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Important Thoughts On The 2013 James Beard Nominations

Brock Keeling — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:45:02 GMT

The James Beard Awards announced their final 2013 nominees on Monday. The list might surprise you. Or not. Probably not, in fact. It's quite similar to 2012. Let's begin:

First up, Thomas McNaughton is nominated for "Rising Star Chef of the Year." Now, we had dinner at Flour + Water recently where we had a uniformly bad meal. (By the way, we will eat almost anything.) Everyone at the table did. Maybe, as a food critic tried to explain, it was because we dined there on a Monday night? Alas, our wallet cannot differentiate days of the week. Anyway, McNaughton is yet again nominated in the same category for which he was in 2012. Which makes little sense since, for all intents and purposes, it is essentially the "Best New Artist" category. Odd. But good luck to you, Thomas.

Everything that is now insufferable about the Mission can be summed up at Mission Chinese Food. The self-conscious insouciance, the patrons sporting too many bangs and North Face fleece, the stupid-ass lines, the Bender's of it all. If fetch were a San Francisco restaurant, it might be MCF. (Proof: There's one in NYC now. Ugh.) That being said, the food here stands as some of the best in the city. Good luck to Mr. Danny Bowien, who is nominated for "Best New Pop R&B Artist."

Rich Table, nominated for "Best New Restaurant," is perfect. Those of you who disagree can go to hell. Best of luck to you, Sara Rich.

Wait, maybe Quince is the best restaurant in the city. They have really nice bathrooms.

Gary Danko gives you a little muffin cake thingy when you leave. It's goddamn darling and delicious. His bathrooms are also super cute. Good luck to Mr. Danko, who is nominated for "Outstanding Person Cooking in a Kitchen."

Christopher Kostow is the nicest chef we have ever met, you guys. Late last year, we had to go to a Michelin event in SoMa honoring those who won precious stars. Defying the embargo requested by the Michelin marketing team (it's cute when PR ilk try to embargo anything; like a four-year-old playing dress-up in mommy's closet), SFist published the results of the 2012 Michelin stars as the appeared via Twitter. Kastow thanked us personally for publishing them in a timely manner. Thus, he should win "Best Chef: West" because he and his food are simply astounding. (We've never been to or eaten at Meadowood, by the way.) Godspeed, Kostow.

Daniel Patterson of Coi, who is reportedly very difficult to work with, should win "Best Gun in the West" if only for the media manifestos he sends to trembling, kowtowing food writers. That is a lunacy we can stand behind. (Speaking of difficult chefs, why isn't Josh Skenes of Saison nominated? Is it because he's now across the street from McDonald's? You suck, James Beard nominating committee.)

Glaring snubs? Matthew Accarrino (of SPQR), Dominique Crenn (Atelier Crenn), and the bar program at Hi Tops.

The entire 2013 James Beard nominee list:

Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional
- Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE
- Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Winery, Sebastopol, CA
- Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery, NYC
- Neal Rosenthal, Rosenthal Wine Merchant, NYC
- David Wondrich, Spirits Educator, NYC

Outstanding Wine Program
- A16, San Francisco
- The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN
- CityZen at Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C.
- Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO
- Picasso, Las Vegas

Outstanding Bar Program
- The Aviary, Chicago
- Bar Agricole
- NoMad, NYC
- Holeman & Finch Public House, Atlanta
- Pegu Club, NYC
- The Violet Hour, Chicago

Rising Star Chef of the Year
- Jimmy Bannos, Jr., Purple Pig, Chicago
- Danny Bowien, Mission Chinese Food, San Francisco & New York
- Thomas McNaughton, Flour + Water, San Francisco
- David Posey, Blackbird, Chicago
- Blaine Wetzel, The Willows Inn, Lummy Island, WA

Best New Restaurant
- Empellón Cocina, NYC
- Grace, Chicago
- The Ordinary, Charleston
- Rich Table, San Francisco
- State Bird Provisions, San Francisco

Best Chef: West
- Chris Cosentino, Incanto
- Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood
- Corey Lee, Benu
- Daniel Patterson, Coi
- Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Animal, Los Angeles

Outstanding Pastry Chef
- Dominique Ansel, Dominique Ansel Bakery, NYC
- Melissa Chou, Aziza, SF
- Ken Forkish, Ken's Artisan Bakery, Portland
- Hedy Goldsmith, Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, Miami
- Brooks Headley, Del Posto, NYC

Outstanding Service
- Del Posto, NYC
- Quince, San Francisco
- The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA
- Topolobampo, Chicago
- Vetri, Philadelphia

Outstanding Restaurateur
- Maguy Le Coze
- Donnie Madia
- Piero Selvaggio
- Carolyn Styne
- Phil Suarez

Outstanding Restaurant
- August, New Orleans
- Blue Hill, NYC
- Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, AL
- The Slanted Door, San Francisco
- Spiaggia, Chicago

Outstanding Chef
- Sean Brock, Husk, Charleston
- David Chang, Momofuku, New York
- Gary Danko, Gary Danko, San Francisco
- Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles
- Paul Kahan, Blackbird, Chicago
- Nancy Silverton, Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles

2 S.F. Restaurants Among Top 50 Newbies, Declares Bon Appetit

Brock Keeling — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:14:29 GMT

Bon Appetit's Top 50 Best New Restaurants of 2012 unleashed itself upon a hungry, list-loving world today. Among their favorite rookie joints: AQ and State Bird Provisions. The mag's restaurant editor Andrew Knowlton had kind things to say about both establishments, of course.

