GREAT FOOD & CHINESE OPERA I’ve known Marisa Tam, the co-owner of the Great Eastern restaurant, for several years. Recently, I had a Tuesday tour and after everyone left, Tam invited me to hear her practice Chinese Opera in her nearby studio. What an amazing experience!The musicians were playing instruments unique to this music: [...]
COOKBOOKS 5/16
COOKBOOKS My favorite Napa correspondent, Betty Teller, hits the nail on the head again, this time with her woes about writing a cookbook. Unhyphenated By Betty Teller Folks often ask me when I’m going to write a cookbook. I’ve thought about it, but I always run into the same problem. How would I focus it? [...]
TOURS 5/16
Yesterday, I led a tour of 16 folks from the Franklin Templeton Corp on a fun Chinatown tour. It was a team- building group – something that most companies would find fun. Dinner at Great Eastern was, as usual, delish!
North Beach tour 5/19, 5/26, 6/16, 6/23
Eve Chinatown tour 6/30
Mission tour 6/9
Nob Hill tour 6/2
CONTEST 5/16
Contest 5/2
Well, almost no one wanted to see Whores’ Glory, a serious film about global prostitution. When Joan Elola of Fremont wanted two tickets, I awarded her all six.
This issue’s CONTEST:
Do lobsters have teeth? Briefly explain.

The first person with the correct answer, before midnight 5/18 wins a gift certificate for my North Beach tour for one. You may use it for any June (and on) scheduled tour. This is an $80 value.
DINE 5/16
DINE: Sam’s Chowder House and El Bacalhau Grill Overview: Sam’s Chowder House4210 Highway One, Half Moon Bay (650-712-0245) Open 7 daysThe Shenkmans, who own Sam’s, have been advertising in this Report for many months. I met them after I visited their wonderful San Mateo restaurant, Osteria Coppa. Their chef, Chanan Kamen makes his own porchetta, pasta, [...]
5/16 BLOGGERS
BLOGGER SPOTLIGHT New Feature: Spotlight on a Food Blogger: Michael Procopio I recently discovered there are 13,000 people in the world blogging about food. Some bloggers write every day and dream of publishing a cookbook or writing magazine articles. Others are just having a lot of fun and pursue it to entertain their friends [...]
5/16 Intro Yummy Report
|
FOIE GRAS UPDATE 5/2
FOIE GRAS UPDATE Legislature Says Shove it. Background: As chef unrest builds leading up to the July 1 ban of foie gras, the Golden Gate Restaurant Association has formed a new coalition in a last ditch repeal effort. C.H.E.F.S., the Coalition for Humane and Ethical Farming Standards, has drafted up a charter that will be [...]
DINE 5-2
DINE Overview: La Mar (http://lamarsf.blogspot.com) A couple of years ago, I dined at La Mar, and despite the fact I liked the food, the dining room felt like a big warehouse – the noise level was deafening. I knew it was chef Gaston Acurio’s multi-unit chain of Peruvian restaurants offering Peruvian-Japanese food with panache. At [...]
COOK 5-2
COOK Mrs. Much whips up a Favorite ALL TIME FAVORITE: Caramel Cream Cheese Custard By Dianne Boate I come from a long line of custard appreciators. My mother had a very special flavor twist to hers, to the point of my adopting it in certain cake recipes with “Custard Flavor.” It is a combination of [...]






