Darya Pino

Foodist: My first book coming May 2013

Darya — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:42:32 +0000

Coming May 2013

By an incredible act of will I've managed to keep it a secret for the past two and half year that I was working on my first book. As of last week the news is finally public, and it will hit book stores May 7, 2013.

I've worked hard all my life, but I've never worked as hard on anything as I have on this book. I hope you enjoy it, and please share it with anyone who still thinks dieting is the answer to their problems.

You can read more about Foodist at foodist.com

P.S. I'm also getting married this weekend, hence the new name on the cover. w00t!

I'm a covergirl!

Darya — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:12:06 +0000

Experience Life (April 2013)I'm thrilled and honored to be on the April 2013 cover of Experience Life Magazine. It was so much fun and such a privilege to work with people who really understand the value of health and the role food plays in it.

Pick up a copy if you can!

My Favorite SF Restaurants

Darya — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:31:47 +0000

Best burger in SF @ Bar Jules

Besides, "What's a healthy snack I can eat every day?," the most common question I get asked is, "Where should I eat when I visit SF?"

This is a difficult thing to answer because the list is long and constantly changing. So to reduce the number of unanswered emails sitting in my inbox, I'm going to make this post a running list of my favorite places to eat in the city.

The only criteria I'm using is that a food or drink experience I had was good enough to tell people about. By no stretch of the imagination are these recommendations for healthy eating (though some of them may lean toward the healthier side).

The prices range from extremely low to extremely high, so if you're going to book a reservation I recommend reading up on the atmosphere and prices. I've also separated these into basic categories for clarity's sake.

The most recent additions will be at the top of the list. Stay tuned.

Food

St. Vincent - I'm upgrading this review since realizing that the bone marrow from here is what I would want to eat on my death bed. If you haven't been here you have no idea what you're missing. Go. Now.

Ichi - Incredibly delicious, casual sushi. Some of the best fish I've had in the city. Delicious, innovative food without resorting to squirt bottles and mango rolls.

Atelier Crenn- Definitely worth the trip if you can afford it. Delectable, artistic food. Don't feel bad about opting for the 5-course if you aren't up for the full monty, the experience is still worth having.

Cotogna - Spectacular Italian food, probably my new favorite in the city. Very difficult to get a reservation, so start early if you want a seat.

Benu - Like The French Laundry, only better.

Izakaya Yuzuki - Wow, this place is so legit. Every bite reminds me of Japan, the food is amazing and totally affordable. What an awesome addition to the Mish.

Namu Gaji (Mission) - Absolutely delicious Korean/Japanese fusion. It's casual and there's nothing bad on the menu.

State Bird Provisions - One of the most innovative restaurants I've ever tried. Michelin caliber food on dim sum style carts. The type of place that makes me want to never leave SF.

Bar Jules - My favorite casual restaurant by far. They cook exactly like I would if I had all day to prepare dinner. Oh, and on Tuesday nights (and any lunch/brunch), they have the best burger in the city. I feel strongly about this. Order it medium rare with cheese.

Range - Consistently amazing food, even the chicken will blow your mind. Fabulous cocktails (some of my favorites in the city).

Aziza - Really high-end Morrocan food that brings a tear to the eye. Definitely worth the trip to the outer Richmond.

Commonwealth - Innovative and delicious food. I love how they play with flavors from various cuisines.

Dosa - By far the best Indian food in the city. It's South Indian style, so don't expect tandoori. But the ingredients are all very high quality and the dishes are seasonal and consistently awesome. Great drinks too.

Coi - Chef Daniel Patterson is a culinary genius. The food is very intellectual, but not in a way that detracts from the taste. Very fancy, so expect to drop some cash for this special occasion spot.

Locanda - I don't often eat pasta, but when I do I prefer Locanda.

Bar Crudo - Probably my favorite seafood restaurant in the city. The crudo plates are fabulous, as is the seafood chowder. Come to think of it, it's hard to go wrong.

Sebo - Best sushi I've had outside of Tokyo. Very legit though, so expect to order lots of fish you've never heard of and you'll be disappointed if you're looking for rolls. It's sustainable as well, so don't even think about asking for tuna.

Nopalito - I thought all SF Mexican food was a disappointment until I found Nopalito (I'm from SoCal and part Mexican). Amazing sit down Mexican food. Carnitas and mole should not be missed.

Nopa - Always a win. This is where I send people who don't have much time to spend in the city. Everything on the menu is fabulous, it's trendy but not too pretentious. Great burger, rotisserie chicken and seasonal food. Brunch is good too. Oh, and order a Blue Bottle Martini.

Saison - I've eaten at a lot of 3 Michelin star restaurants but the meal I had at Saison was the best of my life. Expect to borrow from your children's education fund to eat here though.

