USA - West Coast

California - San Francisco

B44 Catalan Bistro, 44 Belden Pl. Tel: 415 986 6287
In the heart of the financial district, a few blocks from Union Square, Belden is a little alley off Bush and Pine. This is real hidden gem, with half a dozen good quality restaurants, all spilling out into the alley, bringing al fresco dining to the heart of the city on a summer's night. We looked at all the menus before deciding on B44, who's array of Spanish dishes and tapas looked most tempting. I was not disappointed in this meal in the least, with excellent breads, olives and dips to start, then a menu split between authentic Catalan dishes and more Californian fare. My stew of homemade Chorizo sausage, with white beans and a spicy aioli was absolutely delicious, washed down with a moderately-priced bottle of red from the excellent Mas Collet. Paella is another house speciality, and various variations on the salt-cod Bacallau theme. A custard-flan dessert was washed down with excellent espresso. I really enjoyed B44 and will return (2003). Around $80 for two.

Gary Danko, 800 North Point Street. Tel: 415 749 2060
Opened only a few weeks before my visit, this is the restaurant of highly-regarded chef Danko who quit the Ritz Carlton to go it alone. There are two dining rooms with a cocktail bar in the middle. Decor in both is classy with simple artwork and furnishings. The menu offers a mix-and-match approach: half a dozen dishes are listed in each of 5 or 6 sections (appetisers, fish, entrées, salads, etc.) and you choose the number of courses you'd like from as many or as few sections as you like, paying simply by the number of dishes ordered. You may also choose the tasting menu of 7 small courses selected by the chef. The food was extremely good in a lighter, modern style. Best dish for me was probably a grilled lobster tail served with niblets of sweet corn and a fresh tomato salsa but dessert was also gorgeous: a bitter-sweet chocolate soufflé served with hot vanilla and coffee sauces. The wine list is extensive and pretty evenly split between domestic and European wines, particularly French. Prices are on the high side for both food and wine, but its a great "special night out" spot and the standard is very high. Around $200 for two including tip (2005).

Great Eastern, 649 Jackson Street, Chinatown. Tel: 415 986 2550
Most of us tourists just end up wandering around Chinatown and plumping for somewhere that "looks right" for dinner. For me, that normally means a busy place, with plenty of Chinese people eating there. Thus, we stumbled into the Great Eastern on our first jet-lagged night of the trip. Good fortune definitely smiled on us this night, as the food was excellent. The large, bustling restaurant is efficiently served by frantically busy waiters, who pour tea, take orders and deliver food with rapid precision. Seafood is big here, and my steamed Pacific oysters in a black bean sauce were plump and delicious, served in a sparky, lime-infused, chilli sauce. Stronger stomachs might examine the giant tanks lining the back wall and opt for the sautéed fresh frog, for example. This was inexpensive and absolutely excellent, and comes with a definite seal of approval. (2003)

Indigo, 687 McAllister Street. Tel: 415 673 9353
This funky and laid-back restaurant has a large downstairs bar that's cool, dark and atmospheric, contrasting with the airy open-plan dining area on ground level. This was a very good meal served by friendly staff. The menu is a limited choice single sheet of A4 job, and the style is kind of Pacific-rim nouvelle cuisine, though with healthy portions. I had grilled chicken breast with warm puy lentils, asparagus and rocket pesto in a Viognier jus, though the barbecue pork tenderloin on a bed of kale and spiced pecans in a marjoram infused sauce was great too. Winner of a Wine Spectator award for excellence, the wine list looked very interesting and mostly domestic. As we were there for a get-together with a few other wine-nuts however, we arranged a bring-you-own corkage fee. Casual, good value and very good food. Around $90 for two (2000).

Lulu, 816 Folsom St. Tel: 415 495 7810
Lulu has a big reputation for food and wine. It is a very urban restaurant, bustling and fast-paced and stylishly designed as a central pit surrounded by raised walkways, which include a wine bar. The wood-fired oven influences many of the dishes, including excellent pizzas. The food mostly leans towards southern France, but is light and contemporary. There is a very good wine list and by the glass selection. The one jarring note was our sullen waiter. Around $70 at lunch for two with a glass of wine (2007).

McCormick & Kuleto's, Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman's Wharf. Tel: 415 929 1730
I could be wrong, but I don't think there is anything within a mile of Fisherman's Wharf that isn't a little bit crass and a big bit touristy. Though you'll get bowls of chowder and Dungness crab all along the waterfront, at least McCormick & Kuleto's offers a semblance of style and finer dining. The long, Art Deco dining room has panoramic views of the waterfront, though it is set back a little, as part of Ghirardelli Square. Classic bistro linen and silverware, with plenty of mahogany and polished brass, gives a welcoming and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Fish and seafood are de rigueur, though there is a full range of dishes on offer. Crab cakes with a lemon dill sour cream were really good, though I suspect my piece of tuna was not as fresh as it could have been. Still, everyone's a tourist in this area, and this is about as good as lunch options get. A nice place to linger as you finish your bottle of reasonably-priced wine, or drain an espresso. (2007).

