Had three unusual Mexican experiences of late… Down in Santa Maria, the little kiosk by a lot of the government offices–including the building dept–has become Deli Delicias & Fresh, making ridiculous paninis with a variety of complex stuffings. Just trust them and try one. Really good. Up in SLO, the Sidewalk Market kitchen space has…
Tag: Wine
Top 5 Wine Service Peeves
Dear Restaurants: Can you please stop seating me without a wine-list. This is wine-country. THIS IS RIGHT SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING AND HIGHEST-ACCLAIMED WINE AREAS IN THE WORLD. From where I’m sitting in your restaurant, I could hit 10 wineries with a 5-wood. Hundreds of thousands of dollars…
A Few of my Favorites 9.29
Going through my notes of the past week or so, there is nothing new to write about in terms of *gossip*. You can literally go to LAST WEEK’S GOSSIP COLUMN and everything is still true. Hotels are plugging along, PIADINA in Hotel SLO open in 2 weeks, CARISSA fully open, Maegen Loring is the official…
Top-25 Wines of 2018
Good evening and welcome to Chez Soif. We hope you enjoy your dining experience. I will be taking your wine order. Here is my list carefully curated to reflect the best things I have tasted throughout 2018. Take all the time you need, and remember: these wines are available retail for a substantial discount. I…
Farmstead Kitchen Paso Robles
Well, HELLO GORGEOUS. See, here’s the deal: people think all I do is go around shitting on restaurants. While on the surface this may be true, the foundation for this activity is the simple fact my standards are higher than yours. I come from the old school where people dress for dinner and wine is…
Picky Eater
The term *Picky Eater* gets tossed around a bit. I hear it frequently–often directed at me, typically for being critical of a dish or establishment. Let’s do a little refresher-course: A person who doesn’t like stupid waiters, bad wine-lists, crying babies, TV’s everywhere, tourist food, wet tables, uninspired presentations, confused service, freezing dining rooms and…
Wine Secrets Revealed
“Where do you shop for wine?” Easily the most-asked question I get–sometimes several times per day. “Where do you find these wines I have never seen before in my life?!?” The beauty part is: most of them right here under your nose. At local shops. Owned by real people–not national corporations. When I turn the…
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