Regarding AQ, "I could recommend several dishes I ate here in the spring, but by the time you eat here they'll be gone—the menu (and the decor) changes four times a year, taking seasonality to a new level." (He liked the soft potato gnocchi and Churchill's Bane cocktail.) And as for State Bird Provisions: "Husband and wife Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski have returned with this dim sum-style spot where appetizers (they call them 'provisions') are wheeled around the room on trolleys. The duo's inventive small plates make it all work." (He loved the fried quail and "World Peace" dessert.)

We can safely say that, indeed, AQ is everything it's cracked up to be. And then some, really. We have yet to visit Provisions, but do look forward to trying some peace and quail at some point in the very near future.

The list will narrow down to ten, then one lucky winner will be crowned America's prettiest baby. Be sure to secure a reservation at both AQ and State Bird Provisions before your most obnoxious, shortsighted friend declares either fine establishment to be "over."

[via Inside Scoop]

Forbes Top Colleges 2012: Stanford Wins Bronze, Princeton Takes Gold

Brock Keeling — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:15:33 GMT

Forbes annual list of Best Institutes for Higher Learning and Contact Making came out today. The coveted list, compiled by Forbes and Washington, D.C.'s Center for College Affordability and Productivity, focuses on data and issues "that matter the most to students" such as quality of teaching, career prospects, graduation rates, and levels of debt. The Bay Area's own Stanford ranked #3, just behind Williams and top-ranking Princeton. In more shocking news, UCLA (#45) pulled ahead of UC Berkeley (#50). Interesting. Or not.

Tony private University of San Francisco ranked #177, while the always festive and inarguably rad UC Santa Cruz came in at #199. (Any school with a banana slug for a mascot deserves nothing less than top-ten glory. Bah.)

Rounding out the bottom five? Columbia College Chicago (646), Morgan State University (647), South Carolina State University (648), Johnson & Wales University (649), and Texas Southern University (650).

Another alarming tidbit was cost. Four years at one of the esteemed private school, like University of Chicago (#4) or Williams (#2), costs more than a quarter of a million dollars. A degree from "more affordable" state schools, like the College of William & Mary (#40) or UC Berkeley (#50), still costs around $100,000, even for in-state students.

How did your school fare?

[Forbes]

The Future of State Parks: Partnerships, Closures & Possibly Corporations

Zach Behrens — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:00:00 GMT

California State Parks director Ruth Coleman said that the agency faces a total of about $39 million in cuts after the new budget, which directly states a $14.2 million cut, was signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today. Additionally, $2.4 million was siphoned from a cigarette tax fund because less people are smoking. Furloughs and salary cuts round out the large number (Note: a full budget fact sheet is embedded below).

No list of park closures has been published, nor will it be for about a month or longer, Coleman explained. However, the original list of parks to stay open released when 80% of parks were to proposed to close will likely not be a concern because they will still be self sustaining (think Hearst Castle). She said that staff, with a finalized budget in hand, must analyze which parks can stay open and will close based on costs, revenue and legal issues such as units legally bound to stay open because of federal contracts.

Officials will also be using the time to see where partnerships can be developed to save parks. "[The public and local governments] should assume every park is vulnerable. Everybody should step up right now," Coleman said, noting that for each partnership that saves one park potentially means saving another. For example, if the Friends of Topanga State Park raise enough money to save it, nearby Malibu Creek State Park may have more funding options.

Even corporations and private business could get involved. While a name change to a state park can be only approved by a commission, signing policies already allow for recognition. However, Coleman warns that seeking outside money should not be a long-term trend. "We don't look at this as a permanent situation... We should be very hesitant to make any permanent changes."

Broke-Ass Stuart's 7 Places to Get Drunk, Lose Dignity

Brock Keeling — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:10:35 GMT

Cheap eats/drinks guru Broke-Ass Stuart's Monica the Intern has a handy list of where best to get smashed and lose your self-respect and the respect of others. The Triangle (in the Marina but might be closed), Dolores Park (Mission), Sadlads (Castro), and rented trolleys all made the cut. Said venues are perfect for getting ripped to the tits in order to have a shrieking nervous breakdown (Sadlands), twirling inane hippie sticks (Dolores Park), or doing the whore dance -- i.e., one-arm-in-the-air-while-"freaking"-your-BFF-to-a-Justin-Timberlake-remix dance (The Triangle). Be sure to check out Broke-Ass for the remaining four places in which to lose your dignity. (The only glaring error would be Otis, but that's only because of one fateful night your editor spent there many moons ago. Ugh, never forget.) [via Eye On Blogs]

San Francisco Mean, But Not as Mean as LA, to the Homeless

Brock Keeling — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:01:38 GMT

According to the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and the National Coalition for the Homeless, who just released a report cloyingly titled "Homes Not Handcuffs," San Francisco is the seventh meanest city in the county. That is to say, we're the seventh meanest place when it comes to dealing with the homeless and homeless crisis in the U.S. Curbed reports that "out of the 273 cities the study looked into, San Francisco ranked 7th on the list."

