Restaurant Reviews
Pica’s Taqueria
Co-worker David Accomazzo was blunt in what to expect from Pica’s Taqueria: “hipster tacos,” he said...
Bento heaven on Pearl Street
One of the enduring institutions of Japanese working life is the bento. Bento means "meal in a box" and can refer to anything from a homemade aggregation of fish, rice and preserved plum to ekiben, the pre-made meals encountered in train stations. In the U.S., it's ...
Snoopin’ out the Dogg House
How strangely fitting that my entrance into Geisty’s Dogg House with my friend Dan was delayed by a leashed-up canine that needed to sniff us out before granting us entry. A quick examination of the dog revealed it to be more friendly pooch than cut-rate Cerberus. ...
Old favorites at the new Pinyon
When they see a name like The Pinyon, Pearl Street passersby might mistake this newly opened venue for a place that serves Southwestern cuisine or, if one is a language scholar, a place to transcribe Chinese characters. Neither of these descriptions is entirely ...
Los Dos Bros taco truck fits the scene
Once relegated to geographic pockets, the taco stand has now become a fixture across the culinary map of America. The taco is the paradigm...
Tiffins, tiffins, tiffins a to-go bag
The word “tiffin” is slang for lunch or a light meal in England. It originated in British India when the Indian custom took over the British tradition of afternoon tea by instead, enjoying a light meal or lunch, for the afternoon meal...
Experiencing Boulder Baked
I´ve recently enjoyed Between Two Ferns, a Web series featuring comedian Zach Galifianakis. Modeled after public access talk shows, Galifianakis conducts hysterically awkward, not-suitable-for-work celebrity interviews. An interview with Bruce Willis presents an ...
Happy Mateo hour
At Mateo’s happy hour, dubbed “après,” you can convene your own Pearl Street Algonquin Roundtable on the cheap between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Indeed, that’s what I attempted to do, by inviting author friend Lisa and her husband Peter, a therapist and practitioner ...
House cure for the common appetite
Café Aion on the Hill, unlike other spots in this neighborhood, is less grab-and-go student hangout than leisurely neighborhood haunt serving all three meals. Its combination of wood and brick, coupled with ample sunlight and modernistic seating, give it a quality ...
A slice of Italy
Some local Italian restaurants trace their culinary lineage back to the venerable Americanized red sauce haunts of San Francisco or the East Coast. Alternatively, they may possess a more direct link to the old country without the hindrance of flavors compromised to...
South of the border but a cut above
While most local Mexican restaurants are affordable familystyle venues, there are a handful of restaurants in this genre gunning for something rarefied. These locales up the ante with memorable ambience, a gourmet versus utilitarian experience, and prices to ...
Thai that won’t break the bank
Allowing for very few exceptions, one of the chief tenets of my culinary belief system is that Asian food should be reasonably priced. This preference originates from a childhood consisting of many Friday night meals in Oakland Chinatown that clocked in at around $20...

















