offmenusf

I made my GenZ/A daughter, Hazel, come w/ me into Cookin’ a few times—so she cld witness this singular woman and waning world. “I love her,” she said. “She’s mean and endearing.” Exactly. (Clearly made an impact as she doodled Cookin’ before she even knew I was writing about it!:) @laurensaria tells me it was @sfstandard ’s most read story last week. Judy might be controversial but she deserves all the attention, imho! Gonna miss everything about this culinary-themed hoarding situation! 🫕🍳

In case you forgot: we wrote a cookbook called Eat Something. It’s been a few years, but it’s still getting love—just named a Wirecutter New York Times Best Hanukkah Gift… again this season. If you’re looking for a gift with stories, humor, and good food, this one's for you.

In other news, wrote about an oh-so San Francisco rager! Ladies’ Night, with Claude. Essentially, Tupperware parties of yore meet emotional tech support of today. 1975-2025 same-same? Only difference, on this night, nothing was for sale. (Except maybe our interiority?) @nytimes

NOTES ON A NOTEBOOK: PART 2 A few months ago Food & Wine magazine assigned Rachel Levin and I a story to write about the phenomenon of regulars who frequent California’s oldest restaurant @tadichgrill . We wanted to document the humor and psychology that comes out of frequenting a restaurant that feels like home. For the illustrations, I wanted to convey the personalities of the staff and guests that we interviewed. I also wanted to show the sense of warmth from the exchanges we had. We laughed a lot. Many of the people we met have been coming to Tadich Grill for decades. Yes, decades. Pick up the October 2025 issue of @foodandwine and read it for yourself.

Breaking: @george.mccalman & I are now @tadichgrill regulars, too 🍸 We obviously had so much fun, and maybe a few midday martinis, doing this one for this month’s issue of @foodandwine Love writing about the role restaurants play in the lives of the people they feed—and the role restaurants play in the life of a city. Especially a restaurant that has been doing so for *almost two centuries* LOTTA LIVES.🍤 *tx to @paololucchesi for green-lighting this idea as an irregular and very fun @sfchronicle column an era ago pre-covid — that may have ended but me and @tuffgee will always be co-regulars! 💚

Neighbor Tom wandered over to offer me fresh anchovies he’d caught while out for halibut, and I was, like, “Wait, Did you know: Tonight is @theanchovyclub night!?” (He did not.) 🐟

@theanchovyclub , Passover style

May not have made it back from the mountains for Saturday night’s rocking @thewritersgrotto 30th anniversary party (fomo!), but did arrive just in time Sunday to spend a sunny afternoon with a whole mess of @sunsetmag people — too many I hadn’t seen since Menlo Park... spontaneous partyplanners @msmirandajones @amymachnak @jojosilver rolled out the ol’ coral-colored carpet for colleagues from various eras… turns out, ex-garden editors still know how to pick a leafy shady spot, and ex-home editors still have a stash of stylish picnic-tablecloths, and ex-wine editors still know how to bring too many bottles and ex-food editors still know how to cook good stuff and @ninopadova still knows how to pre-batch cocktails and garnish them w mint. And the rest of us ex-travel editors still know how to … just show up—kinda like we used to in the test kitchen. 😂 Is it weird to have a reunion for a magazine that still, sort of, exists? Felt fortunate to have been a part of California’s historic pub during its (last) heyday. (I think we appreciated how fun it was? Once we actually got down there 🐓🪴🍷🥾🌊🏠) Still feel fortunate to know some of the #bestofthewest 🧡 📸 @sunsetphoto @lindalambpeters

last year: @randglounge ! (as documented in a piece @eater assigned to run this year), this year: back to Florida…bracing for the massive over-order my dad *pre-ordered* from somewhere three days ago 🥢🥡 📸 @pchangphoto /24308969/jewish-christmas-chinese-food-restaurant-myth-rg-lounge-san-francisco

Updating this little caption just to say: It’s been so sweet to hear how this piece has been such a slice of positivity… apparently inspiring volunteers, donations, smiles. San Francisco/the world needs more people like @20thcenturycafesf and more places like @cityhopesf 🍰 aw writing this, hanging w/ Michelle P, and spending time @cityhopesf lately, made me feel better, too 🥰 *even got barista-trained, but people deserve better than my lattes … will stick to serving 😉join me! thanks @sfstandard @saradeseran_food @jonsteinberg31 for letting me ease my election anxiety w/ this amazing org, and that apple tart 🥧 ☕️

hazard of one of the hottest days

I took this foto of @kothaisf on a Friday night back in March 2023, after another delicious dinner, bc it was totally empty —and deserves lines out the door. It’s everything a neighborhood restaurant should be, including being opened by someone who grew up in it. Last time I was in, a month or so ago, sweet owner @sungpark_sf came over to pour the rest of a bottle that wld otherwise be tossed, said they were struggling, wasn’t sure what to do. I wanted to try and write something somewhere but then got busy. The other day, I got a press release inviting me “to come in and try” Kothai— it’s walking distance from my house! I’ve already eaten here probably ten times! This is the kind of place that should not have to spend $$ on PR! Nor has the $$ to spend on PR! Just posting a plea to my 14 followers bc It’s perfect, imo. SF needs more restaurants like @kothaisf — homegrown, heartfelt, lowkey-unique yet high-quality — and if it closes I’ll be as devastated as they would be. Go in and try it. As much as I want year-old Kothai to remain an underrated restaurant on a random Inner Sunset corner you can walk-in anytime and get a table—I’d rather its tables be forever filled.