The breakdown is like this:

1. Los Angeles, CA
2. St. Petersburg, FL
3. Orlando, FL
4. Atlanta, GA
5. Gainesville, FL
6. Kalamazoo, MI
7. San Francisco, CA
8. Honolulu, HI
9. Bradenton, FL
10. Berkeley, CA

Each city was ranked on their criminalization of homelessness, if you will, via "enactment and enforcement of laws that restrict groups sharing food with homeless persons in public spaces," "sweeps of city areas in which homeless persons are living to drive them out of those areas, frequently resulting in the destruction of individuals’ personal property such as important personal documents and medication," "enactment and enforcement of legislation that makes it illegal to sleep, sit, or store personal belongings in public spaces in cities where people are forced to live in public space," and other criteria. To check out the report in its entirety, go here. (Warning, it's a .pdf, which, oddly enough, is the cruelest kind of link!)

San Francisco: Not as Overpriced as You Thought

Brock Keeling — Fri, 08 May 2009 09:35:11 GMT

According to yet another ranking list in Forbes magazine, San Francisco came in at #18 as America's most overpriced city. Surprised at ranking so low? We were. This most recent survey based their data on earnings potential and living expenses in the 50 largest U.S. metro areas. Ranked by average salary for workers with "a bachelor's degree or higher, annual unemployment statistics, cost of living and the Housing Opportunity Index," our sister city to the south, Los Angeles, came in at #1. Rounding out the top five are #2, Chicago, Ill.; #3, Miami, Fla.; #4, New York, N.Y.; and #5, Providence, R.I.

Italy Quake Reminds You to Get Prepared. Now.

Brock Keeling — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:31:19 GMT

A 6.3 earthquake killed more than 150 people in central Italy, making it the deadliest quake to hit the country in nearly three decades. According to reports, 10,000 to 15,000 buildings were either damaged or destroyed and about 100,000 people have been left homeless in the medieval city of L'Aquila.

Italy's misery should remind you to get prepared. Now. Today. After work. Soon.

How? Well, you can start by checking out 72hours.org. They can tell you what you need to do for pre- and post-earthquake preparation. But the simplest way to start getting ready is by making an emergency kit. And would you look at that, 72hours tells you exactly how to do it.

After a major disaster the usual services we take for granted, such as running water, refrigeration, and telephones, may be unavailable. Experts recommend that you should be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least three days. Store your household disaster kit in an easily accessible location. Put contents in a large, watertight container (e.g. a large plastic garbage can with a lid and wheels) that you can move easily.
Your basic emergency kit should include:

How to Help Your Fellow Californians/Fire Victims

Brock Keeling — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 20:49:15 GMT

As of now, six people have died and more than 500,000 people are in "mass migration" over the mind-numbingly destructive wildfires happening all throughout Southern California. It is, for lack of a better word, heartbreaking. All of it. When our bottom half suffers, so do we. (Map of San Diego fires)

But some good news: The LA Times has a helpful breakdown worth a moment of your time, on how you can help people (and pets -- don't forget them!) in need right now. We've re-printed it for your convenience:

How to Help
Charitable organizations responding to the Southern California wildfires are seeking donations to assist area residents.

American Red Cross: Cash donations can be made through www.redcross.org or through a local Red Cross chapter. Volunteers also are needed. Information on shelter locations can be found on Red Cross websites for Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange and San Diego counties and the Inland Empire. Donations of clothing can be made at Goodwill locations. Information: (800) REDCROSS or (800) 257-7575 for Spanish speakers.

Salvation Army: Cash contributions can be made through www.salvationarmy-socal.org or by calling (800) SALARMY.

Governor's Office of Emergency Services: Businesses wishing to donate large quantities of goods for distribution to fire victims can call (800) 750-2858 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Pacific time. Individuals wanting to donate items or volunteer to help with local disaster response efforts should contact the Red Cross or go to the governor's CaliforniaVolunteers website at www.californiavolunteers.org.

SFist Finds: Weathered Wish List

Leanne Maxwell — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:32:45 GMT

Submit your Bay Area finds to found [at] sfist [dot] com or tag them sfist and found on Flickr! Let us know where and when you found the item and any other helpful info.

We love the soft, painterly effect of this randomly-itemized list that was found by keightdee on 4th St near Popscene last November. The "sand bags" and "pull buoy" indicate that the owner was going to a lake/river of some sort. We hope they weren't lost without it!