Que Syrah, Syrah!
Great red wine for under $10: It's my new house red wine, the wittily-labelled 2004 Syrah, Domaine des Blagueur from Bonny Doon Vineyard, where every bottle comes with a witty label. Big, but not aggressive - full of fruit, yet well-mannered as a partner for foods,...
Oswald & Octagon Update!
Oswald has decided on its next home — at the corner of Soquel and Front Streets, home of the former Garage sports bar. And the deal just needs a few tweaks to be finalized. Downtown Redevelopment Director (and killer bridge player) Ceil Cirillo is, in a word...
Spring Fever at Farmers Market
The Westside Farmers Market continues to win hearts, minds and taste buds at the foot of Western Drive every Saturday morning. I ran into farm fanatic and photo princess Tana Butler last week and we strolled around the stalls, talking collard greens and organic...
This is Italian!
Remember the delicious culinary moves of Bella Napoli founding chef Giavanni Di Maio? (I still miss that place.) Okay, now recall that I recently re-discovered Di Maio cooking in an underwhelming setting? Right. Well, Di Maio has just taken over the kitchen at Greg...
Film Review: “The Host”
Opening this Friday at The Del Mar is an exhiliratingly odd and haunting underwater monster sci-fi thriller called The Host. The work of South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, this is an all-you-can-eat package of film genres crammed into a juicy two hour ride. A...
Inside the Flame
A book of sensory adventure: The rituals, passions and discoveries of an engaged life.