In 2013, I am so excited to be devoting myself to the creation of my first cookbook, which seemed like a pipe dream last year at this time. I am so grateful to everyone who has inspired and supported me creatively up to this point, and the gals at Umami Mart have played such a big role in that. In this new year, I encourage you to take a creative leap, start a new project (even if it seems crazy) and make time for something you’ve been wanting to do — you never know where it may lead.

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A new cocktail bar opened in Copenhagen in the spring of 2012.

The creation of the bar had been in the making for years. The owner is a friend of mine, who is an impressively ambitious and creative entrepeneur building bars around town with finesse and style. As soon as he mentioned the theme of his new bar, I was on board.

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Last weekend we hosted some people from my husband’s work for a little late afternoon cocktail party. While Jack set up the bar on the deck, I put together some snacks. I didn’t have a lot of time, so I went for colorful and easy: crudite and several dips, cheeses garnished with fresh herbs, dates, sliced baguette, crackers, nuts, and fresh fruit.

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I want Washio’s Awamori Wasabi-wari to be world famous, so I’ve gone ahead and named it “The World Famous Awamori Wasabi-wari.” It’s been out there on the WORLD wide web for over three years now, so I think it has earned its title.

I caught the making of the world famous Awamori Wasabi-wari on tape last year during my visit to this tiny little bar in western Tokyo.

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Mr. Thad Vogler needs no introduction. He is a leading barman in the Bay Area and beyond, who opened Bar Agricole in San Francisco in 2011. Named after agricole rum (rum made with 100% raw cane sugar), Thad has put his heart, soul, personal philosophies, and many years of experience into the restaurant — which was the only west coast establishment to be nominated for James Beard Award’s Best Bar Program this year.

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Here is Part Deux in our Tokyo-SF Bartender Salon Series. Meet Monsieur Tomokazu Kai, bartender at Heuga Bar in Gifu, Japan. Mr. Kai won the 2011 Suntory Cocktail Award, and his prize was a trip to SF and NYC. Gifu is a way’s away from Tokyo, a city just north of Nagoya, but clearly it is not to be underestimated in Japan’s cocktail world.

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“To live and eat in LA, it’s the place to be;
You’ve got to be there to know it, what everybody wanna eat”
- Tupac

Alright, alright, Tupac didn’t say “eat”. But instead of talking about hoes and tricks, he should have rapped more importantly about the bounty of food to be found in LA. Cause damn it, it is a damn fine place for eating.

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The one and only Paystyle rolled into town a couple of weeks ago. Although he would be fully booked with personal engagements, I knew exactly how to get him to pencil me in. A few days before he was scheduled to land at SFO, I texted him, “Should we go on a SF cocktail crawl when you get here?”

How could anyone say no to that?

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In the past week there’s been a lot of buzz in cocktail circles regarding the outcome of a legal dispute between Pusser’s rum and Painkiller, a tiki bar in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It’s a story that’s led to a lot of anger among us folks in the cocktail biz, as it touches on a number of issues we consider important, so I figured I’d touch on it here.

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I just got back from a weekend in NYC, for a very important Umamimart Reunion Dinner, hosted by Yamahomo (post coming!). Even though I really only had two full days in the city, I bounced around and hit some of my favorite haunts. It felt good to be back, if only for a few days. The air was warm and everyone had a spring in their step.

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