It’s that time of year again: I sift through the hundreds of new local restaurants I’ve visited this year (plus a few hundred more national and international restaurants), namely those opened December 2021 through November 2022, sorting through what standouts most… and why. As with every year, I dined at…

Since 2009, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana has been the best all-around pizza restaurant in the U.S. I’d even say world, in terms of the place that perfects all major (and some minor) styles of pizza. …

These newcomers or new menus cover the gamut, from Sebastopol (Sonoma County) treasures in Thai and pizza to SF gems in Creole/Cajun, Japanese and elevated bar food. …

I’ve long dreamed of 1930s-40s-era supperclubs returning. I know they won’t: who can afford a large restaurant/bar space with a dance floor, for starters, much less nightly musicians? Even as pre-Prohibition-style bars trended a good 20 years ago in San Francisco and NYC — plus specific-era gems, like SF’s Stookey’s…

What a difference nearly 25 years makes! Closed since March 2020, Mission District longtimer Delfina just reopened October 26, 2022, completely remodeled, refreshed, and, I’d say, reborn. I know I’ve dubbed some restaurants as “better than ever before,” and in Delfina’s case, it’s truly true. Pioneering co-owners Annie and Craig…

From sparkling celebratory wines and Champagnes to crisp wintery whites, bracing reds to non-alcoholic wines, I’ve got 15 bottles to suit a range of palates, meals or occasions as we dive into the holidays and usher in a new year. BUBBLY CELEBRATIONS Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve New Year’s (and beyond) call…

Alongside cocktails at new restaurants like Bar Sprezzatura, Rosemary and Pine, Montesacro Marina, La Société and Tenderheart — or these 5 earlier this year, these seven bars are worth visiting now and into the new year…and some currently offer special holiday decor & drinks: New Chinatown Cocktail Haven: Blind Pig…

FORT BRAGG: the Surreal Inn at Newport Ranch Thin places — where heaven and earth come closer or the veil between the here and the otherworld is especially thin — is beloved lore for thousands of years. On California’s breathtaking Mendocino Coast, easily some of the most beautiful and mystical coastline…