by lareine | Nov 26, 2025 | Stories, California, Subscriber Only Stories
Now then, THIS is the sort of restaurant you have to visit when you are in San Francisco—or should I say, the USA. I am not going to go on a rant about the Michelin Guide in this country, but often, you can come away with many disappointing nights in your memories,...
by lareine | Feb 16, 2025 | Elsewhere, Stories, Subscriber Only Stories
Just down the road (Literally) from The Fife Arms is a bar and kitchen called Farquharsons. It is the kind of place that doesn’t have a website, and the only information you might find is on ‘Facebook’ or from word of mouth in the area. I must admit It took a few...
by lareine | Feb 21, 2026 | Stories, California, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Subscriber Only Stories
I went to Manzke before it closed. It used to hold one Michelin star — so rare in Los Angeles — and I really thought it deserved it. I was gutted when I went to book (this had been my LA restaurant lifeline!) only to discover it had shut its doors. Restaurants in the...
by lareine | Feb 21, 2026 | Stories, California, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Subscriber Only Stories
From the outside looking in, you could easily judge this restaurant before even stepping inside—but don’t. It’s not what you think. The interior and exterior are both comfortable, and yes, a strong logo and good marketing certainly help in today’s visually driven...
by lareine | Nov 14, 2025 | Stories, California, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Subscriber Only Stories
Newly opened at Cross Creek Ranch in Malibu, I happened to come across an article in a local paper with a write-up about this. Somebody (not the writer) was blabbing on about how everything else is rubbish around here and Clark’s is just fantastic. Fantastic is...
by lareine | Sep 30, 2025 | Stories, Hong Kong, Subscriber Only Stories
From the same people behind Yard Bird, we discovered this next door as we made our way there. Relatively new and just opened, Always Joy offers a seasonal izakaya. You can prop up at the bar for full interaction or mind your own business, taking a seat away from the...
