An Unexpected Pleasure

A restaurant where drinking is the great adventure

Sometimes we love attention-getting behavior. We found the food at Coqueta, Michael Chiarello’s new Spanish restaurant, much like the dining room itself: pretty, but without...

Secret Drinking

What do restaurant staff drink off-duty?

Restaurant-industry pros know how, where and what to drink. While a shot and a beer is a favorite combination after a long shift, every once in a while, a cocktail is in order. You...

Switch Hit

California spirits with pseudonyms

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When it gives you too much wine, make vodka. At the Villicana Winery in Paso Robles, Alex and Monica Villicana have found a new use for...

Saline Solutions

Turns out that salting your beer is no mistake

Beer’s fondness for salty foods is a given. But that’s not enough for some brewmasters. Emerging from the darkest realms of beer geekdom, salted beers such as gose--a...