Umami Mart

In a city like São Paulo with its mild climate, and  millions of Italian immigrants, you would expect to find loads of good gelato. Instead there is a ton of picole (popsicles) and regular ice cream. Luckily for us, just down the street is Bacio di Latte (Kiss of Milk). On any given Sunday, you […]

Just got back from a long weekend in NYC. The trip killed me. I ran around all day, tried to see everyone, ate and drank myself into a tizzy, and literally collapsed in exhaustion. It made me feel old. That said, it really is an incredible city for eating. Like anywhere, there are some major […]

Two long tables that seat about 40 guests Harry Potter-style, line the walls of Camino in Oakland. These dramatic slabs of wood sum up the restaurant itself – friendly and warm. Adding to the drama are two stone grills at the back of the restaurant in full view of the guests and four huge chandaliers […]

While he ate his sandwich and sipped his beer, a bit of conversation came back to him. Blaisedell, the poet, had said to him, “You love beer so much, I’ll bet someday you’ll go in and order a beer milk shake.” It was a simple piece of foolery but it had bothered Doc ever since. […]

Trader Joe’s. Cupertino, CA. Do you see all the little silhouettes of monkeys everywhere? The whole thing is so cheesy, I couldn’t resist buying a box (only $1.99 for four bananas!). Just in case you were interested: Everything about this excites me.

My new favorite ice-cream product is Chocobari. The closest translation for the Japanese word “bari” in English is the onomatopoeia “crunch.” I first knew of Chocobari in the summer months when they were running ads for it on TV. I couldn’t find the actual ad I saw on Youtube, but here’s one I was able […]

Just got back from LaLaLand for the last in a never ending series of weddings this year (uhhh, SEVEN). Jon Sublet got hitched!!! It was quite the wedding for the ages- the dessert table consisted of Persian sweets, fresh figs and these beautiful petite WHOLE CUCUMBERS. Of course I shamelessly had like five of them, […]

My partner and I took a mini-honeymoon to Hokkaido this week with one mission – to eat our way through the Northern land famous for squid, crab, salmon and dairy. We ate so much that I will blaze through our eats in a series of posts centering on the photos I took. Adventures in Japan […]

Drove down to Palm Springs last weekend for Sashe‘s fabulous wedding weekend. It was to be a fun-filled weekend of old friends, celebrating love, excellent food, tanning by the pool, and dancin, Dancin, DANCIN! The bad news?? Getting there. The only thing standing in the way between me and my Palm Springs tan was the […]

My dear friend Jim is opening a sandwich, beer and ice cream joint in LA!!! My three favorite food groups all under one roof- could you ask for anything more? I think not. He and his biz partner Jason have named the cafe The Golden State, that will quite appropriately be highlighting beers, meats, cheeses […]