In the News
Jet Blue - Jet San Francisco - August 18, 2010
Head Into the Kitchen with Lisa and See What's Cooking
By Jeanne Storck
 "Foodies in town for a visit should check out In the Kitchen with Lisa, a series of culinary walking tours offered by Lisa Rogovin, a veteran of Gourmet magazine and an expert on Bay Area bites. Calling herself an "epicurean concierge," Rogovin offers small groups of eight to ten guests an insider's view of the city's gastronomic hot spots...
If you've got a moveable feast in mind, Lisa can most likely help you dream it up and make it happen. "
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Your California Show - July 2010
Live interview with Randy White for Your California Radio Show
Listen here for the full broadcast of the half hour show, or here for just Lisa's interview with Randy.
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Berkeley Bites: Lisa Rogovin, Epicurean Concierge
Interview for BerkeleySide by Sarah Henry, July, 2010
"...I love to give people, whether they're from the Bay Area or somewhere else, an opportunity to experience great, authentic, local food. And I like to demystify the experience. I want visitors to see the food world through the eyes of the people who run these businesses. It gives people an intimate and informative view of the food scene and access they couldn't get on their own. People who are interested in food want to know the background and the stories behind the food businesses they visit. And, of course, they want to taste what these purveyors have to offer. It's like showing people an artichoke, you want to peel back the layers to get to the heart of the matter..."
Read the rest of this insightful interview with Lisa at BerkleySide, and also at LettuceEatKale
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KGO interview, July 2010
Gene Burns interviews Lisa on "Dining Around"
Listen to the entire hour podcast on KGO, or just Lisa's part of the interview right here!
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The Age, Australia, June 2010
24 hours in San Francisco
Posted by Penny Watson
"...For a meet-and-greet with the artisans whose fare has brought the building to life (and a taste test or two), take a tour with the knowledgeable epicurean concierge, Lisa Rogovin..."
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Tablehopper, June 2010
Action-packed Mission tour
Posted by Marcia Gagliardi
"...fun for this long-standing local, so someone new to the city (or just passing through) would definitely dig it..."
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The Lobby, May 2010
Exercising a Great Taste of the Mission in San Francisco
Posted by Tamara Palmer
 "The sheer amount of high-quality food and drink in the San Francisco Bay Area is staggering, and can easily be intimidating to a visitor. Lisa Rogovin...can help you navigate this gastronomic landscape while giving you some good outdoor exercise at the same time. Her walking tour "Taste the Mission"...begins at the must-see bookstore Omnivore Books on Food...there's even a lovely tour-within-a-tour as walkers detour into the colorful Balmy Alley for an educational talk from muralists of the world-renowned Precita Eyes project...."
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Frommers, April 2010
Between Bites - Mexican Specialties of 24th Street, San Francisco
By Amy Sherman
"...When Lisa Rogovin invited me to be a guest on her newest tour, I skipped breakfast in anticipation of the eat-a-thon. After all, The Taste of the Mission is an excuse to sample ice cream, donuts, pastries, and savory snacks in the San Francisco neighborhood that's known mostly for its burritos. The tour is a great introduction to the best of 24th Street, and even includes a guided walk among the murals of Balmy Alley... The first three spots are on her tour and the last two rank among my favorites..."
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L.A. Times, March 2010
Foodie paradise in Berkeley
By Nancy Belcher
"...I just like eating good food. So, every so often, I treat myself to a little culinary tour to sample special treats.
 "Food makes sense to everyone," says "epicurean concierge" Lisa Rogovin, "even if you're not a foodie."
It makes more sense after spending three hours with her in January as she led a walking tour of Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto, the place where the California food movement got its start...
It's an enjoyable area to walk. Its main thoroughfare, Shattuck Avenue, with sidewalk tables and chairs sheltered by trees, gives it a small-town feel.
It's even better as a stroll with a gourmet guide. Rogovin has offered her weekly three-hour tasting tour since 2007..."