North Beach Pizza, Columbus Avenue
A real neighbourhood favourite and a bit of an institution. North Beach's pizza's are superb and huge - a regular is enough for two hungry tourists in my opinion! The place isn't fancy, but the staff are very cheery and welcoming and the pizza toppings fresh and abundant. Cheap, at about $40 for two including beers or wine (2000).

Scala's Bistro, 432 Powell St. Tel: 415 395 8555
A good choice just off Union Square, Scala's is a huge, high-ceilinged and ornate dining room, that is part of the 19th Century Francis Drake hotel. With the ambience of one of the great Paris bistros like Boffinger, the food is a west-coast take on classic French bistro and Italian cuisine. I had roasted asparagus to start, served with plenty of thin-sliced ham and shaved parmesan. For a main course my Beouf Bourguignon was authentically slow-braised and rich, with plenty of beef, baby onions and lardons of bacon throughout. Service was brisk and friendly, and desserts looked good, though I refused to be tempted. Buzzy and lively, this is a fine city centre choice without hitting the heights of "fine dining". Around $120 for two. (2007)

Carmel: Anton & Michel, Carmel Plaza. Tel: 831 624 2406
Anton & Michel is Carmel's poshest restaurant in a the determindly upmarket resort of Carmel-by-the-Sea, an hour or so south of San Francisco. Open Daily for lunch and dinner, it is a very elegant dining room, and a little bit old-fashioned. It is very "proper" with its flower displays and gleaming silverware, and windows overlooking a lovely courtyard and large fountain. The food here is traditional French-style, with Châteaubriand and rack of lamb being shared by candle-lit couples dining on special ocassions, and lots of flambéing at the table. My breast and confit of duck was very tasty, and came in an ample portion, served with a cassoulet of white beans and truffle oil. This was a good dish, and was washed down nicely by a bottle of Grich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon from the extensive and Wine Spectator award-winning list, which has several vintages of Latour, Lafite and Yquem, as well as an extensive domestic selection. If candles, flowers and a bit of special-ocassion ceremony are your thing, then Anton & Michel does it very well. (2003)

Napa: Bouchon, 6534 Washington St, Yountville. Tel: 707 944 8037
Just a block or two along from The French Laundry, Bouchon is chef Tom Keller's second restaurant in town, run in partnership with chef Jeffrey Cerciello. It is a lovely old building, with a small outside terrace. We ate in the light, airy dining room, which has a very French country feel. The menu is printed on a sheet of brown wrapping-paper, that is folded round your napkin. For lunch we decided to have salad and dessert. Both were really very good indeed, and came in ample portions for a satisfying lunch. My salad came with a goat's cheese tart, and my lemon tart was very precise and restrained, without too much butter or sugar, and plenty of citrus bite. With a bottle of Napa Sauvignon Blanc and coffees, the bill came in around $80 for two. A full range of more substantial main dishes is served too, and the menu is available all day. An excellent choice. (2009)

Napa: The French Laundry, 6640 Washington St, Yountville. Tel: 707 944 2380
The French Laundry is widely regarded as one of the best restaurants on the planet. As is the way of these things, a mythology has built up around the French Laundry - it certainly need advance planning to secure a table any night of the week. The French Laundry is a beautiful, timber-clad building dating from 1900. Behind a high hedge lies a secret garden where, cocooned in the warmth of a Californian evening, we sipped Billecart-Salmon whilst perusing the menu and wine list. The dining room is attractively chic, yet simple, and the mood immediately relaxing. Whilst many foodie temples can be up-tight and fussy, the French Laundry has the hallmark of a restaurant that feels comfortable in its skin. There are three menus: a short a la carte menu, and two nine course tasting menus, one suitable for vegetarians and one for meat eaters. Our table of four settled on the latter. At $135 this is comparable to three-star places in Paris. The meal unfolded over the next four and a half hours. Highlights included “Oysters and Pearls” - the most delicate Bagaduce oysters and a generous scoop of salty Iranian caviar in a frothy sabayon, textured with creamy pearl tapioca. This was eaten with a mother of pearl teaspoon, a witty, yet elegant touch that reflected the entire menu: whilst the kitchen here may be deadly serious about its business, eating is clearly meant to be fun. “Macaroni and Cheese” turned out to be butter-poached lobster in a broth of tiny Orzo pasta, enriched with Marscapone. “Pyrenées Brebis” was a wonderful little palate-cleansing dish of sautéed globe artichokes in a preserved Meyer lemon vinaigrette. This was a meal constructed with love and intelligence, so that flavours and textures ebbed and flowed with a genuine rhythm. The meal concluded with a couple of desserts, including a sumptuous Valhrona chocolate tower, built from an aristocratic brownie, mousse, ganache and sorbet. The wine list is excellent, and some well-priced gems can be found if you look hard enough: we drank Knoll's terrific Grüner-Veltliner Smaragd for $80 (about £50). A bottle of Littorai Californian Pinot Noir and a half of Baumard's Quarts de Chaume brought the total bill in at something over $1,200 (2007).

