A Stop for Sparkling Wine En Route to the Mendocino Coast
This unpretentious tasting room is set in gorgeous country. Stop for a picnic--and some sips of brut rose--if you're cutting across the Anderson Valley en route to the Mendocino Coast.
A Surprising Shop in Boonville
Boonville, a tiny town in the middle of California's Anderson Valley, is proudly anti-establishment and idiosyncratic. The area has its own language, and a radical newspaper that isn't afraid to print controversial stories. The last time I passed...
A Great Shopping Stop Off-the-Beaten-Path in Sausalito
Heath Ceramics was founded in 1948 by Edith Heath. Today it is one of the most lasting examples of midcentury American design. Heath is famous for its tableware collections, as well as its tile. The colors are amazing, and their bud vases make for...
8 Colors of Korean BBQ Pork
Palsaik Samgyupsal, which translated means 8 Colors of Pork, is a divine discovery for a bacon lover like myself. Seriously, what can be better than a restaurant that specializes in flavored bacon? You can't help but salivate as marinated slices...
Where the Well-Shod Shop in Silver Lake
I love and collect sneakers, and the guys who own Undefeated create and sell limited-edition collaborations with such brands as Puma, New Balance, and Vans. They also carry all the retro Air Jordans as soon as they are released. 3827 W. Sunset...
Delicious- Chinese Style Lamb Kebabs
Southern California has a plethora of wonderful ethnic restaurants and this one happens to be my favorite in Los Angeles. Located in Korea town, Feng Mao serves the most luscious cumin scented lamb kebabs grilled over charcoal. Seriously good...
Where the Chefs Get Their Spices
Our neighbors Peter Bahlawanian and his wife, Bronwen Tawse, import exotic ingredients and the freshest spices I’ve ever tasted: paprika, flavored salts, and black limes. They have an amazing store, and I see top chefs shopping here. We get the...
The Hidden Cheese Mecca
You wouldn’t know there was a store there unless you lived in the neighborhood, but the owner, Chris, has an amazing list of cheeses. I love his shop because he sells what he likes, not what people tell him is good. He’s also got an incredible...
Spirits Tasting on the Bay
At St. George Spirits, a liquor distiller located inside a huge hangar on the decommissioned Alameda Naval Base, you can learn all about alcohol production—and you can taste all-natural vodkas, gins, Eau de Vie, whiskeys, and more. The tour lasts...