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SFWeekly.com
7 Day Dish - Around Town - February 2010
"...Lisa Rogovin of In the Kitchen with Lisa has built a mini empire of touring Bay Area foodie hotspots in places like the Ferry Building Marketplace, Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto, West Marin, and wine country.
This week she's launching the latest chapter: the Taste the Mission Tour, hitting up half a dozen spots along the 24th Street corridor. "I just felt like the area needed to be uncovered," she says. Every second and fourth Saturday of the month starting this week, Rogovin will lead tours that cover a remarkably wide-ranging swath of Mission favorites..."
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Examiner.com, February 2010
Do you dream in the language of cupcakes?
"...Love at First Bite Bakery in Berkeley - Take the In the Kitchen Tour with Lisa if you want to get up close and personal with food in Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto..."
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San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, December 2009
Profile: Lisa Rogovin, culinary guide
 "Epicurean Concierge Lisa Rogovin's clientele isn't as elite as it would seem. Recently she toured 20 students from Mission High School through the Ferry Building Marketplace. Rogovin, 39, can relate. She's a product of the New York City public school system who operates out of her Noe Valley home..."
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Diablo Magazine, November 2009
A Big Bite of the Gourmet Ghetto
"...So many pots, and so many yummy little treats are the things that constitute a life. And that make up the weekly walking tour of the approximately seven-block cluster of hallowed halls known as Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto.
 Say what you will about food obsession signaling the decline of civilization, this tour is a hundred times more wholesome than boarding a bus to visit the homes and haunts of dead celebrities (although the two combined could be fun: You could call it Ghouls and Gluttons). The tour elicits no fainting or screaming among the Ghetto tourists, just a lot of oohing and ahhing, with mouths full of lighter-than-heaven's-air potato puffs or 75 percent dark chocolate..."
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San Jose Mercury News, November 2009
Berkeley's renaissance: Culture, cuisine and more
Food passion
"...Gourmet Ghetto, a three-square-block area along Upper Shattuck that she calls "the birthplace of California cuisine. That movement has always been about knowing where and how your food was raised, and the tradition continues today," ... at the Cheese Board Collective, where a long line waits to buy pizza slices...a java stop at the original Peet's up on Vine Street, the inaugural shrine to some of the world's best coffees by Dutch transplant Alfred Peet...Then there's Saul's Restaurant & Delicatessen, where owner and Chez Panisse alum Peter Levitt has helped redefine the great Jewish-American deli. He makes his own cream soda and has downsized and greened the menu, with items such as the organic egg salad sandwich, the Niman Ranch corned beef and his own celery soda. He'll serve it chilled with gin or vodka, off-menu and only if you ask nicely.
And nothing's like a gin-and-celery tonic to fortify you for a short stroll back to the Arts District for another full night in Berkeley."
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San Jose Mercury News, Gift Guide November 2009
Tired of gifts you have to wrap? Try giving an experience instead
"Foodie alert!
Lisa Rogovin is the creator of intimate culinary experiences that draw you into the quintessence of the Northern California food scene. Her tours of Bay Area food meccas are edifying and passionate...Take the foodie you love on Rogovin's popular weekly walking tour of North Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto in and around Shattuck Avenue, birthplace of California Cuisine. Meet chefs and proprietors. Taste and learn about gourmet chocolates...There's more. For instance, a small-group walking tour of San Francisco's Ferry Building Marketplace, foodie central. Two hours of talking and tasting...Or visit the Ferry Building, and take a vintage streetcar to Bloomingdale's on Union Square for a seasonal-foods session in Bloomie's kitchen with the store's chef...Rogovin also customizes tours for individuals and groups, and stages her own chocolate, wine and cheese tastings at businesses and in private homes. All foodie, all the time..."
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SF Examiner, July 2009
Bloomingdales is jam-packed with culinary events and cooking classes
"One great sounding event is their ongoing culinary tour of the Farmer's Market on Tuesday August 11th. You're invited to join San Francisco's Epicurean Concierge, Lisa Rogovin, on an intimate tour of the famed Ferry Building Marketplace....After your hour and a half tour, you'll be whisked away on a vintage streetcar to Bloomingdale's San Francisco, the West Coast Flagship store, for an exciting culinary demonstration and tasting..."