Modesto: Dewz, 1101 I Street. Tel: 209 549 1101
Modesto is a large industrial town in the central valley, between San Francisco and Yosemite, and HQ of the giant Gallo corporation. Dewz is a bustling, noisy bar downstairs and restaurant upstairs serving good fresh food in ample portions. Deep fried calamari came with two dips, one a piquant chilli, the other an aioli-style sauce. My "Fricasee" was basically a creamy chicken stroganof-style dish, with lots of caramelised onions and an arborio rice risotto. The wine list at Dewz is the real highlight: the selection from around the world is outstanding, with regions like Alsace and Germany well represented, which is a real bonus for a casual place like this. Moderate prices. (2004)

Modesto: Tresetti, 927 11th Street. Tel: 209 572 2990
This was probably my best meal in Modesto, in the long-established downtown restaurant, bar and wine store. In fact, the wine shop is excellent, and anything purchased there can be drunk in the restaurant for a very modest corkage charge, which is a bonus. On a Friday evening the bar was jumping and the service in the restaurant towards the end of the meal became a little stretched, but that didn't take the gloss off of really good food. My starter of roasted garlic and brie was delicious; whole roast bulbs of garlic and melting cheese to spread on really good bread. My main course was a highlight: grilled pork chops with a grain mustard dressing served with a Californian fig chutney. A low-key but quite seriously foodie place, but not the venue for a quite dinner a deux on a weekend. Moderate to expensive. (2004)

Modesto: Galletto, 1101 J Street. Tel: 209 523 4500
A converted bank, Galleto is immediately impressive with its high-ceilinged main dining room with atrium. There is also a broad shaded terrace next door, and downstairs, the private dining room which is actually the old vault of the bank, half of which is a temperature-controlled wine cellar visible through a full length glass wall (visits by arrangement). On my lunch-time visit, I enjoyed food that was good, served by friendly staff in a very striking setting. Fritto Misto had lots of good quality fish, calamari and fennel, served with a spicy aioli. My Kobe Steak salad was competent, though a touch lacking in flavour. Still, Galletto offers a real sense of occasion and was most enjoyable. Moderate to expensive. (2004)

2117 Sawtelle, Santa Monica, Los Angeles
This is a nice Japanese-influenced fusion restaurant sited, like lots of good restaurants in Los Angeles, in a mini shopping mall. We dined on the outdoor terrace with evening temperatures in the 70's and enjoyed a great meal. An assortment of dim sum-like starters were tasty and whetted the appetite. Daily specials are chalked up on a board. I had a beautifully cooked lamb dish that came delicately flavoured and spiced. The tarte-tatin was gorgeous - especially with Baumard's sensational Coteaux du Layon 1990 (unfortunately not from the list, as this was another bring your own bottle get-together of wine-nuts). Around $100 for two (2000).

Nonya, 61 North Raymond Avenue, Pasadena. Tel: 626 583 8428
I really enjoyed my meal at Nonya, one of the hottest tickets in town during my Fall 2003 visit. Nonya specialises in "Peranakan" cuisine, a blend of Chinese and Malay cuisine originally developed by Chinese settlers of Singapore. The restaurant itself is very contemporaty and relaxing, with exposed stone walls, creative lighting effects and a very stylish sense of design. Our friendly waitress explained various specials to us, and all the dishes shared by our table were good. I particularly liked a "Mangga Ikan salad", where fillets of halibut and mango were served warm with a salsa of red onion, lemongrass and lime. We washed this meal down with some beers, but the waitress informed us that Nonya has a BYO policy, with corkage a reasonable $10 per bottle. Excellent and unusal casual dining. (2003).

Shiro, 1505 Mission Street, Pasadena. Tel: 626 799 4774
Shiro is now a bit of a legend - readers of Gourmet magazine voted it 2nd best restaurant in Los Angeles whilst I was there. Chef Hideo Yamashiro serves a distinctive blend of fusion cuisine, majoring in fish dishes that are as fresh and mouth-watering as they are inventive and surprising. My tempura of halibut had two perfect oblongs of thickly-cut fish on a delicious sweet and spicy sauce. The little side dish of a tiny potato dauphinoise and some al dente vegetables was playful and delicious. Wines are well-chosen, biased towards whites and the US. Decor is simple, prices for food and wine moderate. About $110 for two (2000).

