Issue 68 — Best Bites From my Travels in 2024
Santa Barbara, Marin County + San Francisco, Oregon, New York + Lisbon
Listed in order of proximity LA :)
24 Bites from 2024 —
Scallion Shitake Loaf + the Jalaneño Basil Cashew Spread from Oat Bakery, Santa Barbara: I enjoyed both at home with a jammy egg. Would absolutely looove if Courage Bagels or Mustard Bagels started using their vegan spreads… 👀
The Mushroom Smashburger from Heyday, Palm Springs: TBH, this is the only vegetarian smash burger I’ve ever had - but I loved it. Need to know who offers something like this in LA? And their Burger / Martini special for just $19.99? love.
Apple Pie and melted cheddar from Julian Pie Company: An apparently classic combination—though I’ve never seen melted cheese on pie before.
The Crab Louie at El Pescador Fish Market in San Diego: a classic, perfected.
Mushroom Nori Taco at La Corriente La Jolla, San Diego: sort of my dream taco. The nori adds that bit of ocean, while the mushroom has a meaty, fish-like texture. A clever take on a vegetarian taco.
Anything, but especially the Sicilian Crudo from Swan’s Oyster Depot in San Francisco. Bring a crisp $100 bill, go solo, hungry + curious. They will take care of you.
Every tinned fish, cheese + wine combo I had at Golden Sardine, San Francisco: This place was such a sunny spot for me last summer. Kept dreaming of chef friends hosting pop-ups there.
Green Beans + Crab noodles from Four Kings, San Francisco: The second little wax bean salad I’ve fallen in love with - the first was at Hippo in Highland Park. Do I love green beans or do I love sauce? I was expecting the crab noodles to come out in a big bowl - but once I realized how rich of a bite it was - slathered in butter and garlic - I understood. And such gorgeous presentation. I don’t usually look into menus that much before I go somewhere new, but for this place I’d study it a bit. They run a really fast paced ship, and I felt a little panicked to order.
This bowl at Yo También Cantina, San Francisco: “Yeah, I could eat this every day.” A great mixture of cold crunchy, warm hearty, and spicy. It was this jammy egg that inspired me to get a carton.
Tuna Taco’s from Gott’s Roadside, San Francisco / Marin: One of the very few circumstances I enjoy a crispy taco shell.
Spicy Tuna Salad at Blue Barn, Marin + San Francisco: I’ve said it before, but truly the only salad I think is worth the $20+ price tag. The heaping scoop of spicy tuna is WORTH IT. They don’t skimp. I’m glad we don’t have Blue Barn in LA because I’d justify this price point every time. Any place that has impeccable salads and McDonald’s style fries is a winner in my book.
Gin & Celery at ABV, SF: This was my introduction to celery in a cocktail, and now when I see it, I order it. It makes sense - celery is cool and slippery, a perfect balance to the burn of alcohol. (They have a similar drink at Republique in LA!)
Crudo from Flour + Water, San Francisco: This yellowtail was topped with a sort of pickle / caper tapenade - a really original pairing that I’m dying to emulate. Still haven’t had their pizza…weird I know.
Garlic Noddles from Burmatown, Larspur: This is the restaurant we go to every time family gets together in Marin. We have our order down. There a few rotating items but the tea leaf salad and garlic mushroom noodles always get ordered. This is also one of the few spots in my hometown that has orange wine.
Mai Tai from Sam’s Anchor Cafe, Tiburon: Some of my favorite Mai Tais have been at the most unexpected places. I’m not usually into a fancy foam top, but this one is lilikoi and excellent. Being right on the bay with a view of the city isn’t bad either.
Wine tasting at Swick in Newberg, Oregon: Sometimes, you really can just ‘Call Taylor Up!” - or in this case, DM the winery in the off chance they’ll let 2 randos wander around their vineyard and taste everything. Really glad I got to share this day with my sister. I get into it more in BS Issue 52.
This cappuccino my Opa made me. McMinnville, OR: Made by the man who got me into coffee, and STILL offers me espresso the second I step through the door (he’s 91). Just when you think he’s finished, he’ll pull out a pocket knife and shave Dove dark chocolate atop for garnish. No cappuccino will ever compare.
Tuna + Rhubarb from Gem Wine, NY: If I were to live in a restaurant, this would be it. Unfortunately we only stopped on our way to dinner so we didn’t do a full meal — but we ordered a bottle of wine and I insisted on getting at least one bite. I’ve had a lot of raw tuna in my day, but this fatty / tart pairing was delightful. More on Gem Wine here.
Fries and curry from Superiority Burger, New York: The second I had a bite I knew I had had this curry before. S&B Golden Curry is an easy to prepare japanese curry mix that comes in roux blocks. It’s sold everywhere now, even Target. A past boyfriend of mine used to make big batches in a pressure cooker for quick weeknight meals, and for some reason I left it behind with that relationship. But we are SO BACK. I always have this curry in my pantry now. It’s the perfect way to use wilting orphaned veggies. I’d eat almost anything smothered in this liquid gold. More in BS here.
Cervos, New York: Vibe is just as great as the meal. A group of us jammed ourselves past the narrow bar into the very cozy back dining room. We stayed there as long as we could, avoiding the rain, dipping fries in the Manila clams soaking up every drop of vino verde…
Ravioli from Misi, Brooklyn: Sitting at this sunny table by the window, I was reminded that you don’t have to eat pasta in the dark on a date. In fact, I’d argue it’s almost more enjoyable when you can really see it — Especially laborious hand made pasta that’s been cared for all day. It deserves its moment in the shining sun. DIVINE.
I still think about this Whiskey and Shiso cocktail I had at Eavesdrop, Brooklyn.
Gazpacho from Mesón Andaluz, Lisbon: poured over a scoop of herby cucumber anchovy sorbet. The contrast in texture, flavor, and temperature was so unexpected. (This reel shows it better) Really interested in trying to recreate this…
Didn’t get a good shot of this, but the Ginjinha (Sour Cherry Liquor) in Lisbon was the perfect late night introduction to the city. I’m especially in awe of places / traditions that are super old. This bar opened in 1840…
Nothing is old in LA. Even the people don’t age anymore.
But after any weekend away, any international trip, I am still so glad to come back home to Los Angeles.
Best food city in the world.
darn! was hoping that ravioli was in LA...
Swan is such a special spot, an early solo meal there is pretty much perfect