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National Geographic Traveler, Jan/Feb 2009
Whipping Up Some News
"Berkeley: You can hardly open a menu nowadays that doesn't boast locally sourced ingredients. We can thank this city across the bay from San Francisco, where the garden-to-table movement began in the 1970s with food revolutionaries like Alice Waters of Chez Panisse. Now a new weekly tour led by "epicurean concierge" Lisa Rogovin takes you behind the scenes of Berkeley's so-called Gourmet Ghetto (actually a very nice neighborhood packed with food purveyors). Come hungry, because tastings may include cupcakes, cheese, soup, a Chinese tea flight, chocolates, coffee at the original Peet's coffeehouse, and some killer pastrami."
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Travel Muse, Sept 2008
Satisfy Your Inner Foodie On a San Francisco Culinary Tour
"San Francisco and the greater Bay Area are ground zero for food trends in the United States. Think Alice Waters and Thomas Keller, vegetarian restaurants, organic and sustainable farming, seasonal and locally sourced restaurant menus, and slow food... Try telling someone about sustainable and locally sourced dining a few years ago, and they'd look at you cross-eyed. Today, these now-established trends are all over the country (and the mainstream press) and are practically a prerequisite for new dining establishments...So when planning your San Francisco vacation, if you have any foodie tendencies at all, you should pay homage to at least a few of the Bay Area's culinary landmarks, and one way to do so is on a personalized food tour...One such tour is In The Kitchen With Lisa, led by Lisa Rogovin...who is passionate about food and wine. She loves to discover restaurants and stores that sell good, simple products using the freshest ingredients possible-and to share her findings with others."
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Touring Club Italiano, Jan 2009
Un tempio della sostenibilità, accomunato dalla filosofia Green a quello del gusto: il mercato del Ferry Building - Marcella Borghi
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Ventura County Star - Rita Moran
Tours get a taste of Berkeley specialties
"The north side of Berkeley, known for its culinary culture and innovators, is the site of a walking tour through the grown-up gastronomic theme park referred to as the "Gourmet Ghetto," led by Bay Area epicurean concierge Lisa Rogovin."
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blog.fostertravel.com - Lee Foster, November 2008
Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto Food Tour
"However, best of all, there is now a sophisticated tour available to the public each Thursday afternoon, offered by a knowledgeable food enthusiast, Lisa Rogovin, and her Epicurean Concierge company.
Lisa guides up to 10 travelers each Thursday afternoons 2-5 pm on a 14-stop tasting parade, during which you meet all the entrepreneurs who make this pageant of tastes possible. No one goes away hungry..."
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Dish Magazine, August 2008
A Cook's Tour of San Francisco
"...To find the best cafés, gourmet stores and bakeries in San Francisco
you need the services of an expert. I found mine in the form of Epicurean Concierge, Lisa Rogovin who it would seem has
the near-perfect career - showing visitors the best places to eat, drink and shop for food in the city and beyond..."
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Serena's Travels, August 2008
The Birth of California Cuisine, revisited
"...with Lisa Rogovin (i.e. the epicurean concierge) at the helm of a new Gourmet Ghetto food tour, north Shattuck's famous intersections are rediscovered...."
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San Francisco Magazine - IT List, July 3, 2008
"There's much more to Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto than Chez Panisse...Lisa Rogovin's walking tour gives you a taste of all the organic, artisan, and collective-produced food the neighborhood has to offer..."
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The East Bay Monthly, July 2008
 "There's probably no better way to begin a culinary walking tour of North Berkeley than with a chai-almond smoothie called "I Am Eternally Inspired" at the vegan Café Gratitude on Shattuck Avenue. Lisa Rogovin...who is newly charged with leading a tour of this richly historic district, says she is, in fact, "eternally inspired"...
Oh the places you'll go: Café de la Paz, Saul's, Vintage Berkeley for a wine tasting, Peet's for a sample, Soop, Alegio, Masses and más...."
