533370 Fri Jun 27 16:25:58 -0700 2008 2 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 3820497 My personal preference isn't for food alone or wine alone, but the best combination to be found. And I usually rely on cool staff with good instincts. I've had and liked @ A16: * funghi pizza with the basilim aglianico * tuna conserva with the statti mantonico * castelvetrano olives with the 'clelia romano' fiano di avellino * panna cotta with the passito garganega * chocolate budino by itself was great The people who have been giving great recs are: Tim, Chandra, and Shelley @ A16 (wine + food) Suzette @ Acquerello (food) Scott Beattie at Cyrus (for cocktails) A nice guy @ Incanto who I recognize on sight but can't remember the name of. (wine) Ceri Smith @ Biondivino (wine) Can you share your favorite people to ask recommendations from? and what they recommended that was so memorable? Thanks in advance ** addition: An Asian guy whose name I can't remember @ Mokka in Berkeley (for origin specific coffee) Fri Jun 27 16:26:00 -0700 2008 10403 StephP 1 3820533 Not a restaurant, but I find Mulan at K&L in San Francisco to have great food and wine pairing ideas. I've run in a few times, found her, and asked a bizarrely specific question like "I'm making the Zuni gateu victoire for a dinner party. It's a flourless chocolate cake. What should I get for around $20?" and she always pulls through. I don't know if I just have similar taste to her, or if she's just that good. Probably a combination of the two. Agreed on Cyrus. I found that my wine complemented the food nicely but did not particularly shine, but my husband's cocktails were superb. Fri Jun 27 16:40:53 -0700 2008 3820497 11577 Pei 2 3820757 Thanks for the tip, I'll go find her next time I'm in K&L. And I think Scott Beattie from Cyrus put out a book recently with ten speed press. I'm wondering if anyone out there has tried it out? Fri Jun 27 18:26:01 -0700 2008 3820533 10403 StephP