trevsbistro

Plat du Jour: Tuesday June 26, 2012– Tastings at Russian River Brewing and Cerveceria de Mate Veza

Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, California, about an hour’s drive north of San Francisco, can quite possibly be credited with taking America’s recent fanaticism with everything craft brew and hop related, and turning the passion into epic fervor as powerful and vast as the Roman Empire during Pliny the Elder’s lifetime. Well, thatContinue reading “Plat du Jour: Tuesday June 26, 2012– Tastings at Russian River Brewing and Cerveceria de Mate Veza”

Tuesday’s Project: Negroni Variations

Something about a pitch perfect negroni hits the spot every early evening as the sun sets and the nighttime activities commence. An apertif is meant to be a simple, easy way to get nightlife under way. Be it a tawny port or a pastis, or even some prosecco, accompanied by a few slices ofContinue reading “Tuesday’s Project: Negroni Variations”

Monday’s Neighborhood: 9th Avenue and Irving, Inner Sunset, San Francisco

The Sunset District of San Francisco doesn’t see the sunset too often with the near constant fog that blankets the neighborhood, especially this time of year. Indeed, the most common description to this area of the city is not about its diverse culture. The usual response has something to do with wearing ski jackets andContinue reading “Monday’s Neighborhood: 9th Avenue and Irving, Inner Sunset, San Francisco”

Russian Cuisine For A Rookie

Preparing for an upcoming first visit to Russia, over the weekend I joined a friend who was born in Moscow get a quick crash course in Russian Food 101. So often Russian food falls into the same category of bland, heavy, comfort cooking with no life and no adventure that other cuisines like German fallContinue reading “Russian Cuisine For A Rookie”

Cocktail of the Week: The Old Cuban (Champagne Mojito), Bemelmen’s Bar, New York City

It doesn’t come cheap at a lovely $21. Nothing is a bargain in these parts on the Upper East Side of Manhattan at the corner of East 76th St. and Madison Ave. This would be where you find one of the grande dames of the New York hotel scene, the Carlyle Hotel. Stately and grand,Continue reading “Cocktail of the Week: The Old Cuban (Champagne Mojito), Bemelmen’s Bar, New York City”

Restaurants: Nojo, San Francisco

The barely year old Nojo is a labor of intense focus restaurant for the young chef/owner Greg Dunmore. After years as the chef de cuisine at Ame, the grand, swanky dining room of San Francisco’s St. Regis Hotel, learning under the tutelage of one of the country’s pioneering East-West cuisine chefs Hiro Sone, Dunmore struckContinue reading “Restaurants: Nojo, San Francisco”

Beer of the Week: Craftsman Brewing Heavenly Hefe, Pasadena, CA

Summer officially started a couple hours ago. That means it’s time to put aside the sours and Baltic porters, and cool down with a refresher. Often that means a watery, easy to down beer that tastes vaguely of malt and hops. Lawnmower beers, hefeweizens, lagers…too often are crafted by brewers for the sake of craftingContinue reading “Beer of the Week: Craftsman Brewing Heavenly Hefe, Pasadena, CA”

Wine of the Week: Dover Canyon Bella Zinfandel 2008, Paso Robles, CA

Now is the time to uncork a 2008 Zinfandel, especially if a summer barbeque lurks on the horizon. The tannins are at the right structural level after four years, the spices have mellow gracefully, and fruit notes now bolder and more pronounced. That’s the case with this stellar offering from Dover Canyon Winery, a masterfulContinue reading “Wine of the Week: Dover Canyon Bella Zinfandel 2008, Paso Robles, CA”

Tuesday’s Project: Barbeque Jerk Chicken

Jerk chicken is one of those mythical terms I often always am gravitated towards on menus and cook-outs. As a kid, I always thought the name itself was reason enough to order the dish. Being (hopefully) more mature now, jerk chicken conjures images of the tropics mingled with the moistest, vibrant chicken imaginable. The answerContinue reading “Tuesday’s Project: Barbeque Jerk Chicken”

Plat du Jour: Tuesday June 19, 2012: Nashville, Barbeque Chicken and Speakeasies

It’s the heart of June, which means it’s prime time to head to the grill for cooking dinner tonight. Coming up today for this week’s Tuesday’s Project: barbequed chicken with a jerk marinade bolstered by too many jalapenos to count. Fortunately the overnight marinade allows the jalapenos to not be as potent as this manyContinue reading “Plat du Jour: Tuesday June 19, 2012: Nashville, Barbeque Chicken and Speakeasies”