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Frommer's 'San Francisco 2008'
"...If you decide you want a local foodie to lead you on a culinary excursion of the Marketplace and Farmer's Market, my friend Lisa Rogovin, an 'Epicurean Concierge' and founder of In The Kitchen With Lisa, offers guided culinary excursions. Some of Lisa's top noshing tips include..."
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Meetings West, April 2007
"After eating her way across the globe...Lisa came home hungry to launch a company that would satiate vistors' appetites for what one of the premiere 'food towns' had to serve..."
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Northwest Airlines, World Traveler, April 2007
"...Rogovin's gustatory adventures with cuisine on five continents and in 14 countries-after her six-year stint as a representative for Gourmet magazine- have qualified her as (in her own words) 'an epicurean concierge waiting to feed the hearts, souls and stomachs of foodlovers visiting San Francisco'."
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Meetings and Conventions, May 2007
"...She returned to San Francisco last summer and in September launched In the Kitchen with Lisa, a collection of programs and services that help visitors and groups explore the gustatory delights of the city and nearby wine country...."
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Travel Weekly, May 2007
"...Now, travelers can tour the market with a chef and food expert and dine on local and seasonal ingredients in a fine restaurant nearby.
Earlier this year, Lisa Rogovin started In the Kitchen With Lisa, a culinary excursion company that offers several options....."
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Incentive Magazine, May 2007
"...Lisa's the new name in town for custom culinary excursions in and around California's San Francisco Bay.
Want to reward your top earners, clients or advertisers with an experience they won't soon forget? Head to San Francisco and book In the Kitchen With Lisa..."
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Tour Listings
Culinary Walking Tour of Gourmet Ghetto
Read the press release here.
" Epicurean Concierge Lisa Rogovin brings you straight to the heart of Gourmet Ghetto. The weekly tour will offer behind the scenes experiences at a revolving selection of restaurants & food shops, along with a discussion of the area's history as the birthplace of California Cuisine. Every Thursday from 2pm-5pm, rain or shine! Reservations required."
Check out the video!
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Testimonials
"We so enjoyed the Gourmet Ghetto tour on Thursday!! As familiar as we are with the eastbay, you introduced us to many new places that we will for sure return to. Many, many thanks. You are a great tour guide, fun, informal and a great pace. All in all, a terrific day, best Christmas present our grandsons have ever given us!
Diane,
Novato
"I just wanted to thank you again for the culinary tour through Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring-- not to mention sampling-- all of the tastes and treasures there. Your insight into the food scene and the information that was provided from local artisans were invaluable. It was the perfect way to spend a Thursday afternoon!
Ben,
Los Angeles
"A slightly belated, but big thank you for the fabulous Gourmet Ghetto Tour.
For me this was an entirely dreamy excursion: I loved meeting all the owners and food-peoples along the way, tasting the delicious foods, drinks, & chocolates, and learning all about the Berkeley food scene from you. (Plus I really enjoyed meeting you and hanging out). Look forward to next time in the Mission
Amy,
Cambridge
"What a fabulous time! You have really made North Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto come alive. All of our stops were delicious, and made more so by your contacts at each place. They
were warm and welcoming and very well-informed.
We drove home with big smiles and very satisfied palates, and are eager to tell our foodie friends.
Thanks, Lisa. You have found a perfect niche for your expertise and warm personality!
On to the Mission tour!
Jeane Samuelsen,
Lafayette resident
"I cannot thank you enough for the wonderful afternoon that Patty and I spent with you on your Mission tour. I had absolutely no idea that we would be exposed to so much! I have never had "real" chai, and didn't even know that it originated in India. Or anything about "street food". Or the Balmy Alley murals. Or all the wonderful sights and smells of the Mission. Your research and contacts and wealth of knowledge (and vibrant personality) have paid off well, and you have put together a truly special experience.
I can only assume that your Ferry Building and Gourmet Ghetto tours are equally as enriching.
I've shared my day with Mia, Amanda and Sue and we all agree that once our tourist season kicks in, we will be able to refer you for many types of events."
