Los Angeles Greater Area
Tracking down the best pumpkin patches
This may be the best year ever to steer clear of the supermarket and pick your own pumpkin. From folksy to farm-sized, here are some of the best patches, from the Valley to Irvine. Be sure to call ahead for days and hours.
Butterfly Pavilion takes wing
The only open Natural History Museum area is the Nature Gardens — now encompassing the magical Butterfly Pavilion, welcoming a limited number of guests via advance reservation. Tip: Consider joining — members enjoy special hours.
Sizzling Korean outdoor BBQ spots
Tired of the same old backyard grill fare? Korean BBQ restaurants all over LA have taken their acts al fresco. With savory beef, pork belly and crispy duck on the menu, you may want to leave those hot dogs in the freezer.
Alcohol, on call
Some of LA’s best restaurants and bars can now deliver drinks to your door as long as they also offer food. Want a more permanent solution? Use mobile liquor store apps to build your own bar at home. Cheers!
San Francisco Bay Area
Wine tasting like you’ve never seen
Bay Area oenophiles have pretty much been there and done that when it comes to most wine tasting experiences. But even the hard-core probably haven’t experienced the little-known high-elevation Cienega Valley appellation by helicopter or tasted Champagne and caviar on Calistoga’s Diamond Mountain. Learn all the details about these unique experiences.
Jewish deli with a twist debuts in Oakland
Kimchi reubens, pastrami-topped smash burgers, challah French toast. Yes, yes, and yes. Try not to drool when you read what’s on the menu at the new East Bay outpost of new-school Jewish deli Wise Sons, which just launched in downtown Oakland.
Record time
Amoeba Music is as much a San Francisco institution as any business in the city by the Bay. This iconic Haight-Ashbury record shop finally reopened to the public for in-store shopping after six months shuttered due to the pandemic. Now, go buy a record to make sure they stay open.
Ayesha Curry cookbook
Ayesha Curry (foodie wife of the Warriors star hoops player) is dropping a new cookbook this week entitled The Full Plate. Geared towards busy working parents (such as Steph and Ayesha), it serves up 100 recipes for cocktails, snacks, salads, dinners, and desserts, most of which can be whipped up in a half-hour or less. Look out for the pics of the Curry’s adorable young kids, Riley, Ryan, and Canon.