Tim and Erin Archuleta own ICHI Sushi which was named "Hottest Restaurant" of 2014 in the Eater Awards and included in the San Francisco Chronicle Top 100 Restaurants.
What was the food highlight of your year?
Indie Chefs Week in SoCal — We were invited by Ned Elliott and Crystal Esquivel of Foreign & Domestic fame and got the opportunity to cook at our dear friend Carlos Salgado's restaurant, Taco Maria. He runs it with his sister, Silvia, and his girlfriend Emilie (who worked with Erin at 826 Valencia!). Both Tim and Carlos grew up in the industry, so it was really special to see someone executing his vision with family in such a warm and talented way, his father even popped in to see what us 20+ chefs were up to! Ned and Crystal really create something unique and totally fun with Indie Chefs Week — When else do you get to cook with a huge team of talented chefs and talk service and techniques?
What was the music highlight of your year?
Both are Erin's — I went two nights in a row to see Neutral Milk Hotel at the Fox Theatre in Oakland. The first night was melodic and pretty, and hearing most of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea and On Avery Island that way brought me back to snowy, snowy Michigan winters and when I first fell in love with both records on my super-crappy, heroic record player. Both albums were a major touchstone for me getting through the sadness of September 11th and reconnecting with the power of story and love in times that can feel like inertia. Night two was more punk and fierce. — #2 TIE! Seeing Faith No More's Black Friday Amoeba Music SF show. Every single metal part of me had been waiting. I'd seen Mr. Bungle and the side projects, but never Faith No More. Please, Santa, bring a Faith No More US Tour.
Was there a moment when food and music came together in a memorable way?
At Erin's sister Mariposa's wedding — A super-happy wedding, a super-happy reception, and a tradition steeped in tequila shots. There's pretty much nothing better to imprint the joy of that night than throwing on "Turn Down for What" and doing tequila shots with our Grandma Lupe and Great Aunties and Uncles. That's the way to get married.