Julie McMullan,
chef concierge,
Rosewood Sand Hill
"I wanted to celebrate my husband's birthday with something different and fun and affordable. I read an article that included Lisa's website, and thought it would be just perfect--food and wine and a knowledgeable tour guide, with a few good friends. We spent an afternoon snacking our way through the 'gourmet ghetto' in north Berkeley. My husband AND all our guests were amazed by what we didn't know about that area. Without Lisa we would never have found the little gems of delightful food as well as the history of most of the shops. Lisa is so well acquainted with the places she takes you that it seems like you're visiting a dining museum. She stresses 'natural' and 'sustainable' and 'local,' and explains how this movement in the food industry began in Berkeley.
Without exception our guests had a wonderful afternoon; my husband loved it and I was so pleased to find the experience much better than I had even envisioned. We can't wait to try some of the other tours she offers."
Susan L
"What a great experience we all had today! Loved all the 'behind the scenes' and your wonderful background info about the different vendors and growers at the Ferry Building. Now I won't feel intimidated when I enter that place next time. I also want to try Coi sometime this year as well as Il Cane Rosso and Mijita."
Lisa B
"Too fun of a day! Thanks again, for a foodie, the tour hit all the flavors!"
Gail,
Danville, CA
"...thx again for a great time Tue and Thur. We really enjoyed it, even if we did eat too much :-). As I mentioned to you, we've been to the Ferry Building a lot, but you gave us many new insights into shops we'd been to, as well as introducing us to ones that we had just walked by before. The Bloomindale cooking demo was enjoyable and delicious. We learned a few new techniques and recipes and we enjoyed all the discussions about SF restaurants, etc. Berkeley we really were not familiar with, so you introduced us to a whole new world there.
We'll keep you in mind for the future.
Richard W,
San Jose, CA
"I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you very much for having your culinary excursions. My friend and I had a lovely time with Kristen touring the SF Market Place and partaking in the food demonstration at Bloomingdale's.
We more than got our money's worth and had a wonderful day! We will definitely be planning on your Berkeley Gourmet Ghetto Tour as well in the future!!"
Jana I,
San Jose, CA
"The (Berkeley) tour evokes such a strong sense of place and culinary depth. The people and places on the tour are serious, intellectual food leaders and very down to earth. And they share so much about what they know and about their business - without being self-important or name dropping. It's just wonderful how substantive, intimate, accessible and non-sceney it is all at the same time."
Emunah Hauser,
Publicist and Writer,
Berkeley, CA
"I think this was the best summer associate event I have ever attended in terms of providing great opportunities to talk -- and to eat and drink. I even had a good time!"
Partner,
Cooley Godward Kronish
"Truth be told, it's pretty easy to make an incredible experience out of top-notch dining and staying at The Ritz. I mean, how can you go wrong with that combo? However, the one element that made this a truly unforgettable excursion was having Lisa as our guide. In a word, she was fabulous. Her love of the San Francisco food scene was contagious, and her professionalism was top-notch. I know that it can be a very delicate balance to maintain a professional demeanor while still conveying warmth and friendliness, and Lisa has truly mastered the art. I also have to give her a lot of credit for her ability to share her extensive knowledge without displaying even a hint of superiority. As someone who honestly isn't an expert in the culinary field, I know that I still have a lot to learn about food and wine. Lisa was able to answer all of our questions and share her own expertise without make us feel dumb or 'unworthy' in any way. Far from it, she encouraged questions and was also very eager to hear about our own knowledge of different dining experiences. I felt very comfortable talking to her, and Joshua and I both very much enjoyed our time with her over the weekend. Furthermore, we both appreciated her efforts to learn about some of our other interests, and her eagerness to help us find other areas of the city to explore and enjoy was very touching. In short, I don't think I could say enough about her skills as both a guide and a culinary expert. (Plus, she's just a pretty neat person all around.) Thanks, Lisa!!"
