Why Is Your Home Town A Culinary Paradise?

YumSugar — Fri, 04 May 2007 12:17:37 -0700

Alan Richman, a writer for GQ, recently wrote:

"Alice Waters and sourdough bread aside, the Bay Area has contributed surprisingly little to the culinary ripening of America."

What? Is he crazy? Michael Bauer of the San Francisco Chronicle thought so and offered up a 25 point rebuttal on his blog today.

Included in his list are:

Chuck Williams - founder of Williams-Sonoma
Robert Mondavi - he brought French modern techniques in winemaking
Ceclia Chiang - whom Alice Waters calls "The Julia Child of Chinese Food
Thomas Keller - only American to have top ratings for both his NY and Bay Area restaurants
Wine bars - The London Wine Bar is credited with starting the wine bar genre
The Mai Tai, Martini & Lemon Drop - while there's some debate, both are usually credited to the Bay Area
Laura Chenel - made the first artisan goat cheese in America (which makes her my hero)

The whole list is pretty interesting (although, admittedly, there are a few things that you've never heard of), but I'm glad he threw it together. This place is a tasty slice of food heaven.

However, even if it didn't have any of the history or famous people behind it, there are currently so many different cultures and great produce that it's definitely a food lover's dream come true.

So tell me, why is your hometown a culinary paradise?