About steve

Established in 1989, Steve didn't eat anything for about the first 19 years of his life. Well, he obviously ate SOMETHING, or, ya know... but it was usually something from what his parents dubbed "The Beige Diet" (cookbook forthcoming). The problem is that the only "beige" things Steve could be bothered to eat were pasta and rice. Chicken? meh. White fish? vom. He eventually branched out to cheese in high school, but wouldn't even touch that when he was younger.

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Somehow all that changed in college:  It started with one bite of a salad, then veggies cooked to hell, a scallop, Thai and Indian food to go with his beige rice, and eventually the floodgates opened so conclusively that he even defeated his staunch vegetarianism. Now, he eats nearly everything, as long as it's delicious!

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Part of Steve's journey involved becoming acquainted with Alice Waters' work at UC Berkeley and Chez Panisse back in the 80s. Waters spent the 60s in France, where the food was always fresh and delicious, and was an important part of everyday life. When she returned to the US, she was met with Hamburger Helper, glutinous casseroles, and well-done steaks. She ended up founding Chez Panisse, a restaurant focused on fresh, farm-to-table food, and became a sensation. Waters once said: "We live such remarkable lives, so how can we feed ourselves so unremarkably?" After reading Waters' work in 2011, he used an upcoming trip to the Bay Area to dine at some magnificent establishments, including Waters' own Chez Panisse. He's never looked back.

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Steve is a conductor by trade (hence "maestro"), but started this blog, which had been percolating for a while, at the turn of 2018–2019, as a way of sharing this philosophy and bringing beautiful food, wine, beer, spirits, and experiences to his friends and family. Restaurant, bar, and winery experiences are shared, as well as Steve's own domestic cooking projects, often with accompanying recipes. He hopes you enjoy the blog, and can find something new about food and beverage that will help you feed yourself, your family, and your friends more remarkably!