Contigo - Seasonal, organic Spanish tapas and cava bar! One of my favorite spots in the city.

Hog & Rocks - This place just keeps impressing me with their food. It's super casual and you can almost always get a table. What's not to love?

Kitchenette - Freaking amazing sandwiches out of some random garage. Check the menu daily and go early, they run out of the best stuff fast.

Il Cane Rosso - My favorite spot to grab lunch at the Ferry Building. Perfect food made from all the goodies you find at the farmers market.

Thai Time - Most authentic Thai food I've found in SF, like stepping into Bangkok for dinner.

Jai Yun - Crazy bizarre but fancy and tasty Chinese food in Chinatown. Service is absolutely terrible and the menu is confusing (e.g. "tell me how much you want to pay and I'll make you food"), but it's an experience worth having. Bring cash and, if you're smart, your own booze.

Zuni Cafe - A city favorite that keeps putting out fabulous food. The oysters, the rabbit, the burger, all fantastic.

Sushi Ran - Popular sushi spot out in Sausalito. Fabulous food and great place to impress out of town visitors or a date. Don't miss the salmon skin and spicy tuna rolls. They also carry fresh wasabi. After dinner get a drink along the waterfront and watch the sunset over the city.

Little Star Pizza - I've never been a huge deep dish fan, but Little Star is worth every buttery calorie. Yum.

Delfina Pizzeria - The closest I've found to legitimate Italian pizza in SF (I lived in Italy back in 2000).

Frances - Hard to get a reservation, but if you can swing it DEFINITELY do. And definitely get the bacon beignets.

Jardinere - I love the ambiance at Jardinere, very classic and elegant. Great romantic date spot, especially pre or post ballet.

Papalote - It's not even close to what I consider Mexican food, but the shrimp burrito is probably my favorite in the city. Even the grilled veggie burrito is awesome (super, sin crema, sin riso).

Slanted Door - Have you ever wondered what pho or bahn mi would taste like if they weren't made with crappy ingredients? They would taste like this.

Hapa Ramen - I adore Hapa Ramen and find it hard to pass up whenever they're at the farmers market. Honestly I didn't have any ramen this good in Japan.

Fatted Calf - My favorite butcher in the city. I swear by their bacon, the Riverdog Farms chicken they carry, and their eggs. Anything they've seasoned or marinated themselves is usually amazing.

Tacolicious - Another place with excellent food that uses ingredients I trust. My favorite tacos in the city.

Samovar - Great spot for tea and healthy food. No internet, so don't confuse this with a coffee shop.

Bi-Rite Market - Best deli in the city. All the prepared foods are amazing, as is everything carried in the store. The world would be a much better place if all businesses were run like Bi-Rite

Brunch

Central Kitchen - New to the brunch scene, but already one of my new favorites.

Hog & Rocks - Exceptional brunch and doesn't have the wait of some of the more pretentious brunch spots (you know who you are).

Boulette's Larder - Best brunch in the city.

Foreign Cinema - Very fun brunch spot, with excellent drinks for the hair of the dog crowd.

Bar Jules - Always spectacular brunch. If they ask if you want a waffle AFTER you've eaten, the answer is yes.

Plow - I secretly hate this place, but the potatoes are so good it's worth mentioning (I don't like the eggs or pancakes or French toast or bread pudding or coffee). Weekend lines are a nightmare, and the menu is way better on weekdays (Chinese breakfast FTW!).

Wine & Beer

The Abbot's Cellar - Amazing beer and food pairings by people who really know their stuff. Beautiful decor.

St. Vincent - This is technically a restaurant, but the wine and beer are so amazing it is worth mentioning here as well. They'll sell you half the bottle of any wine on the menu. Such a great way to experiment with a friend during dinner.

Toronado - Random dive with great beers on tap.

Hotel Biron - Great wines, heavy pours. And dog friendly. Great first date spot too.

Monk's Kettle - All your beer wishes come true at Monk's Kettle.

The Wine Merchant - Reliable spot for a great bottle or glass while shopping at the Ferry Building.

Coffee & Tea

Blue Bottle Coffee - My favorite in the city. I order drip coffee or New Orleans style iced coffee. Gibralter is their specialty.

Ritual Coffee - Also really fabulous coffee.

Samovar Tea Lounge - I've never seen a tea spot with a better selection, particularly for Japanese green teas.

Red Blossom Tea - Best spot to buy Chinese teas (ask about the formosa oolongs and charcoal roasted tung ting), worth the trip to Chinatown.

Dessert

Tartine Bakery - The only cake I've ever loved.

Boulette's Larder - Mind-blowing pastries. You will be ruined for life. Get there early to get one of the few canales they make each day.

Bi-Rite Creamery - Best ice cream in the universe.

Cocktails

Dalva Hideout

The Alembic

Bar Agricole

Beretta

Range

Bourbon & Branch

I'll be updating this regularly (and I eat a lot).

