightful islands just outside of Charleston: Mount Pleasant, the busiest and most suburban, Isle of Palms, with its lovely beaches, and Sullivan’s Island with fascinating Fort Moultrie.

Here I gained a great appreciation for the rich Gullah heritage of the islands – in Charleston proper there is famed Gullah baskets and wares sold in open air markets. Gullah is defined in Wikipedia (I know, I know) as:

“The Gullah are known for preserving more of their African linguistic and cultural heritage than any other African American community in the United States. They speak an English-based Creole language containing many African loanwords and significant influences from African languages in grammar and sentence structure. The Gullah language is related to Jamaican Creole, Bahamian Dialect, and the Krio language of Sierra Leone in West Africa. Gullah storytelling, foodways, music, folk beliefs, crafts, farming and fishing traditions, all exhibit strong influences from West and Central African cultures.”

On Mt. Pleasant, two great food finds I had to share with you:

Gullah Cuisine: This humble little house serves native cuisine of the Gullah islands. It’s the real deal – a mix of West African, Southern, Creole and Island cuisine: She Crab Soup, Fish Head Stew, Fried Chicken, Oxtail Stew, Conch Fritters and a PERFECT Sweet Potato Pie.

Locklear’s Low Country Grill: Famous for their award-winning She Crab Soup (Cup $3.99, Bowl $5.25), it’s a luxurious, creamy version that hit the spot after a morning on the beach.