San Francisco Chronicle Food Stories


		Sunday, May 16, 2010

Jackson's Bar and Oven in Santa Rosa Michael Bauer There's an excitement emanating from Jackson's Bar and Oven, a sophisticated all-American restaurant that opened a few months ago in downtown Santa Rosa. Maybe it's because the menu hits all the right notes and attracts... Bar Stars class of 2010 Jon Bonn�, Chronicle wine editor Choosing this year's Bar Stars presented a bit of a conundrum. It was still easy enough to get a great drink, but it has been what you might call a rebuilding season for our cocktail superstars. We had a lot of talent,... Springtime, and the salads are easy Amanda Berne At this time last year, I had already reaped the rewards of lettuce that was growing like crazy in any empty container on my fire escape. As the tender leaves broke through the soil in early spring, I had to stop myself... Welsh town, cheese inspire Landaff's New Hampshire product Janet Fletcher Doug and Debby Erb made a decent living as New Hampshire dairy farmers until 2006, when milk prices cratered. That's when they knew the milk from their 85 registered Holsteins wouldn't pay the bills, and they would need... Trader Joe's dried blueberries best of bunch Amanda Gold Most nutritionists and doctors will advise that blueberries should be consumed in any form possible - fresh, dried, juiced or frozen. They're loaded with antioxidants and other nutrients, and are relatively low in... Heirloom opens in San Francisco Jon Bonn� The emerging Mission District restaurant stretch along Folsom got its latest arrival this week with Heirloom Cafe. This 48-seat wine-focused bistro, with vintage-pattern wallpaper and original circa-1900 floorboards, is... Salute spring's produce with biscuit shortcake Flo Braker Transitioning from one baking season to another excites me. As I eye the lineup of spring produce now available, I imagine new flavor combinations and recall the favorite recipes I have used so often. However, I find... Cabernet Franc, pork and green garlic chives Lynne Char Bennett Other than salt and pepper, garlic and onions are the two ingredients that bridge almost all cuisines. Both members of the allium family, they contain volatile sulfurous compounds that contribute aromas as well as... How to order Thai food like a native Pailin Chongchitnant, Special to The Chronicle It's been six years since I left my home country of Thailand. My first stop was Vancouver, British Columbia, where I earned a university degree in nutrition, but my second stop was San Francisco for a culinary degree.... FOOD BENEFITS Ghirardelli wine fest Ghirardelli Square and La Cocina, a non-profit that assists low-income food entrepreneurs, host the fifth annual Uncorked Wine Festival at the square on Saturday, from 1 to 6 p.m. The event... Bar Stars: Enrique Sanchez, pisco point man Janny Hu, Chronicle Staff Writer Enrique Sanchez was just 14 years old when he made his first pisco sour at a family gathering in his native Peru. Two decades and thousands of drinks later, he's busy shaking up San Francisco's cocktail scene with a... Jose Zepeda of RN74 Stacy Finz, Chronicle Staff Writer RN74 doesn't seem a likely place for someone trying to make his mark as a mixologist. The San Francisco wine bar and restaurant caters to wine connoisseurs and has become the Bay Area hangout for vintners and wine... Scott Baird and Josh Harris Jon Bonn�, Chronicle Wine Editor Sherry, egg whites, a shelf of house-made bitters: Common trade for San Francisco's high temples to mixology. But 15 Romolo is a bar. No million-dollar design. A real bar. Worn wood, faded mirrors, Miller High Life by... Brian MacGregor, bartender at Jardiniere Paul Clarke, Special to The Chronicle It's a maxim of mixology that good cocktails are all about balance. At Jardini�re in Hayes Valley, bar manager Brian MacGregor aims for balance between all aspects of the bar - from vintage recipes to contemporary... Bar Stars 2010: trend spotting Jon Bonn� What's likely to shape cocktails in the coming year? We checked our notes and polled some of our new and former Bar Stars: American gin: A coast-to-coast renaissance. "Every two days I get a new one," says Nopa's Neyah... A look ahead for Bay Area bar scene Paolo Lucchesi For the most part, the significant new bars of the past year have come courtesy of established Bar Stars. Last summer, the guys behind Bourbon & Branch opened the splashy, high-volume Rickhouse, and over the winter,... Sonoma Coast Chardonnays Jon Bonn� The Sonoma Coast is a sprawling appellation, covering more than 60 miles across Sonoma from the coast to the reaches of San Pablo Bay. But at its best, it should offer cooler-climate characteristics that allow a...