Special-Occasion Dining At Its Finest: Michelin Three-Starred Quince

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Heavenly white asparagus tortelloni at Quince.
Heavenly white asparagus tortelloni at Quince.

San Francisco’s Quince definitely puts the “special” in special-occasion dining.

It’s been around for a remarkable 23 years (including 17 of those at its current Jackson Square location). Its held three Michelin stars since 2017. And it came as no surprise when the San Francisco Chronicle gave it the nod for “best hospitality” in its “Top 100 Restaurants” list this year.

Quince certainly lived up to all of that when I dined there last week in an epic 5-hour dinner, where my husband and I practically closed the place down with only one other table still occupied. Granted, that’s probably a more extended time than the norm. Even though we paid our own tab, Chef Michael Tusk (who owns the restaurant with his wife Lindsay Tusk) sent out extra dishes on the house that made for a longer dining duration.

Even so, I have to say, it never felt like five hours. It never dragged, there were no lapses, and it actually seemed to go by quite swiftly.

A lot of that does owe to the fact that the staff are so personable and engaging — but not in an overly interruptive or intrusive way. When one server who was pushing the migardises cart saw me eyeing it at the start of dinner, he slyly winked, “Not just yet. For later.” When another staff member saw me fingering a beautiful wine stem, he made a point to come over periodically to explain that a certain glass came from Germany or a serving bowl from Japan.

The entrance.
The entrance.
The sidewalk window with a view into the kitchen.
The sidewalk window with a view into the kitchen.

This was my first time dining at Quince since its remodel in 2023. The dining room, which used to be more dimly lit and darker overall, has been moved to the front of the restaurant and lightened up with blond oak furniture and plenty of space between all of 10 tables. A wall of large windows lets in a lot of warm natural light, especially at this time of year.

The 8- to 10-course tasting menu is $390 per person. Beverage pairings include “Wines of California” ($325), “Rare & Unique” ($550), “Art of Wine” ($1,225), and seasonal non-alcoholic ($150). Cocktails and supplemental courses are also available.

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Don’t Rush Slow-Roasted Oyster Mushroom Ragu

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So smoky, savory and meaty tasting, this pasta won't make you miss the fact there's no actual meat in it.
So smoky, savory and meaty tasting, this pasta won’t make you miss the fact there’s no actual meat in it.

The key to the most flavorful mushroom pasta?

Skip the quick saute of the mushrooms. Instead, exercise a little patience to roast them in the oven for 45 minutes with soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.

The result are mushrooms that are deeply caramelized, wonderful smoky tasting, and because of the seasonings, boosted with meaty and savory flavors.

This recipe for “Slow-Roasted Oyster Mushroom Ragu” is from “Cooking Fast and Slow” (10 Speed Press, 2025).

The cookbook is by Natalia Rudin, a London-based personal chef, health and nutrition coach, and yoga teacher.

With her busy life, she well understands the need for both quick recipes for harried weekdays and more leisurely ones for days that are more relaxed. As such, her book chapters are handily arranged into recipes that take 15 minutes or less, 30 minutes or less, 1 hour or less, and 1 hour or more.

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Toronto Dining, Part II: Michelin-Starred Alo

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Mille-feuille of foie gras and asparagus at Alo.
Mille-feuille of foie gras and asparagus at Alo.

Toronto, ON, Canada — The dining experience at Alo unfolds a little mysteriously, a little mischievously.

It starts when you walk up to the historic brick building that houses not only this fine-dining restaurant, but also Exotix, or what’s billed as Toronto’s first and only body piercing specialty studio. Okay, that’s got to be a first for a location for a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Inside the small foyer is a sharp-dressed hostess behind a stand who will check you in, then press the button to summon the elevator.

You step inside the elevator where it’s nearly pitch-black, not only in terms of the lighting but also its black-covered interior walls. So much so that I couldn’t even make out the floor numbers on the buttons. My husband decided to push the very top one. Good instincts since Alo is on the third floor of this three-story building.

When the elevator doors open, all that darkness gives way to a chic space with a modern, black-topped bar, an open kitchen with chef’s counter seats, and a plush dining room done up in violet and lavender.

Chef-Owner Patrick Kriss, who was as a sous chef at Michelin three-starred Daniel in New York and also worked at Michelin three-starred La Maison Troisgros in France opened Alo opened in 2015.

The inconspicuous sign.
The inconspicuous sign.
The open kitchen.
The open kitchen.

The fine-dining restaurant, which serves contemporary French cuisine with global influences, received a Michelin star in 2022, and has held it ever since. Kriss also has since grown it into an entire group with four other restaurants, a take-out spot, private events venue, and catering company.

The name “Alo” comes from the Latin word alo, which translates to “I feed” or “I nourish.” And it certainly does that.

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Toronto Dining, Part I: Acclaimed Mhel

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Aged managatsuo with sakura-leaf mochi rice at Mhel.
Aged managatsuo with sakura-leaf mochi rice at Mhel.

Toronto, ON, Canada — Mhel may be all of 645 square feet, but its presence looms large.

Not only did it garner a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation, but last week it also landed on the No. 27 spot on the 2026 list of the “50 Best Restaurants North America,” up from No. 44 last year.

Mehl is not fancy, not formal, but cozy, charming, and full of life.

Husband-and-wife team Ji Young-Hoon and Yi Seung-min opened the restaurant in 2023, naming it after the word for “anchovy” in the Jeju dialect, spoken in Dangjin, Korea, where Yi’s mother was born.

Ji is the executive chef of this compact 30-seat restaurant, 12 of which are bar seats situated right in front of him and the open kitchen much like a sushi counter. Yi runs the front of house and is beverage director.

The food is a delightful mix of Japanese and Korean, and the ambiance very much like that of an izakaya, where sharing small plates over sake is definitely the way to go.

The entrance.
The entrance.
A dozen seats are available at the counter that fronts the kitchen.
A dozen seats are available at the counter that fronts the kitchen.

We managed to snag seats at the bar, the best vantage point to wach Ji and his team in action.

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Would You Pay Nearly $20 A Pound for Strawberries?

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Harry's Berries -- the Ferrari of strawberries.
Harry’s Berries — the Ferrari of strawberries.

Gulp, I did (cough, cough).

And, yes, willingly so.

Let me explain: For years, I’ve heard various chefs rhapsodize about the sweetness of Harry’s Berries strawberries, grown by the Oxnard, CA farm that was founded in 1967 by Harry Iwamoto.

Last October when I happened to be in Southern California, I spied the Harry’s Berries stand at the Santa Monica farmers market. Of course, at that time of year, their strawberry crop was done. Even so, when the fresh berries are in season, the folks manning the stand advised to come early, as they typically sell out in the first hour. Holy moly!

I didn’t leave completely empty-handed, but contented myself with a jar of jam made from their strawberries. It was delicious, too, with a lovely floral sweetness to it.

Grown by a family-owned farm in S. California.
Grown by a family-owned farm in S. California.

Fast-forward to now, when I saw Harry’s Berries strawberries available for delivery via Good Eggs, I pounced. Even at $19.99 for a 1-pound clam shell.

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