I’d been watching the Coming Soon! sign for this coffee shop with interest since I moved to Hayward in August. Downtown Hayward has few coffee options aside from the usual chain suspects. Though I enjoy both Snappy’s Café and the Bistro for my caffeine needs, Snappy’s is pretty small and the Bistro is more of
Read more

This was my second visit to Ribs ‘N Things, and I was as impressed by this soul food and barbecue joint as I was the first time.  That first time, we were waited on for dinner in their modest dining room decorated with jazz paintings. The dining room is roped off sometimes, but they are
Read more

The Orchard Manhattan Bijou, Hayward $11 The Orchard Manhattan is an original twist on the classic manhattan cocktail, though I’d say it’s closer to an old-fashioned, actually. It’s made with bourbon, apricot and walnut liqueurs, and black walnut and autumn-spiced bitters. I can’t tell you what the autumn spices are, but I can tell you
Read more

Ridge Distillery Absinthe Blanche Kalispell, MT 116 proof This absinthe is completely clear, as I’d imagine the blanche designation indicates. It has few legs to speak of when swirling it in the glass and is a completely blank slate based on appearance. Its particular anise smell reminds me of the thick, black, candy bites of
Read more

The Wildfire Firehouse 37, San Ramon $10 This cocktail’s made with Templeton rye, Giffard vanilla liqueur, and bitters, a pretty straightforward combination. Cocktail shaking provides a lovely top layer of icy foam. The vanilla liqueur takes the edge off the rye whiskey, yet the cocktail avoids being overly sweet, which is a good thing. The
Read more

It’s always refreshing to find a place that lives up to the hype, and Tartine Bakery qualifies. One of my North Carolina food-writing friends was visiting California (check Kristen out at GadaboutFood!), and she invited me along to try this small bakery in the Mission District that has made a million top ten lists for
Read more