Emily Hobson is a cultural and visual curator, and a reformed technology professional (TicketFly, Chow, Listen.com). She eats and drinks primarily in San Francisco and secondarily in Portland.
What was the food highlight of your year?
Simple pleasures ruled this year: A drink at Rock Bar, squid and quinoa salad at Bar Agricole, a Bean Boy cappuccino with house-made Meyer lemon marmalade, the Pantone cocktail at Trick Dog, a cherry bounce at the new Abe Warner bar at Comstock Saloon, house-smoked and friend-caught steelhead on a bagel with pickled fennel, late night pizza at Beretta, the spiced chocolate donut from Dynamo Donut & Coffee.
What was the music highlight of your year?
One of the best bands of the 80s, The Three O’Clock, reunited in the Spring for a series of shows. It’s tough to wait twenty-five years to see someone so influential but they brought and shared the magic.
Was there a moment when food and music came together in a memorable way?
Restaurants are stepping up their dine-time playlists and are making an effort to pair their musical passions with the food. Music is now something you can notice and engage with instead of being a background element to the experience. Bar Tartine always has great playlists rolling during service and The Cavalier has a good selection of New Wave. Central Kitchen makes a habit of printing up their seasonal playlists so one can follow along as I did on my birthday.