Wine of the Week: 2011 Château Thivin Côte de Brouilly

This is the latest from the oldest estate on Mont Brouilly in Beaujolais built in the 15th century. But that wouldn't mean anything if the...

Two top sommeliers uncork retail careers

Everybody wants to be a sommelier these days, and yet Chris Meeske and George Cossette are two high-flying somms who left at the top of...

Flatbread brings the world to Los Alamos

Can a restaurant be too busy? In the case of Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos, Calif., the answer is maybe. That's because on weekend...

Farmers Markets: Almonds at the stands

WASCO, Calif. — California's almond harvest, which takes place from August through October, is a dusty, noisy affair, vast in scale...

A quirky bakery where stellar croissants come from

If the heart of a bakery is its oven, then Proof Bakery's is ginormous. Really. It's a gas-powered Dalton with double doors and revolving...

Wine of the Week: 2009 Dierberg Chardonnay

This is a beauty of a Chardonnay from Santa Maria Valley, elegant and minerally, with some sass to it and a bright acidity that sends you...

Critic's Choice: Upscale, and accessible, happy hours

With the economy still not entirely recovered, restaurants — and very good ones at that — are betting on happy hour deals to get...

Campanile closing? The dining scene loses a standard-setter

The restaurant business is remarkably volatile, and anyone who has spent much time around it is used to seeing his or her favorites...

The California Cook: Squinting into the future of cooking

Here's how you make a really good roast chicken: Pat the skin dry and season it with salt and thyme leaves; quarter a lemon and stick it...

Farmers Markets: Damson plums worth preserving

With dark blue, astringent skins, and dry, sour flesh, the ancient plums called damsons aren't good for eating fresh. When submitted to a...

Counter Intelligence: Hannosuke and Ramen Iroha arrive in U.S.

In Los Angeles, your next great meal could be anywhere, from a pop-up installed in an art gallery to the truck parked outside the place...

Wine of the Week: 2011 Patrick Piuze Petit Chablis

What a pretty Chablis from young négociant and winemaker Patrick Piuze, a French Canadian who stopped to work the harvest in...

Across the Table: Cooks' mad dash

Don't ask me how it happened. I can't tell you. But certainly these elements came into play: planning too far ahead, not writing things...