Well, would ya look at that. A couple fabulous folks booked sponsored event ads on the hopper this week, so I’m writing this mini-hopper on my flights to and from St. Louis. Please take a look at their Cinco de Mayo events, many thanks to them for the continued support (it ends up both these rockstar sponsors also helped out at the Mexico earthquake fundraiser I organized a little over a year ago).
If you’re a restaurant or bar or brand with an upcoming event to promote, please keep tablehopper in mind. (I know you love it when I write it up for you for free, but I can’t include everything!) It’s an affordable ad space, and you get a mention on tablehopper’s Twitter and Facebook channels as well. Thanks for keeping the lights on, I don’t have to tell you how hard online publishing is.
I flew in late last night at midnight (joy, flight delays!) and while you read this, I’m now up in Santa Rosa for the next couple of days, learning about all the latest cannabis products at Hall of Flowers for my other media company, mymilligram (have you checked it out?). Chelsea Handler (!) and Gary Vaynerchuck will be giving talks at this well-organized B2B cannabis trade show full of the top Cali cannabis brands.
If you’ve been curious about cannabis, take a peek at this vidcast I just did with the fab ladies of The What (do you subscribe to their savvy and well-curated newsletter?). In the video, we chat about low-dose products and I even created a mini mymilligram microdoser guide to go with the vidcast, designed for people wondering where to begin with products to help with sleep, pain, pleasure, and mood. Thanks for taking a look, and being curious!
Okay, back to food: I wanted to share with you my second culinary profile for the Nob Hill Gazette! This time, it’s a feature on Kavitha Raghavan and the flavorful Indian street food brunch she offers at her colorful wine bar on Divis, Indian Paradox. If you haven’t had her eggs akuri, you’re really missing out.
Over the past couple weeks, I’ve experienced two different tasting menus: one was at The Table at Merchant Roots, a stunningly creative and delicious meal available Thu-Sat evenings (you gotta see this over-the-top dessert course)—chef Ryan Shelton is launching a second theme now, Vanity Fair, and I expect great things. Great expectations. LOL. Partner and wine director Madison Michael and sommelier Chelsea Sawyer’s wine pairings are tops, and you’ll be inspired to buy a couple bottles to bring home from the well-curated shelves.
Over in Oakland, chefs Andrew Greene and Duncan Kwitkor have been running an elevated pop-up in The Gastropig on Friday and Saturday nights, Abstract Table, and they just launched their second theme/concept, Atolls (click for pics). It’s a casual affair (your wine will be poured in a Mason jar), but it’s also designed to be on the more affordable side of things (priced at $50-$70). Pics here.
And then there was the absolute feast my friends and I had at Beit Rima a couple weeks back. We had an unexpectedly large group, and ended up having such a fun communal meal in the middle of the restaurant. It was my second time there, and the well-prepared food is so full of flavor and soul (speaking of, don’t miss the ful!). The handmade bread and spreads, ah! I just wish they had some slightly more affordable wines on the list to go with the fast-casual format.
And my fellow dim sum lovers, get a group together and book at table at the new Palette Tea House from the Koi Palace and Dragon Beaux team, stat. Yup, you’re going to Ghirardelli Square. This past weekend, my friend and I were loving the upscale Cantonese dumplings (lobster har gow!) and fresh seafood (spot prawns!), with such playful and pretty presentations (the black swan taro puffs are beyond). You’ll feel regal when they float to your table.
I also couldn’t believe the seven-spice fried cubes of silken tofu (soooo custardy), and the gai lan in oyster sauce is some of the best I’ve had. The entire experience offers a welcome, modern update to the usual dim sum scenario (there are craft cocktails!)—it will be the perfect place to take out-of-towners, and wait until you try the desserts, like Hong Kong milk tea tiramisù with boba. Go check it out during their soft opening before it gets hectic.
Okay, whew, gang, your truly is off to Corfu next week! So completely, utterly thrilled to be heading back to Greece—my heart keeps saying, “Opa!” Looking forward to checking out their second Food and Wine Festival, and learn even more about Greek cuisine. THERE WILL BE (MORE) FETA.
I’ll be back in your inboxes on May 21st (publicists, please take note—no Mother’s Day pitches, sorry, thanks), and of course I will be posting up a storm on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter while I’m away. Corfu looks so dang beautiful.
Happy May to you all (and Mother’s Day!)—enjoy all the flowers. And congrats to the 2019 James Beard Media Award winners, and the upcoming winners at the James Beard Awards Gala on May 6th—you can tune in online!
I KNOW! The black swan taro puffs at Palette Tea House are just delightful. Photo: © tablehopper.com.View tablehopper Newsletter from Tuesday, Apr 30 2019
