Extra-virgin olive oil from trees growing on the estate made famous in the best-selling “Under the Tuscan Sun.”
If you fell under the romantic spell of the memoir, “Under the Tuscan Sun” you’re sure to appreciate a chance to enjoy your very own taste of sorts of that escape-to-Italy life that author Frances Mayes wrote so lovingly about.
The book chronicled Mayes’ fraught escapades in restoring a Tuscan countryside home known as Bramasole that had been abandoned for 30 years.
In addition to renovating the house to new glory, she and her husband Edward Mayes also brought back to health the property’s olive trees.
Each October, the olives from these centuries’ old trees are pressed for olio nuovo, new oil with the freshest taste that’s meant to be used immediately.
Delicate, tender Turkish dumplings are just one of the winning dishes you’ll find at the new Meyhouse in Palo Alto.
Executive Chef-Partner Omer Artun of Meyhouse describes his recently opened downtown Palo Alto restaurant as an homage to the “meyhane” in his native Turkey, a casual-type restaurant and bar where it’s not uncommon for patrons to arrive at 5 p.m. to drink and savor small plates, drink some more, eat again, and not leave until 11 p.m.
After being invited in as a guest a couple weeks ago, I can easily get on board with that kind of schedule.
That’s because the food at this restaurant is as exuberant as it gets. So much so, that you won’t want to get up from the table.
If you’re the type of person who likes to graze on a wide variety of small dishes, this is the place for you because one could easily make a meal out of the assorted hot and cold meze alone. But do yourself a favor, and don’t neglect the mains, desserts, or the outrageously good, warm sesame bread that’s crisp, airy, and chewy in various parts — like a great pizza.
I’m not the only one who was smitten at first taste here. At least two other chefs whom I know, who have no connection to this restaurant, came away raving about the place on first visit.
The bustling dining room.
A sister-locale that’s much larger and upscale looking than its original Sunnyvale outpost, Meyhouse Palo Alto opened in the former Dan Gordon’s that was previously the original Gordon Biersch.
Cherry spumoni — a celebration of almonds, chocolate, and glace cherries.
It’s been ages since I last dined at an old-school Italian restaurant, the kind that sets down a brimming relish platter almost before you’ve ordered, and ends the meal sweetly with a frosty goblet of spumoni.
Thought to have originated in Naples, this fanciful creamy dessert can’t help but feel festively nostalgic with its cherry, pistachio, and chocolate or vanilla ice creams all mingling together in one scoop, often with crunchy nuts, bits of dark chocolate, and chewy candied fruit. Talk about an entire party busting out in one spoonful.
So, when I received some samples recently of red candied cherries, otherwise known as glace cherries, from Paradise Fruit Co., I couldn’t help but grow wistful for that classic treat, especially as the holidays approach.
Paradise Fruit Co. candied red cherries.
Rather than going to all the trouble of making three different flavors of ice cream, I zeroed in on this New York Times recipe for “Cherry Spumoni.”
Mamahuhu’s frozen potstickers cook up in no time, and are gluten-free.
After conquering the worlds of fine-dining with his Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurant Mister Jiu’s, fast-casual with his Mamahuhu eateries in San Francisco and Mill Valley, and cookbooks with his James Beard Award-winning “Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown” (Ten Speed Press, 2021), written with co-author Tienlon Ho, where does Chef Brandon Jew aim his sights next?
Frozen potstickers.
Yes, the James Beard Award-winning “Best Chef in California” in 2022 has just introduced a line of frozen potstickers with his Mamahuhu co-founders, Anmao Sun and Ben Moore.
It garnered a Michelin star only a year after opening its doors in 2021. That same year, it was also named one of the “Best New Restaurants in America” by the Robb Report; one of the “50 Favorite Restaurants” by the New York Times; a “Best New Restaurants in America” by Esquire; and highlighted in Eater’s “Best New Restaurants.”
When it comes to the Korean charcoal barbecue restaurant, San Ho Won in San Francisco, the hype is not only real, but richly deserved, as I found out when I dined last month.
Then again, one would hardly expect anything less from Chef-Owner Corey Lee, who also operates Monsieur Benjamin and whose flagship San Francisco restaurant, Benu, has glittered with three Michelin stars for years. San How Won is a collaboration between him and Chef Jeong-In Hwang, who moved from Korea to San Francisco in 2016 to first work at Benu.
Sure, you’ve probably had your fill of Korean barbecue over the years. But none like this, with an unmistakable clarity and purity of flavor. Nothing tastes muddled, nothing gets lost. Instead, every bite is exuberant.
Indeed, pretty much everything is made in-house, down to the binchotan that fuels the fiery grills. Take a seat at the bar encircling the kitchen for a view of the action. Or if you gather with a group and plan ahead to book the private room, you’ll really get a show when one of the cooks expertly sears your meat on a separate grill in the corner.
