1. When did you start tablehopper?
I started tablehopper two years ago--in fact, I just had my anniversary last week! I've been a food writer for six years, and there were so many places and discoveries I wanted to write about, but not enough outlets or opportunities to do so, so the idea for the tablehopper e-column was born out of frustration, really. Since dining is our primary form of entertainment here, I thought San Francisco could use a weekly insider e-column about what's good to eat and drink around town, written in a cheeky and fun style.

2. What is your process for assessing a restaurant?
Of course you have to focus on the big three: food, service, and atmosphere, but it's important to drill down quite a bit more--there are so many details that make a place special. Kind of like assessing a potential boyfriend, ha ha. Like, does the chef use local and/or organic ingredients, or is the Sysco truck pulling up for a delivery each week? Does the food have soul, and spirit, and personality? What is unique about the place? Do they have an interesting bar program, or wow, they're making their own butter? Cool! I live for those details. In the end, I ask myself if I'd want to come back again, and would I recommend it? Even if it's not exactly for me, will this place make someone else happy? I only cover places in tablehopper I would mostly or totally recommend.



3. How often do you send meals back to the kitchen?
Almost never. If I don't like it, oh well, I just don't eat it. I've had a couple undercooked chicken incidents, or once a salad was so salty it was inedible--obviously just missteps in the kitchen, so I asked for re-do. One place served me a homemade sausage with a bone shard AND a hair in it--I didn't send it back, but let's just say I didn't write them up either.

4. What's your earliest "foodie" experience?
Our annual Christmas Eve dinner at my Aunt Mary and Uncle Tony's house is an epic Southern Italian seafood feast--I have looked forward to eating those fantastic holiday dishes every year since I could chew. Our family recipes from that meal are as old as the hills.

5. Why is San Francisco such a great foodie city?
It's due to a lot of things: our access (and commitment to growing) fresh and flavorful ingredients, from the wine country to the ocean to the valleys, and the influence of all the international cultures here, from Chinese to Mexican to Vietnamese to Italian populations. We also have a strong tradition of family restaurants, and small 49-seaters that keep the dining scene intimate, personal, and thoughtful. San Francisco restaurants are founded on great relationships, between chefs, purveyors, customers, farmers, winemakers, neighbors--you really sense the full circle here.

6. What are your favorite new restaurants in San Francisco?
I definitely heart Laiola in the Marina--Mark Denham is one hell of a chef, and he uses such quality ingredients. I get acute cravings for the clams with spicy salchichon, the grilled octopus, and it's a fun list of all-Spanish wines to navigate.

A hip little outpost in the Inner Richmond is--Namu awesome kalbi-style skirt steak and black cod. Plus the Thai chile-infused soju--spicy good!

I can't stop raving about the new Yoshi's; chef Sho is so talented--the lamb chops will blow your mind, and the hamachi collar is also a treat. If you can afford it, order the Japanese Miyazaki filet mignon, or better yet, let Sho do an omakase ("chef's choice") menu for you!

I am looking forward to another meal soon at the industrial-chic Serpentine in Dogpatch hello lamb riblets, and savory bread pudding with nettles and cheese!

7. What are your old school favorites in SF?
I've lived here for 13 years, so I have a soft spot for a lot of places, like Slow Club is always great for a date, ditto on the cozy Da Flora in North Beach. I adore Foreign Cinema and Universal Café for brunch. Anchor Oyster Bar in the Castro is a total gem for seafood. Family restaurants like Yank Sing and Swan Oyster Depot keep this city rooted in authenticity. Oh, and I like the ambiance at the Fly Trap in SoMa. Can't miss drinks and dinner at Absinthe either--they just turned ten, but the new chef, Jamie Lauren, is totally breathing fresh flavors into the food there, so delish.

8. Favorite places with takeout or delivery?
My delivery faves include the thin-crust Brazilian pizza from Mozzarella di Bufala--it comes with hard-boiled egg, olives, linguica, and onion, (I know, I know, it totally sounds like a weird one, but anyone I know who tries it gets hooked). The beef noodle soup from Thai Place II on Divisadero is a favorite on cold nights, and the cilantro and shrimp dim sum from Country Sky in Cow Hollow is a winner--they do tasty soups and classic Chinese too, it all tastes fresh, and no MSG. One night I ordered the incredible burger from Spruce for take-out--not the same as eating it at the bar, of course, but man, that burger just rocks.

9. Any tips and tricks to score hard to get reservations (or tips and tricks in general when dining out).
I know some folks like to use Table Stalker to score a hot reservation on Open Table, but when I can't get the reso time I want on OT, I just call the restaurant and see what kind of availability they have, or if they can let me know about any cancellations--it's amazing how just talking to someone nicely can work wonders. Since I love dining at bars, counters, and communal tables, I tend to just walk in to a lot of places. I also like dining on the later side, so that helps with scoring a table.

10. What other eating cities do you love?
I was not prepared for how much I was going to fall in love with the food in Melbourne, and there were some places in Sydney that also wowed me during my trip to Australia last year. Such fresh food, the BEST EGGS, and I loved all the Asian influences in their cooking. Great Greek too--we really don't have that here! The year I lived in Venice, Italy, changed me forever--I miss so many things about the food in that city. I also had a memorable time last year in New Orleans--the cuisine there has such terroir, there's no place like it. Of course dining in New York is spectacular--I map my dining maneuvers there with military precision. But right now I dream of visiting Tokyo.

Bonus Question: Favorite places to get a drink?
We are so lucky to be experiencing the classic and craft cocktail resurgence we're having right now, especially in San Francisco. Drinks at the Alembic in the Haight, Cantina downtown, and at Absinthe in Hayes Valley always put a smile on my face. Presidio Social Club also has some seriously stellar cocktails. In fact, each bar is shaking up a special tablehopper drink in honor of my 100th issue, until Tuesday March 4! Have fun checking them out!

The tablehopper e-column comes out each Tuesday. Subscribe for free at tablehopper.com and get all the latest insider news on restaurant and bar openings, closings, cool culinary events, getaway ideas, and even star sightings in restaurants and bars in the Bay Area!