Summer Tomato named one of TIME Magazine's 50 Best Websites of 2011

Darya — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 23:22:09 +0000

I'm completely blown away by this.

Thank you TIME Magazine for including me in this list of rockstar websites. I'm honored and delighted to see healthy eating starting to get some recognition from the cool kids.

xoxox

Darya

Sex for your mouth (aka my appearance on Epic Meal Time)

Darya — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 23:16:09 +0000

Last week I made a guest appearance on the grossly unhealthy show Epic Meal Time. Somehow the space-time continuum is intact.

Enjoy!

Geek alert: My thesis work on neural stem cell development is now published

Darya — Thu, 26 May 2011 20:11:44 +0000

I just happened to be browsing on Pubmed and noticed that my latest paper is finally published. It's super geeky stuff about the molecular control of neural stem cell development in the olfactory bulb, but a lot of you have asked to see my work so here it is.

You super geeks are extra lucky that you can view the entire manuscript for free. Check it out here.

And if you're wondering how on earth I survived working on something so technical and tedious for six solid years, I can assure you I'm wondering exactly the same thing.

Enjoy!

What do roosters do exactly?

Darya — Tue, 03 May 2011 18:57:23 +0000

This came out a few weeks ago, but it's still worth sharing.

The clip is of my boyfriend Kevin and co-host Alex on their podcast Diggnation. Apparently no one in the room knew the exact function of roosters in relation to egg laying, so they decided to call me and ask.

Please note: this contains potty-mouth language and is not intended for those with delicate sensibilities.

Protip: Hens can lay both fertilized (with rooster) and unfertilized (sans rooster) eggs.

Chillin' with Jamie Oliver at Bar Jules

Darya — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:44:50 +0000

Jamie Oliver and Darya Pino at Bar Jules

Last night I unexpectedly ended up at a dinner with Jamie Oliver. I'm still not quite sure how it happened, meeting up with good friends at my favorite restaurant is not exactly unusual. But I was certainly honored to share a table with someone doing such amazing work--spreading the message about real food and real health. Keep fighting the good fight Jamie :)

Huge thanks to Chris Sacca for the invite and for snapping this photo.

Toaster eats artichoke like a human

Darya — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 03:38:03 +0000

This was cracking us up. Our little foodie puppy @toasterpup tried his first artichoke tonight, and instinctively knew to scrape it with his teeth.

Amazing.

I'm kind of a big deal (and more on new the dietary guidelines)

Darya — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:55:02 +0000

This morning I put on my best Veronica Corningstone and made an appearance on News Nation on MSNBC. They called me yesterday and asked if I could make a comment on the new USDA Dietary Guidelines that were to be announced this morning. I jumped at the opportunity, and was looking forward to skewering the government for putting the US Dept of Agriculture (industry lobbyists) in charge of our dietary guidelines instead of the more appropriate FDA or HHS (public health advocates).

Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to find the new guidelines are a huge improvement over the last set issued in 2005. I cheerily sent MSNBC my revised talking points and headed down to the studio.

I guess they didn't get the message, however, because the segment was focused almost entirely on salt reduction--something I don't find particularly interesting. Needless to say I was not prepared to answer why the FDA singled out African-Americans to reduce salt intake. I apologize for my bumbling non-answer.

The show was still fun though. My favorite part being when anchor Tamron Hall exclaimed, "I don't remember the last time I ate a vegetable!"

Yikes.

Since I didn't get to make my points on air, I've included my thoughts on the new guidelines below. As noted above, I'm most impressed that the guidelines for the first time emphasize health over lobbying efforts. We still haven't seen the revised Food Pyramid (coming in a couple months), but this is certainly a step in the right direction.

Highlights from the USDA Dietary Guidelines 2010

For the first time they prominently focus on the obesity epidemic and the population's need to lose weight. Emphasis on EATING LESS unhealthy foods.
Eat less: "solid fats" aka saturated and trans fats, sugar, salt and refined grains. This is unfortunately a little cryptic.
Translation: Eat less junk and processed foods
Drink water instead of sugary drinks. Yes!
Eat more nutrient dense foods: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lowfat dairy, seafood, lean meats/poultry, beans, nuts & seeds. Agreed! Though I consider dairy optional.
I'm happy they emphasized eating more whole foods, not just nutrients.
"Half your plate should be vegetables." Woohoo!
Good emphasis on replacing less healthy choices with healthier ones (e.g "solid fats" with healthy oils, refined grains with whole grains, meat with seafood)
Emphasis on physical activity is good, though this has very little impact on energy balance since even strenuous exercise burns relatively few calories.
Generally a huge improvement, now the challenge is to make the message clear to the public.

The entire segment is in the video above. Can you tell I tried to dress like a grown up?