Aja, 1812 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara. Tel: 805 962 0337
This one's off the beaten track and was discovered only with some local insider info. A tiny Japanese-influenced fusion restaurant which is very informal and unpretentious. The food is the reason you're here, and that is very good: the corn fritter appetisers were yummy: little plump dumplings with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. The sushi is well worth trying. Fish is a speciality, and my Sea Bass was spot-on in terms of cooking, seasoning and freshness. There's also an intriguing selection of micro-brews (2000).

Brophy Brothers, Santa Barbara Harbour. Tel: 805 966 4418
A real institution down on the harbour, Brophy Bros. is queued out the door even on week nights, when places round about it are half empty. Add your name to the list, then have a glass of wine or a micro-brew down in the bar while you wait for a table. The dining room on the first floor has a bustling, noisy, party-time atmosphere, and serves big portions of fresh, well-cooked fish and seafood to happy visitors and locals. An essential component of a visit here. Around £70 for two. (2003)

Brigitte's, 1325 State Street, Santa Barbara. Tel: 805 966 9676
Right on busy State Street, where many of the bars and eateries veer towards fast-food and tourist-traps, Brigitte's is a long-established favourite. It's a medium sized and comfortable dining space, with bright but traditional decor and properly napped tables. The food is very good here, though neither outstanding nor especially inventive. The wine list is a touch pricy, but overall it's a top choice if you want to dine in the centre of the action (2000).

La Super Rica, 622 North Milpas. Tel: 805 963 2840
This amazing restaurant is a small shack with a tented seating area attached, serving some of America's best and most authentic Mexican food, at rock-bottom prices. Isidoro Gonzalez established his family-run food stand in 1980. Place your order at the counter as you enter, from the blackboard of a dozen or so daily specials. Most plates are tapas-sized, so two or three per person is about right. Beautifully soft flour tortillas emerge from the kitchen in a constant stream, and your food is served in paper plates along with beers or authentic soft drinks made from unusual ingredients like hibiscus or tamarind. The home-made salsas are sensational, and Pechuga Suizo, (sliced chicken and cheese grilled inside soft tortillas) was one of my favourites. You'll be in and out in half an hour, but great food and great fun. $12 per person. (2003)

Oregon - Willamette Valley

Nevada

Picasso, The Bellagio hotel, Las Vegas. Tel: 866 259 7111
One of my best dining experiences in North America without a doubt, the Picasso is - suitablely for the strip's most upmarket hotel - over the top with no less than 13 original Picasso oil paintings adorning the walls. Ask for a table with views to the spectacular Bellagio fountains. Little amuses were served that included chilled melon soup and foie gras toasts, before I started on the tasting menu. A Main lobster and citrus salad was outstanding, the poached lobster sweet and succulent and the mixed citrus fresh and tangy. Seared scallops on asparagus with hollondaise was perfectly cooked and seasoned, before the second foie gras encounter, this time and delectable slice sautéed with crushed walnuts and honeyed figs. For my main course I chose roast loin of lamb with truffle mashed potatoes, again beautifully cooked, and a refined ratatouille and red wine jus gave it the depth to match to a bottle of Stoneyridge 'Larose' from Waiheke Island - at a surprisingly affordable price for one of New Zealand's top wines. A small procession of puddings included chocolate fondant with cassis ice cream, peanut butter jelly and caramleised honeyed figs with an ice cream parfait. We washed this lot down with Royal Tokaji '5 Putts', again at a reasonable price. Espresso and petit fours rounded off a superb meal. Very expensive. (2007)

Lotus of Siam, 953 E. Sahara Ave, Las Vegas. Tel: 702 735 3033
The Lotus of Siam is one part of the Las Vegas scene that 99.999% of visitors will never see. This small, plain, simply-decorated Thai restaurant sits in an anonymous shopping mall well away from the Strip, yet Gourmet magazine have called it "the best Thai restaurant in North America". There are clues that this is something special as soon as you enter: awards from Wine Spectator on the wall, stacks of Dom Perignon and Krug behind the small bar. Our extremely friendly waiter (the Lotus is family-run) looked after us really well, suggesting and describing dishes with enthusiasm. Every ingredient here is fresh: the owners drive to Los Angeles twice a week for herbs and other provisions, and Northern Thai dishes are their speciality. These can be super-spicy, so each is rated from 1 to 10 on the fiery scale, and our dishes in the 2-3 range (as recommended by the waiter) were hot enough for me. Everything here was good, from the ubiquitous Tom Kah Kai coconut and prawn soup, to much more unusual dishes like crispy fried rice with sour sausages, and a pungent green chilli, peanut and lime sauce. We washed this down with some Thai beer, and stumbled out into the desert only around $30 per head poorer. (2007).