Kristin Richman,
Birmingham, AL
"We got home last night about midnight so I only now had time to go through our delightful goodie bag. Lisa, your brochure is wonderful! The bag and cookbook were a great touch. We talked about your tour so much our tablemates were green. I think that many aspects of your tour are only now beginning to sink in. For example, in the restaurant, not only did we indeed have the best seat in the house but the Maitre'd and waiter kept sharing little tidbits with us ('we're putting a Berkshire roast on the spit' etc, etc, etc) which made us feel like insiders-not tourists. This was all due entirely to your entree into the inner circles of San Francisco cuisine. Your tour was worth every single penny and was the highlight of our trip. I could go on and on but I have 3 suitcases to unpack so I will just add that you made us all feel very spoiled! You are a delightful person and half the fun of the tour was 'hanging out with Lisa'."
Cheri Hyde,
Bellingham, WA
"Thanks so much for the fabulous Ferry Building Tour and Cooking Party. Much fun was had by all. Absolutely the BEST culinary event I've ever participated in!"
Sheryl Fox,
Yahoo!
Senior Director
"I attended a private chocolate tasting with Lisa and learned a lot about chocolate -- how to taste it (almost like wine), where it comes from, the process and the categories of chocolate producers (chocolate makers vs. artisans).
Best of all, I got to meet some really interesting people who are in or else dabble in the food scene in San Francisco. We shared not only our love for chocolate, but stories about traveling, personal interests etc. I couldn't believe we spent 3 hours sustaining ourselves on wine, chocolate and cheese; time seemed to fly and quite enjoyably at that. I can't wait to check out another culinary excursion! I left with an education on chocolate, but best of all some really great contacts and fond memories."
Vera DeVera,
San Francisco Opera,
San Francisco, CA
"I can't tell you how much fun we had - your tour was genuinely the highlight of the weekend! The lunch (at The Slanted Door) was incredible and so fun to taste all the different plates. And the chocolate tour was incredible. Absolutely incredible. I've told everyone about it and have been (sort of) sharing my chocolate. The Ferry Building was my favorite experience all weekend (although the Michael Kors purse I bought was a close second)."
Lisa Christy,
Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, OR
"Thank you. Everyone has send me emails about how wonderful the night was of Tasting Chocolate with Lisa. Everyone just loved you! Thank you so much for your attention to details, flexibility and knowledge!"
Perrin Rowe,
SF Giants, San Francisco, CA
"...As General Manager of the Four Seasons San Francisco from its opening until October 2004, I asked Lisa Rogovin to start a program to lead our guests on intimate and exclusive culinary excursion....especially the Saturday morning farmer's market experience at the famed Ferry Building. Since San Francisco is one of the best food cities in the world I was fortunate to find someone with all the skills needed to make our guests come back with rave reviews. Her charming, sparkling and delightful personality as well as great passion and tremendous knowledge of food and wine allowed our guests to be educated and entertained all at the same time. Her enthusiasm and knowledge for all things food and wine plus her extensive relationships with shop owners, winemakers, farmers and artisan food makers provided Four Seasons San Francisco guests with an insider's taste of San Francisco's food scene."
Stan Bromley
former Four Seasons Hotel, San Francisco
VP General Manager
"Working with Lisa Rogovin is a Event or Meeting Planners' dream come true. I hired Lisa to lead an executive group of 20 clients on a tour throughout the Ferry Building Marketplace. Guests absolutely loved their experience with Lisa. Her relationships with many of the vendors inside the Ferry Building made her a tremendous resource and allowed me to leave the logistics of planning the itinerary and coordinating with retailers in Lisa's capable hands. Whenever the event I'm planning calls for a culinary program I call Lisa first."
Lina Malamud
Operations Manager,
TBA Global Events, LLC
"...the morning/afternoon with Lisa was one of the highlights of our stay. All too often when visiting a new place, it is difficult to know where to go and it is often only the result of a pleasant accident that provides you with the opportunity to actually meet and talk with a shop owner or the winemaker of a major winery. The outing with Lisa involved all of this and more. I simply cannot imagine any one who enjoys food and wine not finding this outing to be a simply marvelous way to get to know San Francisco. I heartily endorse this program."
Gerald
Recent client, Seattle
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